Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c4.1199

c4.1199

A son named Prahlāda was born to him. He was a god-fearing child and from birth an ardent believer in Viṣṇu. Hiraṇyakaśipu tried his utmost to change his son to a hater of Viṣṇu. He got a special teacher for the purpose and Prahlāda was taken to the house of the teacher to live with him until he changed his mind. The result was that the teacher and all others who advised him ultimately became believers in Viṣṇu. Anger overpowered Hiraṇyakaśipu. Prahlāda was thrown before mad elephants. But the tusks of the elephant missed the aim and were driven into the earth and broken. Venomous snakes were employed and those which bit him had their fangs broken. Finally the child was put in blazing fire. But the child felt the fire to be cool and soothing. From that fire a ghost arose and tried to kill Prahlāda. Instantly the Sudarśana, the wheel-weapon of Viṣṇu came down and cut off the head of the ghost. Hiraṇyakaśipu jumped with anger and called out. "Where is your Viṣṇu?" His son replied that his Viṣṇu dwelt in every movable and immovable thing. Hiraṇyakaśipu kicked at a stone pillar close by and asked him, "Is your Viṣṇu in Pillar and in fibre". Before he had finished, the Pillar broke open and a monster as horrible as the Destroyer Śiva, in the shape of a lion-man made its appearance.