TEXT 1
TEXT
sri-narada uvaca
evam daitya-sutaih prsto
maha-bhagavato ‘surah
uvaca tan smayamanah
smaran mad-anubhasitam
Narada Muni said: Although Prahlada Maharaja was born in a family of
asuras, he was the greatest of all devotees. Having thus been questioned
by his class friends, the sons of the asuras, he remembered the words
spoken to him by me and replied to his friends as follows.
TEXT 2
TEXT
sri-prahrada uvaca
pitari prasthite ‘smakam
tapase mandaracalam
yuddhodyamam param cakrur
vibudha danavan prati
Prahlada Maharaja said: When our father, Hiranyakasipu, went to
Mandaracala Mountain to execute severe austerities, in his absence the
demigods, headed by King Indra, made a severe attempt to subdue all the
demons in warfare.
TEXT 3
TEXT
pipilikair ahir iva
distya lokopatapanah
papena papo ‘bhaksiti
vadanto vasavadayah
“Alas, as a serpent is eaten by small ants, so the troublesome
Hiranyakasipu, who always inflicted miseries upon all types of people,
has now been defeated by the reactions of his own sinful activities.”
Saying this, the demigods, headed by King Indra, arranged to fight the
demons.
TEXTS 4-5
TEXT
tesam atibalodyogam
nisamyasura-yuthapah
vadhyamanah surair bhita
dudruvuh sarvato disam
kalatra-putra-vittaptan
grhan pasu-paricchadan
naveksyamanas tvaritah
sarve prana-paripsavah
When the great leaders of the demons, who were being killed one after
another, saw the unprecedented exertion of the demigods in fighting, they
began to flee, scattering themselves in all directions. Simply to protect
their lives, they hastily fled from their homes, wives, children, animals
and household paraphernalia. Paying no heed to all these, the demons
simply fled.
TEXT 6
TEXT
vyalumpan raja-sibiram
amara jaya-kanksinah
indras tu raja-mahisim
mataram mama cagrahit
The victorious demigods plundered the palace of Hiranyakasipu, the
King of the demons, and destroyed everything within it. Then Indra, King
of heaven, arrested my mother, the Queen.
TEXT 7
TEXT
niyamanam bhayodvignam
rudatim kurarim iva
yadrcchayagatas tatra
devarsir dadrse pathi
As she was being led away, crying in fear like a kurari captured by a
vulture, the great sage Narada, who at that time had no engagement,
appeared on the scene and saw her in that condition.
TEXT 8
TEXT
praha nainam sura-pate
netum arhasy anagasam
munca munca maha-bhaga
satim para-parigraham
Narada Muni said: O Indra, King of the demigods, this woman is
certainly sinless. You should not drag her off in this merciless way. O
greatly fortunate one, this chaste woman is the wife of another. You must
immediately release her.
TEXT 9
TEXT
sri-indra uvaca
aste ‘sya jathare viryam
avisahyam sura-dvisah
asyatam yavat prasavam
moksye ‘rtha-padavim gatah
King Indra said: In the womb of this woman, the wife of the demon
Hiranyakasipu, is the seed of that great demon. Therefore, let her remain
in our custody until her child is delivered, and then we shall release
her.
TEXT 10
TEXT
sri-narada uvaca
ayam niskilbisah saksan
maha-bhagavato mahan
tvaya na prapsyate samstham
anantanucaro bali
Narada Muni replied: The child within this woman’s womb is faultless
and sinless. Indeed, he is a great devotee, a powerful servant of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore you will not be able to kill
him.
TEXT 11
TEXT
ity uktas tam vihayendro
devarser manayan vacah
ananta-priya-bhaktyainam
parikramya divam yayau
When the great saint Narada Muni had thus spoken, King Indra, being
respectful to Narada’s words, immediately released my mother. Because of
my being a devotee of the Lord, all the demigods circumambulated her.
Then they returned to their celestial kingdom.
TEXT 12
TEXT
tato me mataram rsih
samaniya nijasrame
asvasyehosyatam vatse
yavat te bhartur agamah
Prahlada Maharaja continued: The great saint Narada Muni brought my
mother to his asrama and assured her of all protection, saying, “My dear
child, please remain at my asrama until the arrival of your husband.”
TEXT 13
TEXT
tathety avatsid devarser
antike sakuto-bhaya
yavad daitya-patir ghorat
tapaso na nyavartata
After accepting the instructions of Devarsi Narada, my mother stayed
in his care, without fear from any direction, as long as my father, the
King of the Daityas, had not become free from his severe austerities.
TEXT 14
TEXT
rsim paryacarat tatra
bhaktya paramaya sati
antarvatni sva-garbhasya
ksemayeccha-prasutaye
My mother, being pregnant, desired the safety of her embryo and
desired to give birth after her husband’s arrival. Thus she stayed at
Narada Muni’s asrama, where she rendered service unto Narada Muni with
great devotion.
TEXT 15
TEXT
rsih karunikas tasyah
pradad ubhayam isvarah
dharmasya tattvam jnanam ca
mam apy uddisya nirmalam
Narada Muni delivered his instructions both to me, who was within the
womb, and to my mother, who was engaged in rendering him service. Because
he is naturally extremely kind to the fallen souls, being in a
transcendental position, he gave instructions on religion and
transcendental knowledge. These instructions were free from all material
contamination.
TEXT 16
TEXT
tat tu kalasya dirghatvat
stritvan matus tirodadhe
rsinanugrhitam mam
nadhunapy ajahat smrtih
Because of the long duration of time that has passed and because of
her being a woman and therefore less intelligent, my mother has forgotten
all those instructions; but the great sage Narada blessed me, and
therefore I could not forget them.
TEXT 17
TEXT
bhavatam api bhuyan me
yadi sraddadhate vacah
vaisaradi dhih sraddhatah
stri-balanam ca me yatha
Prahlada Maharaja continued: My dear friends, if you can place your
faith in my words, simply by that faith you can also understand
transcendental knowledge, just like me, although you are small children.
Similarly, a woman can also understand transcendental knowledge and know
what is spirit and what is matter.
TEXT 18
TEXT
janmadyah sad ime bhava
drsta dehasya natmanah
phalanam iva vrksasya
kalenesvara-murtina
Just as the fruits and flowers of a tree in due course of time undergo
six changes–birth, existence, growth, transformation, dwindling and then
death–the material body, which is obtained by the spirit soul under
different circumstances, undergoes similar changes. However, there are no
such changes for the spirit soul.
TEXTS 19-20
TEXT
atma nityo ‘vyayah suddha
ekah ksetra-jna asrayah
avikriyah sva-drg hetur
vyapako ‘sangy anavrtah
etair dvadasabhir vidvan
atmano laksanaih paraih
aham mamety asad-bhavam
dehadau mohajam tyajet
“Atma” refers to the Supreme Lord or the living entities. Both of them
are spiritual, free from birth and death, free from deterioration and
free from material contamination. They are individual, they are the
knowers of the external body, and they are the foundation or shelter of
everything. They are free from material change, they are selfilluminated,
they are the cause of all causes, and they are allpervading.
They have nothing to do with the material body, and therefore
they are always uncovered. With these transcendental qualities, one who
is actually learned must give up the illusory conception of life, in
which one thinks, “I am this material body, and everything in
relationship with this body is mine.”
TEXT 21
TEXT
svarnam yatha gravasu hema-karah
ksetresu yogais tad-abhijna apnuyat
ksetresu dehesu tathatma-yogair
adhyatma-vid brahma-gatim labheta
An expert geologist can understand where there is gold and by various
processes can extract it from the gold ore. Similarly, a spiritually
advanced person can understand how the spiritual particle exists within
the body, and thus by cultivating spiritual knowledge he can attain
perfection in spiritual life. However, as one who is not expert cannot
understand where there is gold, a foolish person who has not cultivated
spiritual knowledge cannot understand how the spirit exists within the
body.
TEXT 22
TEXT
astau prakrtayah proktas
traya eva hi tad-gunah
vikarah sodasacaryaih
puman ekah samanvayat
The Lord’s eight separated material energies, the three modes of
material nature and the sixteen transformations [the eleven senses and
the five gross material elements like earth and water]–within all these,
the one spiritual soul exists as the observer. Therefore all the great
acaryas have concluded that the individual soul is conditioned by these
material elements.
TEXT 23
TEXT
dehas tu sarva-sanghato
jagat tasthur iti dvidha
atraiva mrgyah puruso
neti netity atat tyajan
There are two kinds of bodies for every individual soul–a gross body
made of five gross elements and a subtle body made of three subtle
elements. Within these bodies, however, is the spirit soul. One must find
the soul by analysis, saying, “This is not it. This is not it.” Thus one
must separate spirit from matter.
TEXT 24
TEXT
anvaya-vyatirekena
vivekenosatatmana
svarga-sthana-samamnayair
vimrsadbhir asatvaraih
Sober and expert persons should search for the spirit soul with minds
purified through analytical study in terms of the soul’s connection with
and distinction from all things that undergo creation, maintenance and
destruction.
TEXT 25
TEXT
buddher jagaranam svapnah
susuptir iti vrttayah
ta yenaivanubhuyante
so ‘dhyaksah purusah parah
Intelligence can be perceived in three states of activity–
wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep. The person who perceives these
three is to be considered the original master, the ruler, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.
TEXT 26
TEXT
ebhis tri-varnaih paryastair
buddhi-bhedaih kriyodbhavaih
svarupam atmano budhyed
gandhair vayum ivanvayat
As one can understand the presence of the air by the aromas it
carries, so, under the guidance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
one can understand the living soul by these three divisions of
intelligence. These three divisions, however, are not the soul; they are
constituted of the three modes and are born of activities.
TEXT 27
TEXT
etad dvaro hi samsaro
guna-karma-nibandhanah
ajnana-mulo ‘partho ‘pi
pumsah svapna ivarpyate
Through polluted intelligence one is subjected to the modes of nature,
and thus one is conditioned by material existence. Like a dreaming state
in which one falsely suffers, material existence, which is due to
ignorance, must be considered unwanted and temporary.
TEXT 28
TEXT
tasmad bhavadbhih kartavyam
karmanam tri-gunatmanam
bija-nirharanam yogah
pravahoparamo dhiyah
Therefore, my dear friends, O sons of the demons, your duty is to take
to Krsna consciousness, which can burn the seed of fruitive activities
artificially created by the modes of material nature and stop the flow of
the intelligence in wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep. In other words,
when one takes to Krsna consciousness, his ignorance is immediately
dissipated.
TEXT 29
TEXT
tatropaya-sahasranam
ayam bhagavatoditah
yad isvare bhagavati
yatha yair anjasa ratih
Of the different processes recommended for disentanglement from
material life, the one personally explained and accepted by the Supreme
Personality of Godhead should be considered all-perfect. That process is
the performance of duties by which love for the Supreme Lord develops.
TEXTS 30-31
TEXT
guru-susrusaya bhaktya
sarva-labdharpanena ca
sangena sadhu-bhaktanam
isvararadhanena ca
sraddhaya tat-kathayam ca
kirtanair guna-karmanam
tat-padamburuha-dhyanat
tal-lingeksarhanadibhih
One must accept the bona fide spiritual master and render service unto
him with great devotion and faith. Whatever one has in one’s possession
should be offered to the spiritual master, and in the association of
saintly persons and devotees one should worship the Lord, hear the
glories of the Lord with faith, glorify the transcendental qualities and
activities of the Lord, always meditate on the Lord’s lotus feet, and
worship the Deity of the Lord strictly according to the injunctions of
the sastra and guru.
TEXT 32
TEXT
harih sarvesu bhutesu
bhagavan asta isvarah
iti bhutani manasa
kamais taih sadhu manayet
One should always remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His
localized representation as the Paramatma, who is situated in the core of
every living entity’s heart. Thus one should offer respect to every
living entity according to that living entity’s position or
manifestation.
TEXT 33
TEXT
evam nirjita-sad-vargaih
kriyate bhaktir isvare
vasudeve bhagavati
yaya samlabhyate ratih
By these activities [as mentioned above] one is able to cut down the
influence of the enemies, namely lust, anger, greed, illusion, madness
and jealousy, and when thus situated, one can render service to the Lord.
In this way one surely attains the platform of loving service to the
Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TEXT 34
TEXT
nisamya karmani gunan atulyan
viryani lila-tanubhih krtani
yadatiharsotpulakasru-gadgadam
protkantha udgayati rauti nrtyati
One who is situated in devotional service is certainly the controller
of his senses, and thus he is a liberated person. When such a liberated
person, the pure devotee, hears of the transcendental qualities and
activities of the Lord’s incarnations for the performance of various
pastimes, his hair stands on end on his body, tears fall from his eyes,
and in his spiritual realization his voice falters. Sometimes he very
openly dances, sometimes he sings loudly, and sometimes he cries. Thus he
expresses his transcendental jubilation.
TEXT 35
TEXT
yada graha-grasta iva kvacid dhasaty
akrandate dhyayati vandate janam
muhuh svasan vakti hare jagat-pate
narayanety atma-matir gata-trapah
When a devotee becomes like a person haunted by a ghost, he laughs and
very loudly chants about the qualities of the Lord. Sometimes he sits to
perform meditation, and he offers respects to every living entity,
considering him a devotee of the Lord. Constantly breathing very heavily,
he becomes careless of social etiquette and loudly chants like a madman,
“Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna! O my Lord, O master of the universe!”
TEXT 36
TEXT
tada puman mukta-samasta-bandhanas
tad-bhava-bhavanukrtasayakrtih
nirdagdha-bijanusayo mahiyasa
bhakti-prayogena samety adhoksajam
The devotee is then freed from all material contamination because he
constantly thinks of the Lord’s pastimes and because his mind and body
have been converted to spiritual qualities. Because of his intense
devotional service, his ignorance, material consciousness and all kinds
of material desires are completely burnt to ashes. This is the stage at
which one can achieve the shelter of the Lord’s lotus feet.
TEXT 37
TEXT
adhoksajalambham ihasubhatmanah
saririnah samsrti-cakra-satanam
tad brahma-nirvana-sukham vidur budhas
tato bhajadhvam hrdaye hrd-isvaram
The real problem of life is the repetition of birth and death, which
is like a wheel rolling repeatedly up and down. This wheel, however,
completely stops when one is in touch with the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. In other words, by the transcendental bliss realized from
constant engagement in devotional service, one is completely liberated
from material existence. All learned men know this. Therefore, my dear
friends, O sons of the asuras, immediately begin meditating upon and
worshiping the Supersoul within everyone’s heart.
TEXT 38
TEXT
ko ‘ti-prayaso ‘sura-balaka harer
upasane sve hrdi chidravat satah
svasyatmanah sakhyur asesa-dehinam
samanyatah kim visayopapadanaih
O my friends, sons of the asuras, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
in His Supersoul feature always exists within the cores of the hearts of
all living entities. Indeed, He is the well-wisher and friend of all
living entities, and there is no difficulty in worshiping the Lord. Why,
then, should people not engage in His devotional service? Why are they so
addicted to unnecessarily producing artificial paraphernalia for sense
gratification?
TEXT 39
TEXT
rayah kalatram pasavah sutadayo
grha mahi kunjara-kosa-bhutayah
sarve ‘rtha-kamah ksana-bhangurayusah
kurvanti martyasya kiyat priyam calah
One’s riches, beautiful wife and female friends, one’s sons and
daughters, one’s residence, one’s domestic animals like cows, elephants
and horses, one’s treasury, economic development and sense gratification-
-indeed, even the lifetime in which one can enjoy all these material
opulences–are certainly temporary and flickering. Since the opportunity
of human life is temporary, what benefit can these material opulences
give to a sensible man who has understood himself to be eternal?
TEXT 40
TEXT
evam hi lokah kratubhih krta ami
ksayisnavah satisaya na nirmalah
tasmad adrsta-sruta-dusanam param
bhaktyoktayesam bhajatatma-labdhaye
It is learned from Vedic literature that by performing great
sacrifices one may elevate himself to the heavenly planets. However,
although life on the heavenly planets is hundreds and thousands of times
more comfortable than life on earth, the heavenly planets are not pure
[nirmalam], or free from the taint of material existence. The heavenly
planets are also temporary, and therefore they are not the goal of life.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, however, has never been seen or heard
to possess inebriety. Consequently, for your own benefit and selfrealization,
you must worship the Lord with great devotion, as described
in the revealed scriptures.
TEXT 41
TEXT
yad-artha iha karmani
vidvan-many asakrn narah
karoty ato viparyasam
amogham vindate phalam
A materialistic person, thinking himself very advanced in
intelligence, continually acts for economic development. But again and
again, as enunciated in the Vedas, he is frustrated by material
activities, either in this life or in the next. Indeed, the results one
obtains are inevitably the opposite of those one desires.
TEXT 42
TEXT
sukhaya duhkha-moksaya
sankalpa iha karminah
sadapnotihaya duhkham
anihayah sukhavrtah
In this material world, every materialist desires to achieve happiness
and diminish his distress, and therefore he acts accordingly. Actually,
however, one is happy as long as one does not endeavor for happiness; as
soon as one begins his activities for happiness, his conditions of
distress begin.
TEXT 43
TEXT
kaman kamayate kamyair
yad-artham iha purusah
sa vai dehas tu parakyo
bhanguro yaty upaiti ca
A living entity desires comfort for his body and makes many plans for
this purpose, but actually the body is the property of others. Indeed,
the perishable body embraces the living entity and then leaves him aside.
TEXT 44
TEXT
kim u vyavahitapatyadaragara-
dhanadayah
rajya-kosa-gajamatyabhrtyapta
mamataspadah
Since the body itself is ultimately meant to become stool or earth,
what is the meaning of the paraphernalia related to the body, such as
wives, residences, wealth, children, relatives, servants, friends,
kingdoms, treasuries, animals and ministers? They are also temporary.
What more can be said about this?
TEXT 45
TEXT
kim etair atmanas tucchaih
saha dehena nasvaraih
anarthair artha-sankasair
nityananda-rasodadheh
All this paraphernalia is very near and dear as long as the body
exists, but as soon as the body is destroyed, all things related to the
body are also finished. Therefore, actually one has nothing to do with
them, but because of ignorance one accepts them as valuable. Compared to
the ocean of eternal happiness, they are most insignificant. What is the
use of such insignificant relationships for the eternal living being?
TEXT 46
TEXT
nirupyatam iha svarthah
kiyan deha-bhrto ‘surah
nisekadisv avasthasu
klisyamanasya karmabhih
My dear friends, O sons of the asuras, the living entity receives
different types of bodies according to his previous fruitive activities.
Thus he is seen to suffer with reference to his particular body in all
conditions of life, beginning with his infusion into the womb. Please
tell me, therefore, after full consideration, what is the living entity’s
actual interest in fruitive activities, which result in hardship and
misery?
TEXT 47
TEXT
karmany arabhate dehi
dehenatmanuvartina
karmabhis tanute deham
ubhayam tv avivekatah
The living entity, who has received his present body because of his
past fruitive activity, may end the results of his actions in this life,
but this does not mean that he is liberated from bondage to material
bodies. The living entity receives one type of body, and by performing
actions with that body he creates another. Thus he transmigrates from one
body to another, through repeated birth and death, because of his gross
ignorance.
TEXT 48
TEXT
tasmad arthas ca kamas ca
dharmas ca yad-apasrayah
bhajatanihayatmanam
aniham harim isvaram
The four principles of advancement in spiritual life–dharma, artha,
kama and moksa–all depend on the disposition of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. Therefore, my dear friends, follow in the footsteps of
devotees. Without desire, fully depend upon the disposition of the
Supreme Lord, worship Him, the Supersoul, in devotional service.
TEXT 49
TEXT
sarvesam api bhutanam
harir atmesvarah priyah
bhutair mahadbhih sva-krtaih
krtanam jiva-samjnitah
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is the soul and the
Supersoul of all living entities. Every living entity is a manifestation
of His energy in terms of the living soul and the material body.
Therefore the Lord is the most dear, and He is the supreme controller.
TEXT 50
TEXT
devo ‘suro manusyo va
yakso gandharva eva va
bhajan mukunda-caranam
svastiman syad yatha vayam
If a demigod, demon, human being, Yaksa, Gandharva or anyone within
this universe renders service to the lotus feet of Mukunda, who can
deliver liberation, he is actually situated in the most auspicious
condition of life, exactly like us [the mahajanas, headed by Prahlada
Maharaja].
TEXTS 51-52
TEXT
nalam dvijatvam devatvam
rsitvam vasuratmajah
prinanaya mukundasya
na vrttam na bahu-jnata
na danam na tapo nejya
na saucam na vratani ca
priyate ‘malaya bhaktya
harir anyad vidambanam
My dear friends, O sons of the demons, you cannot please the Supreme
Personality of Godhead by becoming perfect brahmanas, demigods or great
saints or by becoming perfectly good in etiquette or vast learning. None
of these qualifications can awaken the pleasure of the Lord. Nor by
charity, austerity, sacrifice, cleanliness or vows can one satisfy the
Lord. The Lord is pleased only if one has unflinching, unalloyed devotion
to Him. Without sincere devotional service, everything is simply a show.
TEXT 53
TEXT
tato harau bhagavati
bhaktim kuruta danavah
atmaupamyena sarvatra
sarva-bhutatmanisvare
My dear friends, O sons of the demons, in the same favorable way that
one sees himself and takes care of himself, take to devotional service to
satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is present everywhere as
the Supersoul of all living entities.
TEXT 54
TEXT
daiteya yaksa-raksamsi
striyah sudra vrajaukasah
khaga mrgah papa-jivah
santi hy acyutatam gatah
O my friends, O sons of demons, everyone, including you (the Yaksas
and Raksasas), the unintelligent women, sudras and cowherd men, the
birds, the lower animals and the sinful living entities, can revive his
original, eternal spiritual life and exist forever simply by accepting
the principles of bhakti-yoga.
TEXT 55
TEXT
etavan eva loke ‘smin
pumsah svarthah parah smrtah
ekanta-bhaktir govinde
yat sarvatra tad-iksanam
In this material world, to render service to the lotus feet of
Govinda, the cause of all causes, and to see Him everywhere, is the only
goal of life. This much alone is the ultimate goal of human life, as
explained by all the revealed scriptures.
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