Prahlada was a young prince who was the son of King Hiranyakashipu and Queen Kayadhu. He was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu, even though his father hated Lord Vishnu and wanted to be the supreme lord of the universe. He had obtained a boon from Lord Brahma that he could not be killed by any human, animal or god, by any weapon, in day or night, inside or outside, on land, water or air.
Hiranyakashipu was very cruel and arrogant. He tortured and killed anyone who worshipped Lord Vishnu or opposed his rule. He also tried to force Prahlada to worship him instead of Lord Vishnu. But Prahlada refused to do so and always chanted the name of Lord Vishnu with love and faith.
Hiranyakashipu was furious with Prahlada and tried to kill him in many ways. He threw him into a pit of snakes, into a fire, into a lake of boiling oil, and from a cliff. But each time, Lord Vishnu protected Prahlada and saved him from harm. Prahlada remained calm and fearless in all situations.
Hiranyakashipu then asked his sister Holika, who had a boon that she could not be burned by fire, to sit on a pyre with Prahlada on her lap. He thought that this way, he could burn Prahlada without harming Holika. But Lord Vishnu reversed the boon and made Holika burn to ashes, while Prahlada came out unscathed.
Hiranyakashipu was shocked and enraged by this miracle. He asked Prahlada where his Lord Vishnu was hiding. Prahlada said that Lord Vishnu was present everywhere and in everything. Hiranyakashipu pointed to a pillar in his palace and asked if Lord Vishnu was in it. Prahlada said yes.
Hiranyakashipu then smashed the pillar with his mace, hoping to destroy Lord Vishnu. But to his horror, he saw a strange creature emerge from the pillar. It was half-man and half-lion, with fierce eyes, sharp teeth and claws. It was Lord Vishnu in his Narasimha avatar.
Lord Narasimha roared loudly and pounced on Hiranyakashipu. He dragged him to the threshold of the palace, which was neither inside nor outside. He placed him on his lap, which was neither land nor water nor air. He tore him apart with his nails, which were neither weapons nor non-weapons. He did this at dusk, which was neither day nor night.
Thus, Lord Narasimha killed Hiranyakashipu without violating any of the conditions of his boon. He also freed the world from his tyranny and restored peace and justice. He then turned to Prahlada and blessed him with happiness and prosperity. He also granted him the boon that he would always be his devotee and attain his abode after death.
The moral of the story is that one should always have devotion and trust in Lord Vishnu and follow his teachings. One should also be humble, kind and tolerant towards others, even if they are hostile or ignorant. Lord Vishnu protects those who have these qualities and punishes those who are evil and arrogant.
Image credit: Raimond Klavins
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