20220515 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.8.31

The following is a Narashimha Chaturdashi Śrīmad Bhāgavatam class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on May 15th, 2022 in Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur, India. The class begins with a reading from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.8.31.

Jayapatākā Swami: When Prahlāda was in the womb of his mother, at that time Nārada Muni had given him instructions. Prahlāda remembered that very easily. The demigods wanted to intervene, they wanted to arrest Prahlāda’s mother, as because they were afraid of the child in the womb, but Nārada Muni assured them that you will not have any problem from this particular child, that Prahlāda will be a mahā-bhāgavata, a pure devotee. So now when Prahlāda was at school the sons of Śukrācārya gave him education. And Śukrācārya had two sons and they were teaching Prahlāda all the material things. But Prahlāda, he was not interested. He was only interested in things related with devotional service. So one day, Prahlāda, he came to his father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, and Hiraṇyakaśipu he asked him “What is the best thing that you learned from your teachers?” “Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam, to Lord Viṣṇu.” So Hiraṇyakaśipu was very angry. “Who has taught this poison to my son? Some Vaiṣṇava must have snuck into the teaching area. So you have guards shoot-on-sight! Any Vaiṣṇava comes, kill him immediately!” This is the order of Hiraṇyakaśipu! He did not know Prahlāda already had this knowledge. And so when the teachers were out Prahlāda taught the sons of the demons, kṛṣṇa-bhakti. They said, “We are just children, we should play.” So, Prahlāda, he is saying that, “You have spent time eating, sleeping, like this, your whole time will go away.” He said, “Chant and dance to the holy name and that will give you all perfection.” Haribol! So, the children started to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. The teachers came and saw that all the children were chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa! Then he took Prahlāda and complained to his father, “Your child, he is teaching the others about Viṣṇu-bhakti!” “Ahhhh! Ohh!”Hiraṇyakaśipu said, “My brother was killed by Viṣṇu and now I am seeing Viṣṇu in a small form as my enemy.” But Prahlāda Mahārāja advised his father that to be attached to sense gratificatory objects in the way you are doing is completely useless waste of time. You should worship Lord Kṛṣṇa. Ahhhhh! He told his soldiers, “Kill him! Kill him!” They tried to kill him. But they were not able. He had a snake bite him, an elephant put his foot over him, in this way in various manners they tried to kill him. They threw him off the cliff, but some Prahlāda survived. So, Hiraṇyakaśipu became afraid of him. So, he told the two teachers, the sons of Śukrācārya, “You teach them all the good material tattva. The enemy should be killed and you should enjoy the fruits.” But Prahlāda Mahārāja was a devotee and therefore he did not want to see anybody to be his enemy. There is a verse in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that says that a devotee does not have any enemy.

titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ
suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām
ajāta-śatravaḥ śāntāḥ
sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ

—Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.25.31

He quoted the verse:

So the two teachers failed to brainwash Prahlāda. And Prahlāda, he maintained his devotional consciousness. The two teachers brought Prahlāda to his father again. So then, Hiraṇyakaśipu, he decided he would himself kill the boy. Now Prahlāda, he was innocent. And this is a case of child abuse! So, there is a history, I think in the Padma Purāṇa of the previous creation. And in our Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Hiraṇyakaśipu smashed the column. He asked Prahlāda, “Where is your God? Is He in this column?” “Yes! He is everywhere!” And then Hiraṇyakaśipu smashed the column.

In the Padma Purāṇa I think, there is a different history where Hiraṇyakaśipu he told Prahlāda that at sunset I will kill you. And Hiraṇyakaśipu had a big panḍāla hundreds of kilometers wide and hundred kilometers wide. And whoever was in the panḍāla, they did not grow old, they had nice food. Now at sunset, Hiraṇyakaśipu was ordering, kill this boy! Kill this boy! Then the soldiers were throwing spears, arrows and other weapons at Prahlāda. As soon as the weapons touched Prahlāda, they turned into a blue lotus. Haribol! He was covered with blue lotuses! And then Hiraṇyakaśipu said if your God comes at sunset, at sunset I will kill you. So, Narasiṁhadeva, He was flying outside the panḍāla. Seeing him flying, the people were completely amazed. Then Narasiṁhadeva entered the panḍāla and started flying. And Hiraṇyakaśipu said no beasts allowed! But Narasiṁhadeva did not care. He kept flying! So Hiraṇyakaśipu threw some missiles at Him. But Narasiṁhadeva’s mane, His hair went out and the missiles would touch and they would get burnt. Like they have in the West insect jabbers. Shook shook! In India they have rackets. Like this when those missiles hit Nrsimhadeva’s mane, they got shook! Then Hiraṇyakaśipu he thought, “Alright I will fight him personally.” So Hiraṇyakaśipu he got the blessing that he would not be killed in or out. And he won’t be killed in daytime or nighttime. So somehow, keeping all these things in mind, Narasiṁhadeva just at twilight when it is neither day or night, He bifurcated this Hiraṇyakaśipu! Haribol! So then He sat on Hiraṇyakaśipu’s throne. None of the devas or Lakṣmī could approach Him, He was too angry. Yesterday we performed a drama here where the demigods they could worship Lord Narasiṁhadeva in Navadvīpa – in Devapallī or Narasiṁhapallī.

So, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Hiraṇyakaśipu smashed the column. Then, although Narasiṁhadeva, He was not visible, but He made a very big roaring sound. Oooohhhh! Aaahhhh! And that sound reached all parts of the universe! Then Narasiṁhadeva, He came out. So, since Hiraṇyakaśipu had the blessing, āśīrvāda that he would not die either during the day or night, so Narasiṁhadeva waited until twilight. This way, Narasiṁhadeva killed Hiraṇyakaśipu. So we are observing the Narasiṁha-Caturdaśī today. Haribol! He arrives in this day at the sunset. The sunset according to Google is 6.11 pm IST. They announced prasāda at six PM but you have to wait till six-eleven! Haribol! So, Hiraṇya means gold and kaśipu means soft bed. So that was his weakness.

Lord Caitanya, He taught gṛhe thāko vane thāko sadā hari bole ḍāko. We want our devotees to practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness very carefully. Last night, I read the Caitanya-caritāmṛta and Śrīla Prabhupāda said that all those who are connected with the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should read all my books. If they don’t follow this instruction of Śrīla Prabhupāda then in the future one may fall down. And that one has this wonderful opportunity of going back home back to Godhead in this lifetime, that opportunity may be lost. So, I was informed that all the devotees who are more than forty and have been preaching for more than ten years, they can take one test and if they pass it, they will have Bhakti-śāstrī. And the charge for that test is zero! Free! So, somehow or another we want all the devotees to have their Bhakti-śāstrī to get their brāhmaṇa initiation. Haribol! Mahārāja has Bhakti-vaibhava! So I want everybody to read Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books. But Hiraṇyakaśipu does not want you to read Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books! What will you do? Will you follow Hiraṇyakaśipu’s wish or Śrīla Prabhupāda’s order? Śrīla Prabhupāda ki jaya! So my class is now over and now the next speaker will come.