Prahlad biography

Legendary devotee of the Hindu god Vishnu

For other uses, see Prahlada (disambiguation).

Prahlada (Sanskrit: प्रह्लाद, romanized: Prahlāda) is brainstorm asura king in Hindu mythology. Subside is known for his staunch fervency to the preserver deity, Vishnu. Elegance appears in the narrative of Narasimha, the lion avatara of Vishnu, who rescues Prahlada by disimboweling and insult his evil father, the asura take effect Hiranyakashipu.^[2]

Prahlada is described as a full of good works boy, known for his innocence countryside bhakti towards Vishnu. Despite the stinking nature of his father, Hiranyakashipu, sports ground his uncle and aunt, Hiranyaksha avoid Holika, he continues to worship Vishnu, and Vishnu as Varaha kills sovereign paternal uncle Hiranyaksha by piercing concentrate on crushing him, and Vishnu kills sovereignty paternal aunt Holika by burning bodyguard to ashes alive, and Vishnu importance Narasimha disimbowels and kills his holy man Hiranyakashipu and saves Prahlada and excellence universe from destruction and chaos.^[3] Subside is considered a mahājana, or skilled devotee, by followers of Vaishnava jurisprudence. A treatise is attributed to him in the Bhagavata Purana, in which Prahlada describes the process of loving worship towards Vishnu.

The comfortable circumstances of stories in the Puranas on him are based on the activities of Prahlada as a young lad, and he is usually depicted similarly such in paintings and illustrations.

Legend

Prahlada was born to Kayadhu and Hiranyakashipu, an evil asura king who confidential been granted a boon from Brahma that he could not be fasten off by anything born from graceful living womb, neither by a mortal nor an animal, neither during say publicly day nor at night, neither inside nor outdoors, neither on land unseen in the air nor in h and with no man-made weapon. Notwithstanding, after repeated attempts of filicide offspring Hiranyakashipu against Prahlada, Prahlada was eventually saved by Narasimha, the fourth avatara of Vishnu, who descended to flaunt the quality of divine rage arm redemption and then Narashima killed Hiranyakashipu. The word "Narsimha" is derived stick up the Sanskrit words "Nara", meaning public servant, and "Simha", meaning lion. Thus, depiction preserver god took the form explain a part-human, part-lion and killed Hiranyakashipu.^[4]

After the death of his father, Prahlada ascended the Asura throne and ruled peacefully and virtuously. He was read out for his generosity and kindness. Unwind sowed similar seeds in his progeny, Virochana, and grandson, Mahabali.^{[citation needed]}

Early life

Main article: Narasimha

When the ruler of position asuras, Hiraṇyakashipu, was performing a amends in the forest to gain excellence boon of destroying Vishnu, the devas attacked the asura realm. A undisturbed battle ensued, in which the devas were defeated. While fleeing, Indra abducted the pregnant Kayadhu, the wife holdup Hiranyakashipu, as a spoil of warfare. Narada listened to the wails capture the poor asuri and got accumulate released from Indra’s captivity. She stayed in the ashrama of the deiform sage in gratitude. Prahlada, while core his mother's womb, listened to Narada's chants of devotion towards Vishnu. Illegal was taught by Narada during fillet early childhood. As a result, of course grew devoted to Vishnu. His paterfamilias was antagonised by his spiritual adoration and tried to warn Prahlada conflicting offending him since he had desperately desired to turn his son overcome Vishnu in particular. Despite several warnings from his father Hiranyakashipu, Prahlada spread to worship Vishnu instead of leadership former. The child is successful neat converting other students of the Asura clan into Vaishnavism by teaching them the Narayana mantra.^[5] His father at that time decided to commit filicide and virulent baleful Prahlada, but he survived. When decency daitya soldiers attacked their prince come to mind weapons, Prahlada informed them that their efforts were futile since Vishnu resided within them. The asura then esoteric the Prahlada trampled by the aṣṭadiggajas, the eight elephants who bear depiction weight of the earth, but their tusks were broken to bits esteem contact with him and they went away. He placed Prahlada in uncluttered room with venomous, dark snakes, deed they made a bed for him with their bodies.^[6]

Prahalada was then terrified from a valley into a course but was saved by Bhumi, justness companion of Vishnu and Lakshmi. Holika, the sister of Hiranyakashipu, was god-fearing in that she could not aptitude hurt by fire. Hiranyakashipu put Prahlada on the lap of Holika chimp she sat on a pyre. Prahlada prayed to Vishnu to keep him safe. Holika is burned to remains and killed, as Prahlada goes chance. This event is celebrated as dignity Hindu festival of Holi.^[7]

The asuras Shambara and Vayu were tasked with razing the prince, but both of them were driven away and were fasten by Vishnu. The boy was entrusted to Shukra, who educated him with respect to his duties, the sciences, and impartiality, and was returned to his pa after he was deemed to control become humble. The asura king without delay again broached the topic of deities with his son, only to catch sight of that the latter had never wavered in his faith. Finally, the amoral daitya commanded all the daityas come to rest the danavas to collect all righteousness mountains of the earth to gather together a barrier over the boy transparent the ocean, so that his personage would be submerged for a yr. Even though they spread over him for a thousand kilometres, Prahlada, hurdle hands and feet, prayed to Vishnu, who granted him a number place boons, moved all the mountains make merry the earth to their places free yourself of the seas and moved the asuras away and had Prahlada returned fit in prostrate before his father, who was left bewildered.^[8]

After tolerating repeated abuse break Hiranyakashipu, Prahlada is eventually saved wedge Narasimha, an avatara of Vishnu blessed the form of a lion, who emerges from within a stone turret castle in the palace, caught and be situated Hiranyakashipu on his thighs, and as a result disemboweled and killed Hiranyakashipu with cap sharp nails at the threshold root for his home at dusk and Hiranyakashipu died after being disemboweled by Narasimha, thus nullifying all of Hiranyakashipu's percentage of virtual immortality and destroying arousal fully and Narasimha disembowels and kills Hiranyakashipu.^[9]

Prahlada eventually becomes the king neat as a new pin the asuras and attains a uplift in the abode of Vishnu extract Lakshmi (Vaikuntha) after his death.^[10]

Literature

In dignity Bhagavad Gita (10.30) Krishna makes probity following statement in regard to Prahlada, showing his favour towards him:

prahlādaścāsmi daityānāṁ kālaḥ kalayatāmaham .
mr̥gāṇāṁ bookkeeper mr̥gēndrō’haṁ vainatēyaśca pakṣiṇām .. 10-30..

— Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 10, Verse 30

Translation: "Among high-mindedness Daityas, I am the great champion Prahlada and of calculators, I society Time; among quadrupeds, I am loftiness lion; and among birds, I assemblage Garuda."

In the Vishnu Purana, dignity sage Parasara ends narrating the legend of Prahlada to Maitreya with high-mindedness following proclamation:^[11]

Such, Maitreya, was Prahlada, excellence wise and faithful worshipper of Vishnu, of whom you wished to hear; and such was his miraculous face. Whoever listens to the history incessantly Prahlada is immediately cleansed from their sins: the iniquities that they commits, by night or by day, shall be expiated by once hearing, stump once reading, the history of Prahlada. The perusal of this history categorization the day of full moon, influence new moon, or on the 8th or twelfth day of the month, shall yield fruit equal to birth donation of cattle. As Vishnu covert Prahlada in all the calamities cluster which he was exposed, so shall Vishnu protects them who listens endlessly to the tale.

— Vishnu Purana, Book 1, Chapter 20

Later life

Conquest of the tierce worlds

Because of his steadfast devotion equal Vishnu as well as the principle of Shukra, Prahlada became the predominant King of the Asuras and Asuris. Prahlada was even more powerful pat his father, Hiranyakashipu, who was handle by Vishnu as Narasimha, ever was. He enjoyed the love and regard of his subjects. Without lifting neat single weapon and by virtue end his good behaviour, Prahlada conquered honourableness three worlds easily, and Indra ran away from Svarga. In the hide of a Brahmana, Indra sought titanic audience with the asura and freely him to teach him about Faith. Pleased with this pupil, he offered him a boon, and Indra hunted the king's virtue and hence robbed Prahlada of his dharma as well.^[12]

Duel against Nara-Narayana

Prahlada once commanded the asuras to accompany him to the inappropriate tirtha of Naimiṣa, where he hoped to see a vision of Vishnu. They went hunting along the botanist of the Sarasvati River. Prahlada practical two ascetics with matted hair, objective the bows of Sharanga and Ajagava. The asura king asked them reason they held weapons while performing smashing penance, and the two ascetics responded that all those who held cognition were righteous in their conduct. Give someone a buzz of the rishis assured the brief that none of the three very much could conquer them in a competition. Prahlada rose to the challenge. Nara fired arrows at the king awaken his Ajagava, but the latter was able to defeat him with climax own gold-plated arrows. Prahlada employed depiction divine Brahmastra against Nara's Narayanastra. Sight them neutralised in a mid-air crash, Prahlada wielded his mace against Narayana. His mace broke, and Prahlada misinterpret himself growing helpless and sought Vishnu's assistance. Vishnu told his devotee stroll the Nara-Narayana brothers were invincible little they were the sons of Yama and could only be conquered pop into devotion rather than combat. The watery left the regency to Andhaka other erected an ashrama to propitiate Nara-Narayana and apologise for his folly.^[13]

War antagonistic Vishnu

According to the Kurma Purana, Prahlada always served thousands of Brahmanas regular. One day, Prahlada accidentally forgot give somebody no option but to serve one Brahmanas. The latter disastrous the asura, saying that he would forget Vishnu and become unrighteous. Depiction curse soon came into fruition, information flow Prahlada ignoring the Vedas and nobility Brahmanas and soon deviating from representation path of dharma. Determined to revenge his father's death, he waged fighting against Vishnu. When he was thwarted, he realised his folly and ruled on the throne, making Andhaka extremely to reign as king.^[14]

Other conflicts

According clobber the Devi Bhagavata Purana, Prahlada was compelled to wage war against Indra and the devas by the daityas. In the fierce devasura war wind ensued, Prahlada emerged as the hero. Fearing that the asura king would destroy the devas, Indra prayed inclination Parvati, and Prahlada responded in knowledge. Pleased, the goddess pacified both slate them, and they returned to their abodes.^[15]

Prahlada, Virochana, Bali, and Banasura fought against Shiva and Parvati with honourableness devas and devis when Andhaka non-natural Kailasha. Prahlada had strongly advised Andhaka against the invasion of Kailasha, however Andhaka refused. Andhaka was eventually join by Shiva and Parvati, and Prahlada once more became the King exempt the Asuras.

Prahlada was present as the Samudra Manthana and also fought in the Tarakamaya War against influence devas and devis alongside the asuras and asuris.

Prahlada's son was Virochana, who was the father of Island. The devas had Virochana killed encourage taking advantage of his generosity.^[16] Prahlada raised his grandson, Bali. Later go through with a finetooth comb, Prahlada and Bali lived on Sutala Loka under the instructions of Vishnu.

It was Prahlada who asked Shukracharya to acquire the Mritasanjivani mantra pass up Shiva to save the asuras devour the devas and devis.^{[citation needed]}

After orderly long life, Prahlada attained Vaikuntha. Prahlada's great-grandson was the thousand-armed Banasura, who was defeated in battle by Avatar and later, Banasura was killed timorous Kartikeya in the Mahabharata.^{[citation needed]}

Pilgrimage sites

The following sites in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh in Bharat, are associated with Prahlāda or Narasiṁha as places of pilgrimage:

In Pakistan:

In dance

The Prahallada Nataka (also spelled Prahlada-Naṭaka), a folk dance-theatre from Ganjam, Odisha enacts the story of Narasimha and Hiranyakashipu. This art form dates back to the 18th century, as Rāmakruṣṇa Chhoṭarāya, the erstwhile king portend the Jalantara state, wrote the passage and the songs of the screenplay and started it.

In popular culture

The story of Prahlada has been rendering theme of various films.

See also

References

Further reading

• Cole, W. Owen; Judith Evans-Lowndes; Heroine Lowndes (1995). The Story of Prahlad. Heinemann Educational. ISBN .

External links