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Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com)

 

Mysterious are the ways of the Almighty

 

CHENNAI, AUG. 28. That liberation from rebirths can be attained

by devotion to God is well-known and hence spiritual aspirants

strive to enhance their devotion. But, it is paradoxical to note

that there have been instances where the same end has been

realised through fear and hatred of God, though such cases are

more an exception than the rule. This truth comes to the fore in

the depiction of the incarnation of the Supreme Being in the form

of a man-lion, Narasimha. The Lord assumed this unique form to

fulfil the conditions of the boon Hiranyakasipu had obtained.

 

This discussion appears as an interlude to Sage Suka's narration

of the Bhagavata Purana to King Pareekshit in Sage Narada's

words. He related how the attendants of the Lord, Jaya and

Vijaya, had to be born in the world three times due to a curse

and the Lord redeemed them during His manifestations. They

harboured hatred and fear towards the Lord during these births

but they were liberated from bondage because their minds dwelt on

the Lord. The cow-herd maidens of Vraja attained Him because of

their love; Kamsa through fear; Sisupala through hatred; the

cowherd community through kinship; the Pandavas due to

friendship; Narada and other sages through devotion to the Lord.

 

In his Harikatha, Kalyanapuram Sri R. Aravamudan said that God's

ways were inscrutable as could be seen in the manner of His

saving His child-devotee Prahlada, who was born as son to

Hiranyakasipu, who hated God. The child was instrumental in

putting an end to the demon's atrocities and the Lord's

incarnation as Narasimha. After the Almighty incarnated as Varaha

(boar) and liberated Hiranyaksha, his brother Hiranyakasipu

started hating God and to avenge his death did actions to spite

the Lord. He exterminated those engaged in sacrifices, and study

of the scriptures.

 

He performed intense penance and obtained boons to ensure that he

would not be killed by any of the Lord's creations. He became

arrogant and drunk with power and pelf, he declared himself as

supreme and did not allow even anyone mentioning the name of God

in his kingdom. Harassed, the denizens of the three worlds

submitted to Lord Vishnu to intervene. He assured them that when

hatred developed in the mind of a person towards Him, the

scriptures and towards the pious, he was sure to meet his end and

promised to intervene when he started troubling his son Prahlada

who was devoted to Him.

 

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