CHAPTER XVII. Legend of Prahláda. Hiranyakaśipu the sovereign of the universe: the gods dispersed, or in servitude to him: Prahláda, his son, remains devoted to Vishnu: questioned by his father, he praises Vishnu: Hiranyakasipu orders him to be put to death, but in vain: his repeated deliverance: he teaches his companions to adore Vishnu. PARÁSARA.-Listen, Maitreya, to the story of the wise and magnanimous Prahláda, whose adventures are ever interesting and instructive. Hiranyakasipu, the son of Diti, had formerly brought the three worlds under his authority; confiding in a boon bestowed upon him by Brahmá.1 He had usurped the sovereignty of Indra, and exercised, of himself, the functions of the sun, of air, of the lord of waters, of fire, and of the moon. He himself was the god of riches; he was the judge of the dead;* and he appropriated to himself, without reserve, all that was offered, in sacrifice, to the gods. The deities, therefore, flying from their seats in heaven, wandered, through fear of the Daitya, upon the earth, disguised in mortal shapes. Having conquered the three worlds, he was inflated with pride, and, eulogized by the Gandharvas, enjoyed whatever The boon, according to the Váyu Puráňa, was, that he should not be slain by any created being: the Kúrma adds, except by Vishnu. The Bhagavata has a similar boon as the Váyu, and, therefore, says the commentator, Vishnu assumed the form of the Nŕisimha, as being that of neither a man nor an animal. * Yama, in the Sanskrit. he desired. The Siddhas, the Gandharvas, and the snake-gods all attended upon the mighty Hiranyakasipu, as he sat at the banquet. The Siddhas, delighted, stood before him; some playing on musical instruments, some singing songs in his praise, and others shouting cries of victory; whilst the nymphs of heaven danced gracefully in the crystal palace where the Asura with pleasure quaffed the inebriating cup. The illustrious son of the Daitya king, Prahláda, being yet a boy, resided in the dwelling of his preceptor, where he read such writings as are studied in early years. On one occasion he came, accompanied by his teacher, to the court of his father, and bowed before his feet, as he was drinking. Hiranyakasipu desired his prostrate son to rise, and said to him: "Repeat, boy, in substance, and agreeably, what, during the period of your studies, you have acquired." "Hear, sire", replied Prahláda, what, in obedience to your commands, I will repeat,-the substance of all I have learned. Listen attentively to that which wholly occupies my thoughts. I have learned to adore him who is without beginning, middle, or end, increase or diminution; the imperishable lord of the world, the universal cause of causes." On hearing these words, the sovereign of the Daityas, his eyes red with wrath, and lip swollen with indignation, turned to the preceptor of his son, and said: "Vile Brahman, what is this preposterous commendation of my foe, that, in disrespect to me, you have taught this boy to utter?” "King of the Daityas", replied the Guru, "it is not worthy of you to give way to passion. That which your son has uttered, he has not been taught by me." 1 "By whom, then”, said Hiranyakasipu to the lad, "by whom has this lesson, boy, been taught you? Your teacher denies that it proceeds from him." "Vishnu, father", answered Prahláda, "is the instructor of the whole world. What else should any one teach, or learn, save him, the supreme spirit?" "Blockhead", exclaimed the king, "who is this Vishnu, whose name you thus reiterate so impertinently before me, who am the sovereign of the three worlds?" "The glory of Vishnu", replied Prahláda, "is to be meditated upon by the devout: it cannot be described. He is the supreme lord, who is all things, and from whom all things proceed." To this the king rejoined: "Are you desirous of death, fool, that you give the title of supreme lord to any one, whilst I survive?" "Vishnu, who is Brahma", said Prahláda, "is the creator and protector, not of me alone, but of all human beings, and even, father, of you. He is the supreme lord of all. Why should you, sire, be offended?" Hiranyakasipu then exclaimed: "What evil spirit has entered into the breast of this silly boy, that thus, like one possessed, he utters such profanity?" "Not into my heart alone", said Prahláda, "has Vishnu entered, but he pervades all the regions of the universe, and, by his omnipresence, influences the conduct of all beings, mine, father, and thine." "Away with the wretch", cried the king: 1 The Puráňas teach, constantly, incompatible doctrines. According to this passage, the supreme being is not the inert cause of creation only, but exercises the functions of an active providence. The commentator quotes a text of the Veda in support of this view: अन्तः प्रविष्टः शास्ता जनानां सर्वात्मा । 'Universal soul, entering into men, governs their conduct.' Incongruities, "take him to his preceptor's mansion. By whom could he have been instigated to repeat the lying praises of my foe? According to the commands of his father, Prahláda was conducted, by the Daityas, back to the house of his Guru, where, assiduous in attendance on his preceptor, he constantly improved in wisdom. After a considerable time had elapsed, the sovereign of the Asuras sent for him again, and, on his arrival in his presence, desired him to recite some poetical composition. Prahláda immediately began: "May he from whom matter and soul* originate, from whom all that moves or is unconscious proceeds, he who is the cause of all this creation, Vishnu, be favourable unto us!" On hearing which, Hiranyakasipu exclaimed: "Kill the wretch. He is not fit to live, who is a traitor to his friends, a burning brand to his own race." And his attendants, obedient to his orders, snatched up their weapons, and rushed, in crowds, upon Prahláda, to destroy him. The prince calmly looked upon them, and said: "Daityas, as truly as Vishnu is present in your weapons, and in my body, so truly shall those weapons fail to harm me." And, accordingly, although struck, heavily and repeatedly, by hundreds of the Daityas, the prince felt not the least pain; and his strength was ever renewed. His father then endeavoured to however, are as frequent in the Vedas as in the Puránas. But, apparently, the most ancient parts of the Hindu ritual recognized an active ruler in the creator of the universe; the notion of abstract deity originating with the schools of philosophy. *In the original, pradhána and purusha. persuade him to refrain from glorifying his enemy, and promised him immunity, if he would not be so foolish as to persevere. But Prahláda replied, that he felt no fear, as long as his immortal guardian against all dangers was present in his mind, the recollection of whom was, alone, sufficient to dissipate all the perils consequent upon birth or human infirmities. Hiranyakasipu, highly exasperated, commanded the serpents to fall upon his disobedient and insane son, and bite him to death with their envenomed fangs. And, thereupon, the great snakes, Kuhaka, Takshaka, and Andhaka, charged with fatal poison, bit the prince in every part of his body. But he, with thoughts immovably fixed on Krishna, felt no pain from their wounds; being immersed in rapturous recollections of that divinity. Then the snakes cried to the king, and said: "Our fangs are broken; our jewelled crests are burst; there is fever in our hoods, and fear in our hearts: but the skin of the youth is still unscathed. Have recourse, monarch of the Daityas, to some other expedient." "Ho, elephants of the skies!" exclaimed the demon, "unite your tusks, and destroy this (deserter from his father, and) conspirer with my foes. Is is thus that often our progeny are our destruction; as fire consumes the wood (from which it springs)." The young prince was then assailed by the elephants of the skies, as vast as mountain-peaks, cast down upon the earth, and trampled on, and gored by their tusks. But he continued to call to mind Govinda; and the tusks of the elephants were blunted against his breast. "Behold", he said to his father, "the tusks of the elephants, as hard as adamant, are blunted. But |