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We shall read from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Five, Chapter Eighteen: "The Residents of Jambudvipa Offer Prayers." Text 8 is the first in the series of prayers recited by Prahlada Maharaja to Lord Nrsimhadeva, so we shall begin with Text 8 and then proceed to Text 9, the purport to which also refers to Text 8. Text 8 is a very important prayer, or mantra, and in it many words are repeated twice. When something is repeated twice, it gives great emphasis. For example, one might say, "It is a terrible, terrible thing." The repetition of "terrible" is for emphasis. TEXT 8 om namo bhagavate narasimhaya namas tejas-tejase avir-avirbhava vajra-nakha TRANSLATION I offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Nrsimhadeva, the source of all power. O my Lord who possess nails and teeth just like thunderbolts, kindly vanquish our demonlike desires for fruitive activity in this material world. Please appear in our hearts and drive away our ignorance so that by Your mercy we may become fearless in the struggle for existence in this material world. TEXT 9 svasty astu visvasya khalah prasidatam SYNONYMS svasti--auspiciousness; astu--let there be; visvasya--of the entire universe; khalah--the envious (almost everyone); prasidatam--let them be pacified; dhyayantu--let them consider; bhutani--all the living entities; sivam--auspiciousness; mithah--mutual; dhiya--by their intelligence; manah--the mind; ca--and; bhadram--calmness; bhajatat--let it experience; adhoksaje--in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is beyond the perception of mind, intelligence, and senses; avesyatam--let it be absorbed; nah--our; matih--intelligence; api--indeed; ahaituki--without any motive. TRANSLATION May there be good fortune throughout the universe, and may all envious persons be pacified. May all living entities become calm by practicing bhakti-yoga, for by accepting devotional service they will think of each other's welfare. Therefore let us all engage in the service of the supreme transcendence, Lord Sri Krsna, and always remain absorbed in thought of Him. PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada The following verse describes a Vaisnava: vancha-kalpa-tarubhyas ca Just like a desire tree, a Vaisnava can fulfill all the desires of anyone who takes shelter of his lotus feet. Prahlada Maharaja is a typical Vaisnava. He prays not for himself, but for all living entities--the gentle, the envious, and the mischievous. He always thought of the welfare of mischievous persons like his father, Hiranyakasipu. Prahlada Maharaja did not ask for anything for himself; rather, he prayed for the Lord to excuse his demoniac father. This is the attitude of a Vaisnava, who always thinks of the welfare of the entire universe. Srimad-Bhagavatam and bhagavata-dharma are meant for persons who are completely free of envy (parama-nirmatsaranam). Therefore Prahlada Maharaja prays in this verse, khalah prasidatam: "May all the envious persons be pacified." The material world is full of envious persons, but if one frees himself of envy, he becomes liberal in his social dealings and can think of others' welfare. Anyone who takes up Krsna consciousness and engages himself completely in the service of the Lord cleanses his mind of all envy (manas ca bhadram bhajatad adhoksaje). Therefore we should pray to Lord Nrsimhadeva to sit in our hearts. We should pray, bahir nrsimho hrdaye nrsimhah: "Let Lord Nrsimhadeva sit in the core of my heart, killing all my bad propensities. Let my mind become clean so that I may peacefully worship the Lord and bring peace to the entire world." Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has given us a very fine purport in this regard. Whenever one offers a prayer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one always requests some benediction from Him. Even pure (niskama) devotees pray for some benediction, as instructed by Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His Siksastaka: ayi nanda-tanuja kinkaram "O son of Maharaja Nanda [Krsna], I am Your eternal servitor, yet somehow or
other I have fallen into the ocean of birth and death. Please pick Me up
from the ocean of death and place Me as one of the atoms at Your lotus
feet." In another prayer Lord Caitanya says, mama janmani janmanisvare
bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi: "Life after life, kindly let Me have
unalloyed love and devotion at Your Lordship's lotus feet." When Prahlada
Maharaja chants om namo bhagavate narasimhaya, he prays for a benediction
from the Lord, but because he is also an exalted Vaisnava, he wants nothing
for his personal sense gratification. The first desire expressed in his
prayer is svasty astu visvasya: "Let there be good fortune throughout the
entire universe." Prahlada Maharaja thus requested the Lord to be merciful If the Krsna consciousness movement spreads all over the world, and if by
the grace of Krsna everyone accepts it, the thinking of envious people will
change. Everyone will think of the welfare of others. Therefore Prahlada
Maharaja prays, sivam mitho dhiya. In material activities, everyone is
envious of others, but in Krsna consciousness, no one is envious of anyone
else; everyone thinks of the welfare of others. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja
prays that everyone's mind may become gentle by being fixed at the lotus
feet of Krsna (bhajatad adhoksaje). As indicated elsewhere in
Srimad-Bhagavatam (sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayoh) and as advised by Lord
Krsna in Bhagavad-gita (18.65), man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah, one should
constantly think of the lotus feet of Lord Krsna. Then one's mind will COMMENT by Giriraj Swami vancha-kalpatarubhyas ca Srila Prabhupada quoted this verse in the purport because it describes a Vaisnava and because Prahlada Maharaja, who recited the prayers that we are reading and discussing, is an excellent example of a Vaisnava. Hiranyakasipu, the father of Prahlada, was a great demon, and he performed
such severe austerities that the entire universe became disturbed.
Ultimately, Lord Brahma personally came to Hiranyakasipu to ask him what
benediction he wanted, so that he would cease his austerities and stop the
disturbance within the universe. Hiranyakasipu asked for the benediction to
become immortal, but Lord Brahma replied, "I myself am not immortal." So
Hiranyakasipu asked for various boons that he thought would indirectly make
him immortal. He asked that he not be killed inside a building or outside.
He asked that he not be killed in the day or at night. He prayed that he not
be killed on the land or in the sky. He prayed that he not be killed by any
human being or animal, demigod or demon, or any other creature. He prayed Hiranyakasipu, in due course, had a son named Prahlada, and Prahlada was a devotee. Earlier, the Lord in the form of Varahadeva had killed Hiranyakasipu's brother Hiranyaksa, and Hiranyakasipu was determined to avenge his brother's death--he actually thought that he could kill Visnu. He knew that Visnu had appeared as Varaha and killed Hiranyaksa. Later, Diti, the mother of Hiranyaksa and Hiranyakasipu, desired a son who would kill Indra, because she thought that Indra, with the help of Visnu, was responsible for the death of her sons. We know from scripture--sadhu-sastra-guru-vakya--that Visnu is God. So we
might consider, "How could anyone imagine that they could kill God?" But if
God came into this room and we didn't recognize Him by the features that are
described in the scriptures, we wouldn't know that He was God, because God
looks like a human being. As the Bible says, "God created man in His own
image." God has arms and legs and hands and feet and eyes and ears and a
nose and mouth and all the different bodily features we have. His body looks
like ours. What distinguishes Him from us is that He has immeasurable
potencies. For example, the president of the United States looks like a
human being like the rest of us, but he has immense powers (more than some
might like). If he wants, he can order the army to invade a country or send
the police to arrest a citizen. He looks like us, but we don't have that
power. We might want to do certain things, but we don't have the power. But When someone performs great austerities, he can get great powers. Even demons, if they perform the required austerities, can become very powerful and attain various mystic perfections. So although Lord Visnu has all power and mystic potency, demons can also get powers. And Hiranyakasipu thought that by his austerities and the powers he derived from them and the benedictions he got from Lord Brahma, he could become immortal and conquer the universe. He had created a great disturbance in the universe by performing severe austerities; now he did so by actively waging war against the demigods and conquering their territories. Now, Hiranyakasipu wanted his son Prahlada to be like him, a great materialist, and he had him educated accordingly. He engaged teachers to instruct the boy to be expert in politics and diplomacy. Although he was a demon, Hiranyakasipu had natural affection for his son. And as parents sometimes ask their children, "What did you learn in school today? What is your favorite subject?" so Hiranyakasipu asked Prahlada, "What is the best thing you have learned?" He thought Prahlada would say something cute, something sweet. But Prahlada gave the worst answer imaginable to Hiranyakasipu. He said, "The best thing I have learned is sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam/ arcanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma-nivedanam"--to hear about and glorify Visnu. Visnu, whom Hiranyakasipu considered to be his worst enemy. Visnu. So Hiranyakasipu became furious, and ultimately he decided to kill Prahlada. He gave the logic that if a part of your body becomes infected, the disease may spread throughout the body and kill you. So even though it is part of your body, you have to amputate it, for the sake of the rest of the body. He thought, "Although Prahlada is my son, he has been infected by the disease of Vaisnavism and we have to cut him out before the disease spreads and finishes us." So he tried to kill Prahlada in so many ways, as described in the Seventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, and although he was so powerful . . . Hiranyakasipu had conquered over the demigods. He occupied the throne of King Indra and severely ruled over the inhabitants of all the other planets. Except for Brahma and Siva, all the other demigods engaged in his service, offering him obeisances and praise. He was so powerful--but he could not kill Prahlada. He had horrible-looking demons try to pierce Prahlada's body with tridents. He threw Prahlada beneath the feet of big elephants and in the midst of huge snakes. But no matter what he did, he could not kill him. He hurled him from a mountain top, gave him poison, starved him, and threw heavy stones on him to crush him. Nothing worked--nothing affected Prahlada in the least--and Hiranyakasipu was astonished. He had triumphed over the armies of the demigods, but he could not subdue his five-year-old son. Finally, after all his efforts had failed, Hiranyakasipu asked Prahlada, "From where do you get your power? You know that when I am angry all the
planets of the three worlds, along with their rulers, tremble. But you have
no fear, and you have exceeded my power to control you. From where do you
get your strength?" And Prahlada replied, "I get my strength from the same
source as you, from the source of all strength--from God." Now, that really
infuriated Hiranyakasipu, because he thought that he was the source of his
own power. That is the demoniac mentality. We think we are the
doers--kartaham iti manyate. We think, isvaro 'ham aham bhogi siddho 'ham Thus Hiranyakasipu became even more infuriated and more defiant. He said to Prahlada, "If this God of yours is everywhere, why is He not present before me in this pillar? I am going to kill you now, and let us see this God of yours protect you!" Filled with rage, Hiranyakasipu rose from his throne, took up his sword, and with great anger struck his fist against the column. And out of the pillar emerged the wonderful form of Nrsimhadeva. Nrsimha Bhagavan ki jaya! Nrsimhadeva was unique. He was neither a man nor an animal but had a form that was half lion and half man. And His appearance fulfilled all the conditions of Lord Brahma. He wasn't a demigod or human being or animal--He wasn't any creature. Ultimately, He picked up Hiranyakasipu and placed him on His lap and with His nails ripped apart his chest. Now, Hiranyakasipu was extraordinarily powerful, and his chest could withstand the thunderbolt of Indra. No one could pierce his body. He was so powerful. One could throw arrows and all types of weapons at him, and they would bounce off him like nothing. So it was no mean feat to tear open his chest. Yet Nrsimhadeva ripped open his chest with His long nails, tore out his heart, and thus killed this great demon. Daily, we glorify Lord Nrsimha with the prayer (a line of which was quoted in the purport by Srila Prabhupada): ito nrsimhah parato nrsimho Ito nrsimhah means "Nrsimha is here"; parato nrsimho means "Nrismha is also there on the opposite side." Yato yato yami tato nrsimhah: "Wherever I go, there is Nrsimha." Bahir nrsimho: "Nrimsha is outside"; hrdaye nrsimho: "Nrsimha is in my heart." Nrsimham adim saranam prapadye: "I take shelter of Lord Nrsimha, the primeval lord." He is everywhere. We also sing: namas te nara-simhaya Sila-tanka-nakhalaye. Sila means "stone," as in saligrama-sila; nakha means "fingernails"; and tanka means "chisel." If you want to break a hard stone, you have to chisel it. So, Lord Nrsimha's nails were like chisels that cut the chest of Hiranyakasipu--his stonelike heart and chest. Hiranyakasipu thought that by his own power and intelligence he could become immortal. But his intelligence was not as great as that of Nrsimha, who kept all of Brahma's boons intact and still was able to kill the demon. Nrsimhadeva assumed this wonderful form--adbhuta means "wonderful"--that was half man and half lion. He sat at the threshold of the palace, which wasn't inside or outside. He appeared at twilight, which was neither day nor night. And He killed Hiranyakasipu on His lap--not in the sky or on the land. And not with any weapon but with His nails. So He kept all the benedictions intact and still killed him. Srila Prabhupada explains that however intelligent we are, Krsna is always a
little more intelligent. Mother Yasoda tried to bind Krsna with ropes, but
no matter how many ropes she tied together, He was always two fingers
bigger. She was always just a little short. In the same way, if we try to
compete with God--try to outwit God, try to cheat God--we will always fall
short. Srila Prabhupada says, "Hiranyakasipu was thinking only of the atomic
bomb, how to protect himself from the bomb, but he forgot about the nails."
He made so many arrangements to protect himself, but he neglected to
consider the nails. So the conclusion should be "If you can't fight Him,
join Him." Nrsimham adim saranam prapadye. Just surrender to Nrsimhadeva.
Don't try to compete with Him or fight with Him. That is the background of Now, after Nrsimhadeva killed Hiranyakasipu, He asked Prahlada to accept some benediction, but Prahlada didn't want any material benediction, because he was a pure devotee. In today's verse we find the word ahaituki: without any motive. Prahlada had no material motive, so when Lord Nrsimhadeva asked him to accept some benediction, Prahlada refused. He said, "Why are You trying to tempt me with material allurements? If I were to desire material benefit in exchange for devotional service, I wouldn't be a servant. I would be like a businessman who wants profit in exchange for service. Lord, I am Your eternal servant, and You are my eternal master. We have no other relationship." Prahlada asked only that there be no material desires within his heart. But Nrsimhadeva insisted that Prahlada accept some benediction, and in the
end Prahlada agreed: "If You really want me to ask something of You, then I
ask that You purify my father." This shows the exemplary character of
Prahlada, who, as Srila Prabhupada said, is a typical Vaisnava. A Vaisnava
is the friend of everyone, of all living entities (suhrdah sarva-dehinam).
He never becomes the enemy of his enemy. He remains ever the friend of
everyone--even his enemies. So even though Hiranyakasipu was so
envious--even of his own son--that he tried in so many ways to kill him,
Prahlada remained true to his character as a Vaisnava. He thought of his In this prayer to Lord Nrsimhadeva, Prahlada is praying for his father and
for all envious people, that they may be pacified. Khalah prasidatam: "May
all envious persons be pacified." As Srila Prabhupada notes, almost everyone
is envious. In fact, we come into this material world because we are envious
of Krsna. That is why we are here. Thus Srila Prabhupada says, "Almost
everyone." The only exceptions are the pure devotees. Everyone else has some
envy. It is like saying, "Almost everyone in the prison is a criminal." Yes,
in principle, all the prisoners are criminal. There may be some staff
members who are not, who are there to minister to the inmates, but the
prisoners themselves are criminal. So, other than the devotees who are
working for the welfare of the fallen souls, everyone is envious. And no one If we want to get out of the bondage of material existence, we have to become free from envy. And how do we become free from envy? By the process of Krsna consciousness. And that is Prahlada's prayer: bhajatad adhoksaje. Bhaja means to worship and serve. The word bhakti comes from the verbal root bhaj: to serve with devotion. And serve whom? Adhoksaja: Krsna, who is beyond material sense perception. Hiranyakasipu couldn't see Visnu; the Lord was beyond his sense perception. It was only when He chose to appear to him by emerging from the pillar as Nrsimhadeva that Hiranyakasipu could see Him. Otherwise, only pure devotees can see Krsna. No one else can see Him. He is beyond the perception of the materially contaminated senses, mind, and intelligence of the conditioned souls. So the process is Krsna consciousness (bhajatad adhoksaje), and as Prahlada has explained, we engage in devotional service in Krsna consciousness by sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam: hearing and chanting about Visnu and remembering Him. As Srila Prabhupada quoted from the Siksastaka, ceto-darpana-marjanam: sankirtana, the chanting of the holy names of the Lord, cleanses the heart. That is the process. And when the heart is cleansed we become peaceful and calm (bhadram). This process is described in two very important verses from the second chapter of Srimad-Bhagavatam: srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah "Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma [Supersoul] in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted." (SB 1.2.17) Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah. When we hear krsna-katha all the abhadrani, all the material desires, all the disturbances within the heart, are cleansed by the Lord Himself, who is sitting within the heart as the well-wishing friend of the truthful devotee (vidhunoti suhrt satam). And the transcendental sound itself is Krsna. Krsna enters the ear in the form of transcendental sound, and when we are hearing properly, the sound will enter the heart and cleanse it. Krsna in the form of transcendental sound will cleanse the dirty things in the heart (ceto-darpana-marjanam). The next verse explains further: nasta-prayesv abhadresu "By regular attendance in classes on the Bhagavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact." (SB 1.2.18) Bhagavata-sevaya: by serving the person Bhagavata or by serving the book
Bhagavata, all that is troublesome to the heart--the same word, abhadrani
(abhadra, nasta-prayesv abhadresu)--all that is troublesome, all that is
disturbing to the heart, becomes destroyed almost to nil at this stage. So
when Prahlada prays that envious persons be pacified (bhadram), he is
praying that all the abhadra, the disturbing things, the material desires
within the heart, be removed. And the way they can be removed is by Krsna
consciousness, by absorbing the mind in Krsna. That process is recommended
in the Bhagavad-gita (man-mana bhava mad-bhakto) and in Srimad-Bhagavatam
(sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayoh)--to absorb the mind in Krsna. That is
Krsna consciousness, and that will cleanse the heart and make us calm and
peaceful. Then, instead of being envious of others and wanting to exploit
and dominate them, we will think of their welfare. We want to help them and Our main process, specially given to us in Kali-yuga by Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu, is sankirtana, the chanting of the holy names of the Lord. But
we have to do it in such a way that our minds are absorbed. That is
Prahlada's prayer, that our minds be absorbed in Krsna. So when we chant, we
want to hear--we want our minds to be absorbed in the sound of Lord Krsna's
holy name. But when we try practically, what do we find? Is our mind
peaceful? Is it absorbed in Krsna's holy name? Or is it wandering here and
there, thinking of different things to control and enjoy, which suggests the
mentality described in the Bhagavad-gita and ascribed to demons: isvaro 'ham
aham bhogi--"I am the controller; I am the enjoyer"? When we analyze the
thoughts we have even while we are chanting--while we are supposed to be This demoniac tendency that we discussed in relation to Hiranyakasipu is
there in us too. As our godbrother Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu often quotes, "We So we have to work hard. We have to endeavor to chant and hear with attention, with feeling. Whenever the mind wanders, we have to bring it back to the sound of Lord Krsna's holy name. And that is a difficult job. In fact, it is futile exercise on our own strength alone. We need help. We need mercy. We need mercy from Krishna. And Prahlada is helping us. We should be praying, but he is leading us in the prayer. In Text 8 he prayed to Lord Nrsimhadeva in the heart, "Kindly vanquish my demonlike desires. Just as You destroyed Hiranyakasipu, kindly destroy my demonlike desires, kill my bad propensities, and sit on the throne of my heart." So we do both: we make our own effort, and we pray for mercy. And when the Lord sees that we are making an honest effort, He is inclined to give His mercy. We don't just sit back and do nothing and pray for mercy. We have to make an effort. But at the same time, we understand that by our effort alone we cannot be successful; we need the Lord's help. And when the Lord sees our genuine, sincere, tireless effort, He will be merciful. We mentioned Mother Yasoda. She couldn't bind Krsna with all the ropes in Vraja, but when Krsna saw her tireless effort to bind Him, He felt compassion for her and allowed her to bind Him. Our acaryas explain that that gap of two fingers by which the ropes were always too short can be covered (1) by our endeavor, our hard labor (parisrama), and (2) by Krsna's mercy (krsna-krpa). These two elements can cover that distance and make our efforts successful--by Krsna's grace. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, as quoted by Prabhupada in the purport, explains that whenever a devotee offers a prayer to the Lord, He asks for some benediction. Om namo bhagavate narasimhaya is a prayer, and implicit in the prayer is a request for a benediction. But a devotee will not ask for a material benediction like Hiranyakasipu's: "Let me become immortal so I can conquer the universe and make everyone my servant." He will ask for a benediction related to devotional service. And that is not wrong. He just won't ask for something for his sense gratification; he will ask for something for Krsna consciousness--for his own Krsna consciousness and for the Krsna consciousness of others. We find the example in the Siksastaka (5): ayi nanda-tanuja kinkaram "O son of Maharaja Nanda [Krsna], I am Your eternal servitor, yet somehow or other I have fallen into this horrible ocean of birth and death. Please pick me up from this ocean of death and place me as one of the atoms at Your lotus feet." This is a very significant verse. Ayi nanda-tanuja kinkaram: "I am Your
eternal servant." We are Krsna's servants--specifically Krsna's, the son of
Nanda. Nanda-tanuja is an intimate term. Tanu means "body" and ja means "born." Although the Lord is aja, unborn, for the sake of His pastimes in
Vrndavana, He appears as nanda-tanuja, He who was "born from the body of
Nanda." It is very intimate. "Yet although I am Your servant [kinkaram],
somehow or the other I have fallen into this terrible ocean of birth and
death [patitam mam visame bhavambudhau]." Bhava means "to exist" or "to come
into being and then to cease to exist." And visame Prabhupada translates as "horrible." Literally, visa means "poison." This material existence is like
an ocean of poison. And within this ocean are ferocious aquatics like The only thing that can save us is mercy (tava krpa). Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who uttered these verses called the Siksastaka, prays, "By Your mercy, please pick Me up from this horrible ocean of birth and death and place Me as one of the atoms at Your lotus feet." It is divine mercy that can save us. And He prays to be an atom at the lotus feet of Krsna. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura remarks that this indicates that we are all originally part and parcel of Krsna. Dhuli, literally, means "dust." Pada-dhuli: "dust of the lotus feet." Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu prays, "Please be causelessly merciful to Me. Consider Me, Your eternal servant, a particle of dust at Your lotus feet." Someone might question, "Is it proper for a devotee who has taken shelter of
the holy name of Krsna to discuss the miseries of material existence?" Well,
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu does. So it is not wrong to discuss the miseries of
material existence, and it is not wrong to pray for mercy to be
reestablished in one's constitutional relationship with Krsna. Those are
things devotees do. And that should be our mood when we chant: that the holy
name is Krsna and that we want to reestablish our lost relationship with
Him. Thus we want to reestablish our relationship with the holy name--Krsna
as the holy name. And our chanting is personal reciprocation with the holy
name. When our mind wanders and all these anarthas come up, as they are
prone to do, we pray for mercy, "Please save me. I think I am God, the And we have another example from Sri Siksastaka (4): na dhanam na janam na sundarim "O Lord of the universe, I do not desire material wealth, materialistic followers, a beautiful wife, or fruitive activities described in flowery language. All I want, life after life, is unmotivated devotional service to You." Ahaituki. Again the word ahaituki: "causeless, without any motive for
personal gain of any sort." Pure devotional service is anyabhilasita-sunyam
jnana-karmady-anavrtam. Anyabhilasita-sunyam: without any ulterior motive.
Jnana-karmady-anavrtam: not covered by karma, jnana, or any other process.
In His Siksastaka, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu prays in the mood of pure
devotion: na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam. Dhanam means "wealth."
Janam means "followers." Sundarim means "beautiful women, beautiful wife."
And kavitam means "poetry" or "the flowery words of the Vedas." Sometimes
sundarim is placed with kavitam to mean "beautiful poetry." Some people
think that they can realize God through poetry, music, or art, and they are
attached to such subtle, almost heavenly pleasures. They say they can
experience God through hearing a symphony, or whatever. So sundarim kavitam:
beautiful poetry. And when sundarim is placed with kavitam, then beautiful But Prahlada is asking not just for himself. He is praying for all living entities. And the same principle applies: we pray, but we also have to work. It is not enough that we sit back and pray, "Please deliver all the living entities in the universe" while we keep busy in eating and sleeping, or even chanting for our own personal benefit. We also have to work for the deliverance of the fallen souls. And that combination of endeavor and prayer will be effective. We find later, in Prahlada's prayers to Nrsimhadeva in the Seventh Canto (SB 7.9.44): prayena deva munayah sva-vimukti-kama "O my Lord, I see that most saintly persons are interested only in their own deliverance. Not caring for the big cities and towns, they roam in solitary places with vows of silence. They are not interested in delivering others. As for me, however, I do not wish to be liberated alone, leaving aside all these poor fools and rascals. I know that without Krsna consciousness, without taking shelter of Your lotus feet, one cannot be happy. Therefore I wish to bring them back to shelter at Your lotus feet." Prahlada does not have to be concerned about his own liberation, because, as a pure devotee, he is already liberated. Wherever he is, he can always immerse himself in the nectarean ocean of the Lord's holy names and glories, and feel transcendental bliss. He explains, "For myself I have no anxiety, but I do have one concern. My lamentation (soce) is that people are suffering without Krsna consciousness, and so I am always making plans how to engage them in devotional service." naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaranyas "O best of the great personalities, I am not at all afraid of material existence, for wherever I stay I am fully absorbed in thoughts of Your glories and activities. I am quite satisfied to chant Your holy name, because whenever I chant I immediately merge in an ocean of transcendental bliss. My concern is only for the fools and rascals who are making elaborate plans for material happiness and maintaining their families, societies, and countries. I am simply lamenting for them and devising various plans to deliver them from the clutches of maya." (SB 7.9.43) Prahlada Maharaja is one of our acaryas--one of the twelve mahajanas--and he is teaching us by his example. He is thinking how he can deliver the fallen souls, how he can induce the fallen souls to take to Krsna consciousness. At the same time, he is praying to his worshipable deity, Lord Nrsimhadeva, to be merciful to them and deliver them, because he knows that on his own he can't deliver them--and that on their own they can't deliver themselves. So, to preach we need the Lord's mercy. And to practice Krsna consciousness we also need the Lord's mercy. At every stage, we need the Lord's mercy. And at the same time, we have to make our own efforts. In conclusion, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura raises the question, "What if Prahlada Maharaja's prayer is accepted and everyone becomes Krsna conscious? They all will leave the material universe and go back to Godhead, so what will happen to the universe?" At the Ardha-kumbha-mela in 1971, I had a rare opportunity to be with Srila
Prabhupada in his tent when he was giving darsana, meeting visitors in the
afternoon. A man asked him, "What if everyone becomes a devotee--how will
the world go on?" And Prabhupada asked me to answer. I don't remember
exactly what I said, maybe something about how will the prison go on if all
the prisoners are reformed and released, but I was very attentive to what
Prabhupada said after I made my attempt. Srila Prabhupada replied, "It is
like asking, 'What if everyone becomes rich? Who will be the chauffeur?'
Everyone wants to be rich. You can't argue, 'What if everyone becomes rich?'
to say that people not try to become rich." Prabhupada continued, "The
problem is not that too many people will become Krsna conscious; the problem
is that not enough will become Krsna conscious. Do you think that is a
problem--that too many people will become Krsna conscious? That is not the Once, one of our godsisters, Jahnava devi dasi, in this mood of thinking of
the welfare of every living entity, asked Srila Prabhupada, "When we chant,
should we think of the welfare of all living entities?" And Prabhupada
replied, "Oh, you can think of all living entities? You just think of Lord
Caitanya, and He will think of all living entities." [laughter] We may
desire the welfare of all living entities, but it is not in our capacity to
think of all living entities. Even in a family of four, it is hard to think Hare Krsna. Nrsimha Bhagavan ki jaya! |