The Fearless Prince (The Story of Prahlad Maharaj)

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From the ancient Vedic scriptures of India comes the famous epic of Prince Prahlad. In a previous era-long, long ago-there was an evil monarch named Hiranya-Kashipu, who succeeded in seizing control of the entire universe. He was extremely cruel, and due to his darkened heart he made life impossible for everyone-from the animals to the demigods. Only his son prahlad, who was always absorbed in meditating on the lord, remained undisturbed by his father’s reign of terror. Seeing the boy’s natural predilection for spiritual life, and thus taking him as an archenemy, he tried to kill his own child, but was unsuccessful every time.

Through his resolute faith and constant meditation, the young prince conquered fear and remained untouched by death.

Out of his compassion for all souls, Shrila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Goswami maharaj appeared in this world in 1921, in Bihar, India, near the sacred Ganges River. A self-realized spiritual preceptor coming in the Brahma-Madhva Vaishnava lineage, Shrila Maharaj is widely recognized as an authoritative scholar having profound under-standing of the essence of the ancient literatures of India. He has translated into Hindi and commented on more than thirty Sanskrit and Bengali classical texts, thus preserving the teaching of the ancient Vedas.

Shrila Maharaj taught Vaishnava philosophy throughout India for over forty years before venturing to the west in 1996. Since then, he has circled the globe over fifteen times, following in the footsteps of his instructing spiritual master and intimate friend, Shrila AC bhaktivedenta Swami Prabhupada, who was the first to propagate the pure bhakti mission of shri chaitanya mahaprabhu all over the world. Shrila Mahraj’s books and classes are being translated into many languages and enlivening people everywhere. As a master spiritual Guide, he inspires in the heart of his disciples the understanding of the highest spiritual truths, thus filling their lives with auspiciousness.

Shrila Maharaj was awarded the title “Ambassador of Peace” in Birmingham, U.K in 2002 for his selfless service to makind in the area of advancing spiritual consciousness. He is also a leader in the India. His profound affection endears him to his many friends and student, whose lives becomes transformed by receiving his ‘heartly blessing’.

The Vedic scriptures of India are the original literatures of the planet. Recorded 5,000 years ago by a partial incarnation of Godhead, Shrila Veda Vyasa, they give complete knowledge of both the material and spiritual realms. These ancient texts are extremely vast, and amongst them Shrimad-Bhagavatam is accepted as the cream. This sublime literature presents the highest truths, explaining that the purpose of human life and the path to achieving real, lasting happiness are found in one –pointed, unmotivated devotional service to the supreme Lord Shri krishan. Shrimad-Bhagavatam emphatically declares Shri Krishna to be the original from of Godhead-the eternally exiting, eternally youthful person and the source of all that be .From Him come many incarnations who, throughout the ages, descend to this planet in a great variety of from to bless His devotee and to engage in different types of pastimes with them. The wonderful and astonishing pastimes of these partial expansions of the lord are described in this ancient text. Shrimas-Bhagavatam culminates with the Tenth Canto’s narrative of the sweet pastimes Lord Shri Krishna performed when He came to this his planet 5,000 year ago.

A muchb earlier history, which took place millions of years ago, is the famous and exciting episode of lord narasingha dev-the half-lion, half-man incarnation-who came to save the small boy, Prahlad Maharaj. Prahlad was born into a family of big demons, his father and uncle being highly inimical to Shri Krishna. Prahlad, however much to his father’s consternation, was a pure devotee of the supreme Godhead, who is also known as Vishnu, the all-pervasive lord of the cosmic manifestation. Even as a small boy prahlad’s character was exemplary, demonstrating all the good qualities a human being can have. He was not disturbed when put into danger, and because he was completely devoid of material desires, he considered everything material to be insignificant. Therefore, because his senses were always under control and his intelligence remained steady, he was never plagued by any type of ubsavory passions.

His father, Hiranya- kashipu, on the other hand, possessed a demoniac nature, and his father’s twin brother, Hirayaksha, was equally vile. Indeed, at the time of their birth all inauspicious omens were observed in the time of their birth all inauspicious omens were observed in the heavens and on earth-cows yielded blood instead of milk, clouds rained pus, trees fell down for no reason, braying asses ran wildly, birds flew shrieking from their nests, she–jackals vomited fire, misty halos appeared around the sun and the moon, and malefic planets glowed more brightly. As the two boys entered their youth, they began to exhibit uncommon bodily features, developing steel-like frames that began to grow just like two great mountains. They become so tall that they seemed to touch outer space. When they walked, the earth shook and, having profusely decorated themselves with brilliantly shining gold ornaments, their huge forms were so dazzling that they seemed to block out the sun and all directions.

Desiring to enjoy everything in their sight, the two brothers were keen to take over the whole universe. Incited by his older brother, the hot-tempered Hiranyaksha took a club on his shoulder and travelled all over the creation in a fighting spirit. In his search to find someone who could match him in battle, the proud demon terrified everyone who crossed his path, including the demigods who ran and hid in fear of him. Finally, he was directed to fight with Lord Vishnu, the Superme Person, who was the only one who could satisfy him in combat. Coming in his boar incarnation as Varaha-dev, the lord engaged in a long, fierce battle with the arrogant demon, and finally finished him off by simply slapping his ear.

When Hiranya- Kashipu learned that lord Vishnu had killed his brother, he was greatly aggrieved. Thirsty for revenge he vowed to cut off vishnu’s head and offer an oblation of his gushing blood to his brother, who had been very fond of drinking blood. Thinking that Vishnu lives from the offerings of the sacrificial ceremonies, which were regularly performed by the priests to please the lord for the auspiciousness of society, he schemed to destroy the lord by stopping the sacrifices. Thus, he sent out hordes of demons to kill the cows (who supply ghee for the sacrifices) and the Brahmins (the priests who officiate at the sacrifices).He also ordered them to destroy all the trees and plants that nourish the cows, and to set fire to all the temples and the residences of the cows, Brahmins and followers of the Vedas. In this way the mighty demon ravaged the earth.