Evil


Other names-Prahalad, Prahlaad, Bhakta Prahlad

Demon King Hiranyakashyap’s son Prahlad was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu right from childhood. That is why he became famous as Bhakt (devotee) Prahlad. The name of Prahlad’s mother was Kayadhu. Kayadhu was a great devotee of Devi (goddess) Ganga. While Prahlad was in the womb of Kayadhu, demon priest Shukracharya with his spiritual power came to know that Kayadhu’s child will be a devotee of Vishnu. That is why he planned a conspiracy to destroy the fetus and during the Godbharai ceremony (baby shower) of Kayadhu, he transformed the fruit juice which was to be given to Kayadhu into poison. Devi Ganga herself drank the poison and thus saved Prahlad while he was in the womb.

Prahlad started worshipping Vishnu right from birth. Hiranyakashyap got very angry with his devotion and tried to kill him. He tried killing Prahlad by many different ways like trampled him by an elephant, throwing him down from a mountain, put him in a room with venomous snakes, drowning him into the sea, as also poisoning him but every time by the grace of lord Vishnu and blessings of Gangamaiya, he survived each and every time. Once, Hiranyakashyap made Prahlad sit on the lap of Holika who was sitting on a fire and had acquired a boon from Shiva that she could walk through the fire unharmed. But Holika was burnt in the fire and Prahlad was saved once again. This incidence of Prahlad’s life is celebrated even today to commemorate the victory of good over evil in the form of Holika dahan (bonfire). The burning of Holika during Holi is also to remind us of the burning of our evil tendencies, of conceit, greed, hatred and lust and all impurities. After all it was only the pure Bhakt Prahlad who emerged from the flames unscathed when his aunt Holika tried to kill him there.

Fed up of the atrocities of Hiranyakashyap, the devtas and Sages pleaded Lord Vishnu to let them free from the oppressor Hiranyakashyap. Hiranyakashyap was booned by Lord Brahma that he would not be killed by any human being, animal or devtas. He could not be killed during day or night; also he could not be killed in water, sky or earth. Then lord Vishnu manifested in the form of Narsimha (half lion, half man) at twilight and made him lie on his lap and tore apart his stomach with his nails and killed him. Thus he let the devtas free from Hiranyakashyap’s atrocities.

Lord Vishnu himself preached religion to Prahlad and crowned him the King. He also got the status of lord Indra. Prahlad was the first demon to get the status of lord Indra. He was married to Devi and of this marriage he had a son named Virochan and a daughter named Rachna.

Bhakt Prahlad was considered very divine, and he still is today, because at such a tender age he challenged his dad’s ways. Where as the elders in King Hiranyakashyap’s Kingdom had succumbed to the King’s orders and had started worshipping him.

We can be inspired by the young Bhakt Prahlad’s immense devotion and reminded that with such unselfish devotion and faith in God, through all hardships and calamities we will be protected and that no evil, however strong, can conquer righteousness and the immense grace of God.