Other Pastimes of Shrila Prahlada Maharaja

Other Pastimes of Shrila Prahlada Maharaja
By Bh. Jan

MW dictionary: prahlada
m. joyful excitement, delight, joy. happiness MBh. R. Susr. sound, noise L. a species of rice Gal.

hiranya - golden, aksa - eye

Vamana Purana ch. 7,8 describes his fight with sages Nara and Narayana, the incarnations of Lord Visnu, in Naimisaranya because he considered them to be false sannyasis.

Hindu Dictionary by Manurishi Foundation:

Nivatakavachas- 1. Clothed  in impenetrable  armor. 2.  A class  of Daityas descended from Prahlada, "whose  spirits were purified by  rigid austerity." According to  the Mahabharata they were 30,000,000 in number, and dwelt in the depths of the sea. They were destroyed by Arjuna.

Prahlada- ...After the death of his father, Prahlada became king of the Daityas and dwelt in Patala; but, according to the Padmapurana, he was raised to the rank of  Indra for life, and finally attained Lord Vishnu. The Padmapurana carries the story farther back to a previous birth. In this previous existence Prahlada was a Brahman named Somasharman, fifth son of Shivasharman. His four brothers died and attained Lord Vishnu, and he desired to follow them. To accomplish this he engaged in profound meditation, but he allowed himself to be disturbed by an alarm of the Daityas, and so was born again as one of them. He took the part of his race in the war between them and the gods, and was killed by the discus of Vishnu, after that he was again born as son of Hiranyakashipu.

Puranic Encyclopedia:

BHUMI I. The earth.
4) Bhumi and Prahlada. Since Bhumidevi had been the wife of the Asura Hiranyaksa she has also been called the mother of the Asura clan. Hiranyaksa's brother was Hiranyakasipu. Prahlada, the son of Hiranyakasipu, was a devotee of Visnu. The father did not like the son's devotion to Visnu. So he persecuted Prahlada in various ways. Once he threw down Prahlada from the top of a high building. At that time Bhumi devi appeared there and received him in her arms. (Brahmanda Purana, Chapter 24).

36) Indra and Prahldda. The great King Prahlada once conquered Heaven. Indra, who lost his kingdom and glory, accepted Brhaspati's advice and went to meet ukracarya. Sukra told Indra that Prahlada was the noblest person and that he had earned that nobility by his good qualities. Indra decided to acquire those good qualities from Prahlada.

INDRA
36) Indra and Prahlada. The great King Prahlada once conquered Heaven. Indra, who lost his kingdom and glory, accepted Brhaspati's advice and went to meet Sukracarya. Sukra told Indra that Prahlada was the noblest person and that he had earned that nobility by his good qualities. Indra  decided to acquire those good qualities from Prahlada. Indra disguised himself as a Brahmin boy and approached Prahlada with a request for moral and spiritual advice. Prahlada accepted him as his pupil and gave him moral and spiritual advice. Pleased with the pupil's devotion, Prahlada agreed to give him whatever boon he wanted. The pupil said that he wanted only the good qualities of the Guru. Prahlada agreed to it. Then a shadow-like figure appeared to emerge from Prahlada's body. Prahlada who was puzzled asked the figure: "Who are you?" The figure answered: "I am your virtuous character. Now I am leaving you and entering this boy's body." Saying thus it left Prahlada's body and entered Indra's body.

Following it, all the good qualities of Prahlada, like charity, truth, glory etc. entered Indra's body one after another. It was only in the end that Prahlada came to know that the cunning pupil was Indra. Thus from that day, Prahlada began to decline in his good qualities and Indra began to prosper. (M.B. Santi Parva, Chapter 124).

NIVATAKAVACA(S). A sect of Daityas.
Four crores of asuras called Nivatakavacas were born in the family of Prahlada. The army of the Asuras, which routed the Devas many a time, was formed by the Nivatakavacas and Kalakeyas. (Agni Purana, Chapter 19).

PRAHLADA I.
7) Prahlada and Naranarayanas. When Hiranyakasipu was killed Prahlada was crowned as emperor of the demons in Patala. At that time, once Cyavana the best of the Bhrgus, went to Nagakulesvaratirtha to bathe in the Narmada. He saw Mahadeva there. When he entered the waters of the river a serpent Kekaralohita by name bit him and took him to Patala. Cyavana meditated on Visnu when he was bitten by the serpent and so he was not affected by the poison of the serpent. He therefore, roamed about in Patala accepting the hospitality of the serpent maidens. Travelling thus he reached the land of the danavas. He was worshipped by the daityas there and Prahlada finding an ascetic of great saintliness honoured and worshipped by his people received him with respect and worshipped him and enquired about him.

Cyavana said: "I came today to see Nagakulesvara and bathe in the Narmada river. But as soon as I entered the river I was caught by a serpent and was brought to Patala. I was thus able to see you." Hearing the words of Cyavana the lord of the daityas said: "Oh, Bhagavan, which are all the
sacred tirthas of the earth, which are in the heavens and which all in Patala? Please do enlighten us." Cyavana replied: "Mighty king, Naimisa is the best of all tirthas on earth, Puskara in the heavens and Cakratirtha in Patala."

The daitya emperor turned to the danavas and said "Make all preparations immediately. We must go to earth to bathe in the holy tirtha, Naimisa. We can then see Pundarikaksa (lotus-eyed) Visnu sitting there as Pitambara (robed in yellow)." Hearing this danavas with heavy equipments started from Patala with their king to the earth.

All the mighty danavas reached the forest of Naimisa and after bathing in the holy pond there went for hunting. During their wanderings they found the river Sarasvati, flowing with crystal-like water. On the shore of the same they saw a pine tree covered with arrows. The arrows were sticking to it one above another. The arrows looked like serpents and the gruesome sight roused Prahlada's anger. Near that tree sat two ascetics wearing the hide of Krsna deer and matted hair on their heads. By their side were two divine bows, Sarnga and Ajagava with two never-empty quivers. Prahlada mistook them for two fake sannyasins and therefore questioned them thus: "Why are you thus falsely trading on virtuousness? What connection is there between matted hair and penance and weapons of such supreme quality?" Then one of the rsis, Nararsi, said "King of daityas, why do you think like that? If one is powerful whatever one does will be right." Prahlada jeered and said "When I, who have fixed limits for virtue and righteousness, am here what power can you wield?" Nara replied "Oh king, our ability is really supreme. There is nobody in the three worlds to conquer us in a fight."
Prahlada got furious on hearing the boasting of the rsi and took a vow thus immediately: "I will fight and win against Naranarayanas." Then the great Prahlada keeping aside his army in the forest took his bow and made a thundering noise with it.

At once Nara took his Ajagava bow and showered arrows on Prahlada with it. But Prahlada broke them all with his gold-plated matchless arrows.
Nara got angry when he found all his arrows broken to pieces so easily by Prahlada and he sent different kinds of arrows in quick succession. But the daitya king replied with astonishing rapidity. For one arrow of Nara the daitya sent two and the fight became grim. Nara covered the whole world above with arrows and the daitya emperor smashed them all to pieces by his gold-plated ones.

The fight then turned to one with divine weapons. The asura chief took the divine Brahmastra and then Nara took the fierce Narayanastra. They met in the air and fell down powerless. When his Brahmastra got fused Prahlada got wild with anger and taking a mace jumped out of his chariot arid rushed at Nara. When Narayana saw the daitya chief rushing towards Nara with his mace he asked Nara to step aside and faced the demon himself. Prahlada then attacked Narayana and hit him with the mace. But the mace broke into a hundred pieces and Prahlada was forced to use other weapons. The fight became ghastly and even devas assembled above to witness the fight. When Prahlada found it was getting more and more difficult for him to defeat the Naranarayanas he prayed to Mahavisnu for help. Visnu appeared before him and when Prahlada asked him the reason why he could not defeat Naranarayanas, Visnu replied that they were the sons of Dharmadeva who were invincible by weapons. They could be won over only by devotion.

Hearing that Prahlada returned to Patala and entrusting the administration of his kingdom to his cousin Andhaka, son of Hiranyaksa, Prahlada returned to Badarikasrama and erecting an asrama there started a penance to propitiate Naranarayanas. When Naranarayanas appeared before him Prahlada requested to be pardoned for fighting against them. They pardoned him and blessed him and Prahlada returned to Patala. Even after his return Prahlada did not take back the administration from Andhaka. He constructed an asrama away from the palace and lived there performing penance. He spent many years there as an advisor to the asura Kings. (Chapters 7 and 8, Vamana Purana).

Other details.

(i) Once there was a fight between Prahlada and Kala. (Bhavisya Parva, Chapter 59).

(ii) Bali who was trampled down to Patala built a Visnu temple and worshipped Visnu following the advice of Prahlada. (See under Bali).

(iii) Once Prahlada taught Indra the rules of good conduct. (Sloka 28, Chapter 124 Santi Parva).

(iv) Once Usanas sang in honour of Prahlada. (Sloka 50, Chapter 139, Santi Parva).

(v) Once Prahlada learnt the importance of Ajagaravrtti from a sage. (Chapter 179, Santi Parva).

(vi) During the reign of emperor Prthu when the goddess of earth (Bhumidevi) was milked, the asuras used Prahlada as the calf to milk
madya (wine) from her. (4th Skandha, Bhagavata).

(vii) Prahlada sits in the court of Varuna and worships him. (Sloka 12, Chapter 9, Sabha Parva).

(viii) Prahlada once went to the court of Brahma to worship him. (Sloka 19, Chapter 11, Sabha Parva).

(ix) Prahlada acted as mediator in the controversy between Virocana and Sudhanva. (See under Sudhanva). (For knowing more details about
Prahlada please see under Virocana and Bali.)

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