THE STORY OF PRALHAD

Among King Bali's ancestors, Hiranyakasupu was extremely powerful. The mystery
of his power was his immense austerity. He had gone to Mount Mandar
and stood on his one foot on his toe. Raising his hand up, staring at the sky, he
meditated. By the power of his immense concentration, fire and smoke rose and
spread from his head. It began scorching all directions. Rivers and the ocean
began to boil. Earth and mountains began to shake. Planets and stars began to
break and fall like fruit from the tree. Heat of very hot air spread all over the
world. Planet Svah was scorched. They hurried to Bramhaa ji. He consoled them
and himself came to Hiranya's hermitage. Bhrigu, Daksa and others too, joined
him. They couldn't see him. All there was was clay, worms, grass and bamboo
shoots which had covered him. Ants had eaten all his flesh, drank up all his blood.
Only a skeleton was left, but still by his power he was scorching the whole world.
Bramhaa ji sprinkled holy water from his golden kamandalu, then as if fire would
have lit up from trash and drain, he stood up all fresh, young with a golden rocklike
body, very handsome and elegant. He bowed down and eulogized with heartfelt
psalms of Samaveda.

"Varambruhi -- ask for benediction." Pleased, Bramhaa ji said at last.
"Give me, O Lord, immortality." He asked.
"Everyone who is born has to die some day." Bramhaa ji said.
"Okay, then let me not die by anyone from your creation. No man, no woman, no
animal, no god, no cobra. Neither in day nor night, nor inside nor outside, nor by
weapon, nor on earth nor in the sky. Give me all prosperity and power of the whole
world."

"Evamastu -- so be it." He said and disappeared.

He came back, reinhabited his city which was smashed and ruined by attacks of
his enemies in his absence. Mulasthan, nowadays Mulataan (in Pakistan) began
shining and shimmering once again with unlimited wealth and enthusiasm. One by
one he conquered all countries of the world. All the planets and stars. All great
dignitaries of different planets were brought to do regular job s of servants. In
his palace -- garnet stairs, crystal walls, diamond pillars, pearl chandeliers, amber
chairs and white silk canopy spread moonshine all around. Nymphs walked dancing
around ringing their anklets on gemmed floors of Hiranya's palace.
All celestials offered him tributes. He became so powerful that from the sky
he would grab and eat himself the oblations offered on planet Earth on its way to
be food for celestials, manes and other gods. Throughout all countries of the
world his empire extended. Without plough, without seed-sowing, lands produced
plentiful harvest.

Whatever he wished sky gave him all. Whenever he wished sky would turn itself
into a vast television set and show everything he wished to see and know and
entertain him daily. Oceans with rivers poured gems and jewels daily. Mountains
and valleys created places for his amorous sports. Trees offered fruits all times
of all seasons. Thousands of years passed this way. Hiranya became the supreme
power in the entire cosmic egg.

He had a most beautiful wife, Kayaadhu was her name. He had four sons. The
youngest was Pralhaada ji. He was calm, true to his word. He was so humble and
serviceful to the holy men, to the poor affectionate like a father. Even in great
trouble he would not go shaken. To the joys of the world and beyond he had no
attraction.

One night he was sleeping on his diamond studded bed on soft milky silk under a
moon white canopy. Perfume was spreading. His eyes were closed and he saw a
magnificent man in his dream.

His lotus feet were shimmering with three lights -- reddish, white and blue. His
soles had prints of lotus, conch, flag, gode and temple etc. Yellow silk edges
touching -- immense light was pushing down off the darkness of ignorance from the
heart. He saw his form as if made of live sapphire. His kneecaps, thighs, loin; his
stomach, pearl necklaces covered chest, hands, neck, chin, cheeks, lips, lotus eyes,
forehead, head and hair, crown and earrings. He had four hands holding conch,
discus, club and lotus. And he was smiling; his nose, earrings reflecting upon his
cheeks. Long eyebrows, large almost ear touching eyes. Compassion and love
overflowed from his eyes.

bhrtya nu kampit dhiyeh grhit murteh
sanchintayet bhagavato vadanaravindam
yadvisphuran makar kundal valgiten
vidyotitamal kapol mudar nasam
hasam hare ravanatakhil loka tivra
sokasru sagar visosana matyudaram

His smiling spread and spread in and throughout the universe. Then he saw he is
laughing. Oh such a gracious, elegant laughter as if drying up the oceans of tears
of lamentation, so generous, so widehearted, so majestic is he. Then he saw his
open deep belly laugh echoing and reechoing in the whole universe. His red lips as if
imprinted red, his white teeth... Oh, Oh, and Pralhaad shouted, "O dear, O
Beloved, O my Lord, I love you I love you." And he woke up. Since then a new life
began.

Since then, playing with his friends, roaming in his palace, talking to his mom,
learning in his school, he would suddenly enter into the trance of deep experience
of love. He would be sitting in the park, in the garden, near the swimming pool and
he would go still and silent and immovable. Submerged in meditation of that Lord
of beauty. Sometimes he would experience that beautiful compassionate Lord has
come and has assumed a small boy form, with peacock feather tucked crown on his
long curly hair. Same yellow silk, same smile and grace. A small flute in his hands
and lo, for him he is playing it and sweet, nectarine sound is echoing and reechoing.

Pralhaad is lost in oblivion like his Radha.

Sometimes he would assume a different boy form of zircony light. Princely
elegance, shining crown, yellow silk, gems and pearl necklaces, golden bow and arrow
shimmering and nearby hibiscus perfuming. And he would sink in love and devotion.
He felt he has so much love in his heart that he is embracing him. He is placing him
in his lap.

Walking, talking, eating, drinking, studying, even while sleeping, he experienced
the sweet ambrosial embrace of the Lord. Sometimes he felt Lord has gone away,
away, so far away leaving him alone. And suddenly everything felt like a deserted,
ruined, ghost haunted place of cemetery, even though he is in his so gorgeous
palace, even though he is near his so compassionate mom, even though he is near his
so powerful, rich and famous father. And he would feel so lonely that he would cry.
At times he felt he was hiding in the nearby bushes and he came and he is standing
right in front and he would become so happy that he would laugh loudly -- a belly
laugh. Then he would sing songs of love too. Not only this he would begin to dance
also. At times he would imitate him. He felt a soft, gentle loving touch in his heart
and he would sit still and lost for hours. Other times he would go thrilled, tears
streaming from his eyes.

One morning Pralhaad was visiting his father along with his two teachers, Sanda
and Amarka. Hiranya was in in his royal assembly sitting on his billion dollar throne.
He postponed all engagements and picked up his son and placed him on his lap and
fondling his hair, asked.

"My dear son, tell me what is the best among all you studied so far?"
"The root cause of all agitation and irritation is I-ness and my-ness. Dropping it
off like a dark well covered with grass, people of the world should do only one thing
with all their heart," said Pralhaad.
"I see, what is that they should do, son?"
"Listening and reading the pastimes of the Lord, conversing and singing them,
remembering them, serving them, worshipping, offering obeisances, meditating on
his form and serving him as servant, playing with him like a friend, dedicating
oneself with all one's heart like a beloved consort. These nine symptomed
devotions I consider the best among all what I studied so far."
Hearing this, Hiranya's eyes rolled with anger, trembling with immense wrath
he threw the boy on the floor and scolded the teachers. At once he ordered the
death sentence for Pralhaad. The killer saw his spears and swords do not hurt
Pralhaad. They enter in his body but the hurt went in the air and his body remains
intact, not even a wound is formed. Then he was taken and placed under the feet
of mighty mad elephants; he did not die. He was thrown among cobras. They bit
him; he did not die. He was hurled and dashed down from a hilltop; he did not die.
A treacherous created goblin grabbed him but he did not die.
He was made to drink deadly poison; he did not die. The great magician
Shambar was called. He tried to kill him through magical feats but he remained
undaunted. He was starved, locked in a dark cell, left in a hail storm, put in an ice
cold refrigerator, in a burning fire, tied with a rope he was hurled and thrown in
the ocean but assuming a beautiful form ocean welcomed him, untied him, consoled
and placed him on the beach. He was crushed under the rock, but he did not die.

He lived on.

With all these failures, Hiranyu's wrath increased. He was surprised too and
one day he himself prepared to kill him.

"Who is your Lord in the name of whom you are so confident, so protected and
so independent -- who is it and where does he live?"
"Father, please give up your demonicity and see the Lord, my beloved is here,
there and everywhere. He is even your own power. Being equal in all and loving all
is greatest form of his worship. If you can believe me he is right here, in this
pillar." Pralhaad said calmly.

Hiranya stared and jumped down and dashed a heavy blow of his fist upon that
diamond pillar. It broke into two halves. Ear rending sound spread and like
lightening a half lion and half man gorgeous being appeared. He was almost ceiling
touching tall. He was roaring like an angry lion. He was dangerous, his jaws were
horrifying, his tongues and teeth were sharp like sword, eyebrows turned, big nose,
open mouth, wide chest, thin loin, moonray like hair on the body. Many hands
holding weapons. His nails were like axes. He roared and roared bringing
earthquake and storm. Soldiers ran down and attacked on Lord Narsimha. He
killed them all.

Then Hiranya jumped down again, and a fierceful fight ensued. He dashed his
mighty club on the Lord but he grabbed him with the club but he slipped away.
Both fought for a long time. Then the Lord grabbed him like a cobra picks up a
rat, carried him at the doorway, placed him on his thighs. It was time when dusk
was approaching when he pierced the sharp nails of his hands and tore his belly as
an eagle tears away the snake. He was licking the edges of his mouth and blood
drops adorned his hair. Killing him he took out his intestines and wore a garland of
them and dashed his dead body on the ground. His army ran there to kill him but
Narsimha killed most of them.

The golden hair of his neck and light of his face and eyes shone like sun. Eyes
blinded in his light. And then he went and sat on the high throne of Hiranya's royal
assembly.

All celestials came with Bramhaa, Lord Shiva, Laksmi and Indra too and
eulogized. But no response. No one dared to come closer to him. He was hot,
shining and angry. At last they sent to little Pralhaad who went closer. As soon as
Lord saw him, the sweet simple boy, he immediately picked him up and placed him
on his lap and out of great love licked him and said.

"My dear Pralhaad, oh, so soft your body, softer is your heart, and so cruel
persecution of that demon -- I am so sorry. If I am late, please forgive me."
Hearing the compassionate words of the Lord all celestials showered flowers
and shouted, "All glories to Thee, Jai Jai!"

Pralhaad's devotion combined with Lord Narsimha's compassion became effulgent
light of lovetrance. And Pralhaad became enlightened. He felt as if, elephants
cannot be accommodated in a hole of a snake, he cannot be accommodated in the
world. And the entire world celebrated a festival of his enlightenment.
Lord Narsimha coronated him -- to that five year old boy and the universe
danced in ecstasy. Now Pralhaad's reign began. It continued peacefully for
thousands of years.

One day Pralhaad entered in nirvikalp samadhi -- same state of Lovetrance
where he was overflooded by bliss, love and awareness. He sat for another set of
five thousand years. Daityas tried hard but couldn't wake him up. At last Lord
Visnu came on his mighty Garuda. All cheered when he blew his snow white
Panchajanya conch. He entered the palace. All were surrounding him. He entered
into the same trance of meditation where Pralhaad was and he brought him out to
the physical level of life. A great celebration started. A dharma empire was
established. All citizens worked hard on realizing their true Self either through
deep love (nine symptomed devotion) or through knowledge.