Prahlada
Encyclopedia
Prahlada is a character from the Puranic texts of Hinduism
, wherein he is famed for his exclusive devotion (bhakti
) to Vishnu
, despite attempts in the story by his father, Hiranyakashipu
, to turn him to the contrary. He is considered to be a mahājana, or great devotee, by followers of Vaishnava
traditions and is of special importance to devotees of the avatār
of Narasimha
(the Man-Lion). A philosophical treatise is accredited to him in the Bhagavata Purana
wherein Prahlada describes the process of loving worship to his lord, Vishnu. The majority of stories in the Puranas are based around the activities of Prahlada as a young boy, and thus he is more commonly depicted as such in paintings and illustrations.
Despite several warnings from his father Hiranyakashipu, Prahlada continues to worship Vishnu
. His father tries to poison him, get him trampled by the elephants, and put him in a room with venomous snakes, but Prahlada survives each and every time.
Holika
, the sister of Hiranyakashipu
, has a special shawl that would prevent fire affecting the person wearing it. One day, Hiranyakashipu orders Prahlada to sit on a pyre on the lap of Holika. Prahlad prays to Lord Vishnu to keep him safe. When the fire starts, Holika burns to death, while Prahlada remains unharmed. This incident is celebrated as the Hindu festival of Holi
.
After tolerating much abuse from his father Hiranyakashipu
, Prahlada is eventually saved by Vishnu
in the form of Narasimha
, the half-man, half-lion avatar.
The story of Prahlada gives a number of moral instructions such as:
Within the Bhagavata Purana, Prahlada eventually becomes king of the Daitya
s and attains a place in the abode of Vishnu (Vaikuntha) after his death.
Raghavendra Swami in the 17th century is considered by his devotees to be a reincarnation of Prahlada.
(10.30) Krishna
makes the following statement in regard to Prahlada, showing his favour towards him:
.
.
As in Hinduism, Guru Granth Sahib
also mentions that Prahlada's father Harnakash wanted to kill him , but Lord appeared in form of man-lion (Narasimha
) to save Prahlada .
, India
, are associated with Prahlada, or Narasimhadeva as places of pilgrimage:
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, wherein he is famed for his exclusive devotion (bhakti
Bhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
) to Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
, despite attempts in the story by his father, Hiranyakashipu
Hiranyakashipu
Hiranyakashipu [golden-haired] is an Asura from the Puranic scriptures of Hinduism. The Puranas describe Hiranyakashipu as an Asura. His younger brother, Hiranyaksha was slain by Varaha, one of the Avatars of Vishnu and angered by this, Hiranyakashipu decided to gain magical powers by performing...
, to turn him to the contrary. He is considered to be a mahājana, or great devotee, by followers of Vaishnava
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu, or his associated Avatars such as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....
traditions and is of special importance to devotees of the avatār
Avatar
In Hinduism, an avatar is a deliberate descent of a deity to earth, or a descent of the Supreme Being and is mostly translated into English as "incarnation," but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation"....
of Narasimha
Narasimha
Narasimha or Nrusimha , also spelt as Narasingh and Narasingha, whose name literally translates from Sanskrit as "Man-lion", is an avatar of Vishnu described in the Puranas, Upanishads and other ancient religious texts of Hinduism...
(the Man-Lion). A philosophical treatise is accredited to him in the Bhagavata Purana
Bhagavata purana
The Bhāgavata Purāṇa is one of the "Maha" Puranic texts of Hindu literature, with its primary focus on bhakti to the incarnations of Vishnu, particularly Krishna...
wherein Prahlada describes the process of loving worship to his lord, Vishnu. The majority of stories in the Puranas are based around the activities of Prahlada as a young boy, and thus he is more commonly depicted as such in paintings and illustrations.
The story of Prahlada
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
. His father tries to poison him, get him trampled by the elephants, and put him in a room with venomous snakes, but Prahlada survives each and every time.
Holika
Holika
Holika was a demoness in Hindu mythology who was burnt to death with help of God Brahma by Prahlad. She was the sister of King Hiranyakashipu.The story of Holika's conflict signifies the triumph of good over evil, and death of Holika is celebrated as Holi....
, the sister of Hiranyakashipu
Hiranyakashipu
Hiranyakashipu [golden-haired] is an Asura from the Puranic scriptures of Hinduism. The Puranas describe Hiranyakashipu as an Asura. His younger brother, Hiranyaksha was slain by Varaha, one of the Avatars of Vishnu and angered by this, Hiranyakashipu decided to gain magical powers by performing...
, has a special shawl that would prevent fire affecting the person wearing it. One day, Hiranyakashipu orders Prahlada to sit on a pyre on the lap of Holika. Prahlad prays to Lord Vishnu to keep him safe. When the fire starts, Holika burns to death, while Prahlada remains unharmed. This incident is celebrated as the Hindu festival of Holi
Holi
Holi , is a religious spring festival celebrated by Hindus. Holi is also known as festival of Colours. It is primarily observed in India, Nepal, Pakistan, and countries with large Indic diaspora populations following Hinduism, such as Suriname, Malaysia, Guyana, South Africa, Trinidad, United...
.
After tolerating much abuse from his father Hiranyakashipu
Hiranyakashipu
Hiranyakashipu [golden-haired] is an Asura from the Puranic scriptures of Hinduism. The Puranas describe Hiranyakashipu as an Asura. His younger brother, Hiranyaksha was slain by Varaha, one of the Avatars of Vishnu and angered by this, Hiranyakashipu decided to gain magical powers by performing...
, Prahlada is eventually saved by Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
in the form of Narasimha
Narasimha
Narasimha or Nrusimha , also spelt as Narasingh and Narasingha, whose name literally translates from Sanskrit as "Man-lion", is an avatar of Vishnu described in the Puranas, Upanishads and other ancient religious texts of Hinduism...
, the half-man, half-lion avatar.
The story of Prahlada gives a number of moral instructions such as:
- God prevails everywhere.
- God will always save his devotees.
- Devotion can be practised at any point of time. Age does not matter.
- Constant faith in God leads to devotion.
- The people who are practising evil will be punished.
Within the Bhagavata Purana, Prahlada eventually becomes king of the Daitya
Daitya
In Hinduism, the Daityas are a clan or race or Asura as are the Danavas. Daityas were the children of Diti and the sage Kashyapa. They were a race of giants who fought against the Devas because they were jealous of their Deva half-brothers...
s and attains a place in the abode of Vishnu (Vaikuntha) after his death.
Raghavendra Swami in the 17th century is considered by his devotees to be a reincarnation of Prahlada.
Scriptural references
In the Bhagavad GitaBhagavad Gita
The ' , also more simply known as Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, but is frequently treated as a freestanding text, and in particular, as an Upanishad in its own right, one of the several books that constitute general Vedic tradition...
(10.30) Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
makes the following statement in regard to Prahlada, showing his favour towards him:
Translation: "Among the Daitya demons I am the devoted Prahlada, among subduers I am time, among beasts I am the lion, and among birds I am Garuda."
Prahlad in Sikhism
Prahlada is regarded as one of the devotees of God in Satyuga . Sikhism also believes Prahlada was a devotee of Paramatma (Supreme God) or WaheguruWaheguru
Waheguru is a term most often used in Sikhism to refer to God, the Supreme Being or the creator of all. It means "The Good/Best Teacher" in the Punjabi language. Wahi means "good" and "Guru" is a term denoting "teacher"....
.
Scriptural references
Prahlada is mentioned 27 times in Guru Granth SahibGuru Granth Sahib
Sri Guru Granth Sahib , or Adi Granth, is the religious text of Sikhism. It is the final and eternal guru of the Sikhs. It is a voluminous text of 1430 angs, compiled and composed during the period of Sikh gurus, from 1469 to 1708...
.
As in Hinduism, Guru Granth Sahib
Guru Granth Sahib
Sri Guru Granth Sahib , or Adi Granth, is the religious text of Sikhism. It is the final and eternal guru of the Sikhs. It is a voluminous text of 1430 angs, compiled and composed during the period of Sikh gurus, from 1469 to 1708...
also mentions that Prahlada's father Harnakash wanted to kill him , but Lord appeared in form of man-lion (Narasimha
Narasimha
Narasimha or Nrusimha , also spelt as Narasingh and Narasingha, whose name literally translates from Sanskrit as "Man-lion", is an avatar of Vishnu described in the Puranas, Upanishads and other ancient religious texts of Hinduism...
) to save Prahlada .
Prahlaad was placed in a cell, and the door was locked.
The fearless child was not afraid at all. He said, "Within my being, is the Guru, the Lord of the World.
The created being tried to compete with his Creator, but he assumed this name in vain.
That which was predestined for him has come to pass; he started an argument with the Lord's humble servant. ||7||
The father raised the club to strike down Prahlaad, saying,
Where is your God, the Lord of the Universe, now?
He replied, "The Life of the World, the Great Giver, is my Help and Support in the end.
Wherever I look, I see Him permeating and prevailing."||8||
Tearing down the pillars, the Lord Himself appeared.
The egotistical demon was killed and destroyed.
The minds of the devotees were filled with bliss, and congratulations poured in.
He blessed His servant with glorious greatness. ||9||
(Guru Granth Sahib , page no: 1154)
Pilgrimage sites
The following sites in Andhra PradeshAndhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, are associated with Prahlada, or Narasimhadeva as places of pilgrimage:
- SimhachalamSimhachalamSimhadri or Simhachalam temple is a Hindu temple located near Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, South India. It is dedicated to the incarnation of Vishnu known as Narasimha...
- AhobilamAhobilamAhobhilam also known as Ahobalam is located in the Allagadda mandal of Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located at a distance of 40 km from Nandyal and about 150 km from Kurnool, the district headquarters...
- KadiriKadiriKadiri is a Small town, Mandal and a municipality in the southeastern part of Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh, India. The Lord Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple is located in this town, and large numbers of Hindu pilgrims visit the Temple throughout the year. The Thimmamma Marrimanu Kadiri is...
External links
- Bhagavata Purana Canto 7 - The Story of Prahlada (srimadbhagavatam.com)
- Dharma-Nirnayam (short story on Prahlada (moralstories.wordpress.com)
- The Transcendental Teachings of Prahlada (pdf) (krishna.com)
- Prahlada in the Vishnu Purana (sacred-texts.com)