Prahlada Maharaja devotee Lord Krisna.

[kailasa]

"Who could list the innumerable transcendental qualities of Prahlada Maharaja? He had unflinching faith in Väsudeva, Lord Krisna [the son of Vasudeva], and unalloyed devotion to Him. His attachment to Lord Krisna was natural because of his previous devotional service. Although his good qualities cannot be enumerated, they prove that he was a great soul [mahätmä]."

 

PURPORT

 

In his prayers to the ten incarnations, Jayadeva Gosvämé says, keçava dhåta-narahari-rüpa jaya jagad-éça hare. Prahlada Maharaja was a devotee of Lord Nåsiàha, who is Keçava, Krisna Himself. Therefore when this verse says väsudeve bhagavati, one should understand that Prahlada Maharaja’s attachment for Nåsiàhadeva was attachment for Krisna, Väsudeva, the son of Vasudeva. Prahläda Mahäräja, therefore, is described as a great mahätmä. As the Lord Himself confirms in Bhagavad-gétä (7.19):

 

bahünäà janmanäm ante

jïänavän mäà prapadyate

väsudevaù sarvam iti

sa mahätmä sudurlabhaù

 

“After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” A great devotee of Krisna, the son of Vasudeva, is a great soul very rarely to be found. Prahlada Maharaja’s attachment for Krisna will be explained in the next verse. Krisna-graha-gåhétätmä. Prahlada Maharaja’s heart was always filled with thoughts of Krisna. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja is the ideal devotee in Krisna consciousness."

 

Jayadeva Gosvämé’s ten prayers worshiping the incarnations of Lord Kåñëa (Keçava) contain His name in every stanza. For example, keçava dhåta-nara-hari-rüpa jaya jagad-éça hare, keçava dhåta-ména-çaréra jaya jagad-éça hare, and keçava dhåta-vämana-rüpa jaya jagad-éça hare. The word jagad-éça refers to the proprietor of all the universes. His original form is the two-handed form of Lord Krisna, standing with a flute in His hands and engaged in tending the cows. As stated in Brahma-saàhitä:

 

cintämaëi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-våkña-

lakñävåteñu surabhér abhipälayantam

lakñmé-sahasra-çata-sambhrama-sevyamänaà

govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi

 

“I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor, who is tending the cows, yielding all desires, in abodes built with spiritual gems and surrounded by millions of purpose trees. He is always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune.” From this verse we learn that Govinda, or Krisna, is the ädi-puruña (the original person). The Lord has innumerable incarnations, exactly like the innumerable waves of a flowing river, but the original form is Krisna, or Keçava.

 

Prahlada Maharaja is the vivid example of a great person fully absorbed in Krisna consciousness. In Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya 8.274) it is said:

 

sthävara-jaìgama dekhe, nä dekhe tära mürti

sarvatra haya nija iñöa-deva-sphürti

 

A fully Krisna conscious person, although situated in this material world, does not see anything but Krisna, anywhere and everywhere. This is the sign of a mahä-bhägavata. The mahä-bhägavata sees Krisna everywhere because of his attitude of pure love for Krisna.

 

Similarly, Prahlada Maharaja was exactly like a small child, being cared for by Govinda. The necessary activities of his body were performed without his knowledge. As a father and mother care for their child, Govinda cared for Prahlada Maharaja, who remained always absorbed in thoughts of Govinda. This is Krisna consciousness. Prahlada Maharaja is the vivid example of perfection in Krisna consciousness.

 

Here the feelings of Prahlada Maharaja were in the mellow of vatsalya, filial love and affection. "

 

Prahlada Maharaja worshipped Êrisna (A great devotee of Krisna, the son of Vasudeva....Krisna-graha-grihtatma... ). Prahlada Maharaja is known as great mahatma ( Prahläda Mahäräja, therefore, is described as a great mahätmä. ).

 

Êrisna has taken the form the Lord Nrisimha, for the sake of devotee -

 

"Çukadeva Gosvämé refers to Nåsiàhadeva because of Prahlada Maharaja. Prahlada Maharaja was put into great distress by his powerful father, the demon Hiraëyakaçipu. Apparently helpless before him, Prahlada Maharaja called on the Lord, who immediately assumed the gigantic form of Nåsiàhadeva, half-lion and half-man, to kill the gigantic demon. Although Krisna is the original person, one without a second, He assumes different forms just to satisfy His devotees or to execute a specific purpose. Therefore Jayadeva Gosvämé always repeats the name of Keçava, the original Personality of Godhead, in his prayers describing the Lord’s different incarnations for different purposes."

 

Reading about qualities Prahlada Maharaja. Srila Prabhupada writes that Prahlada Maharaja the perfect example dhira, quoting from BG - dhéras tatra na muhyati and Goswami - "A Vaiñëava is always a well-wisher to everyone. The six Gosvämés, for example, are described in this way: dhérädhéra jana-priyau".

 

Prahlada Maharaja was so strong in the service, that could lift the demonic father on Vaikuntha -

 

"Prahlada Maharaja also delivered his atheistic father, Hiraëyakaçipu. The conclusion is that a disciple or an offspring who is a very strong devotee can carry with him to Vaikuëöhaloka either his father, mother or çikñä- or dékñä-guru. Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura used to say, “If I could perfectly deliver even one soul back home, back to Godhead, I would think my mission—propagating Kåñëa consciousness—to be successful.” The Krisna consciousness movement is spreading now all over the world, and sometimes I think that even though I am crippled in many ways, if one of my disciples becomes as strong as Dhruva Mahäräja, then he will be able to carry me with him to Vaikuëöhaloka."

 

"Prahläda Mahäräja is the topmost example of a Vaiñëava. "

 

"All of them, including the great sage Närada and devotees like Prahläda, came here as if human beings, chanting the holy names of Lord Krisna together and dancing and floating in the inundation of love of Godhead."

Antya 3.264

 

"So we see practically how Prahläda Mahäräja immediately attained the state of prema."