Elements of Hindu Iconography v1.c11.53

v1.c11.53

According to the Pādma-purāṇa Prahlāda was a Brāhmaṇa in his previous condition of existence; and though now born as the son of Hiraṇyakaśipu, he still retained his old and ardent devotion to Viṣṇu. The father, of course, did not like that his son should be a devout adorer of his mortal enemies, the gods; and with the object of getting rid of such a misbehaving and undesirable son, he subjected him to various forms of cruel treatment. But Prahlāda, by the grace of Viṣṇu, remained quite unscathed, and began to preach, with even greater earnestness than before, the doctrine that Viṣṇu was the omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent God who filled all space and reigned everywhere as the Supreme Lord. Then once Hiraṇyakaśipu, in a fit of exasperation, asked his son why, if Viṣṇu was omnipresent, he did not see him in the pillar of his hall. Thereupon Prahlāda struck the pillar with his fist, and according to another account, Hiraṇyakaśipu himself angrily kicked the pillar, and at once Viṣṇu came out therefrom half-man and half-lion, and tore Hiraṇyakaśipu to pieces.