As a pure Vaishnava, Prahlada surpasses even the residents of higher planetary systems who possess nearly boundless powers.

By His Divine Grace
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

sri-prahrada uvaca

brahmadayah sura-gana munayo ’tha siddhah

sattvaikatana-gatayo vacasam pravahaih

naradhitum puru-gunair adhunapi pipruh

kim toshtum arhati sa me harir ugra-jateh

“Prahlada Maharaja prayed: How is it possible for me, who have been born in a family of asuras, to offer suitable prayers to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Even until now, all the demigods, headed by Lord Brahma, and all the saintly persons could not satisfy the Lord by streams of excellent words, although such persons are very qualified, being in the mode of goodness. Then what is to be said of me? I am not at all qualified.” – Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.8

LORD NRISIMHA appeared for killing a great demon, Hiranyakasipu. Hiranyakasipu was a very powerful materialist, and he did not believe in God.

Generally, materialistic persons have no capacity to understand what is God. In the Bhagavad-gita (2.44) it is stated, bhogaishvarya-prasaktanam tayapahrita-cetasam. Bhoga means sense enjoyment, and aishvarya means opulence, wealth, riches. Persons who are very much attached to sense gratification and are hankering after material opulence are thinking, “These things will save me.” They never think that they will have to leave all these things behind and will have to go on alone.

When a bird flies in the sky, it has to leave everything behind and fly in the sky on its own strength. There is no other help. Or take these jet planes. When we get in the sky, leaving this land, no longer can we depend on our strength on the land. If the plane is sufficiently strong, then we can fly; otherwise there is danger.

Similarly, persons who are very materialistic are thinking that this opulence, prestige, and material strength will save them. No. That is bewilderment. Therefore Bhagavad-gita says, taya apahrita-cetasam.

Apahrita-cetasam means those whose consciousness has become bewildered by these material opulences.

For such persons,

vyavasayatmika buddhih samadhau na vidhiyate. Samadhi means concentration in the vyavasayatmika buddhi, or niscayatmika buddhih.

Nischayatmika means to be firmly convinced that “Only Krishna consciousness will save me.” Persons who are too sensuous and after material opulence cannot have this conviction.

bhogaisvarya-prasaktanam

tayapahrita-cetasam

vyavasayatmika buddhih

samadhau na vidhiyate

“In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence, and who are bewildered by such things, the resolute determination for devotional service to the Supreme Lord does not take place.” (Gita 2.44)

Vyavasayatmika buddhih means full confidence that Krishna consciousness will save me and nothing else can save me. This is full confidence. So those who are Krishna conscious, their firm faith is in one: Krishna.

Avyavasayinam means those who are not in Krishna consciousness, those who are flickering. For them, bahu- sakha – their consciousness has many branches. They think, “This will save me,” “This will save me,” “That will save me,” “That will save me.” But one who is fully surrendered to Krishna knows – and it is certain – that Krishna will save him. That’s all.

The Definition Of God

It’s very easy to become Krishna conscious. God is one. God cannot be many. God is one. Otherwise there is no meaning of God. The definition of God is “the person or entity who has no equal or superior.” Nobody is superior to Him and nobody is equal to Him. Asama urdhva. Sama means equal, and asama means no equal. Nobody is equal to Him, and nobody is higher than Him. That is God. So God is one. There cannot be many Gods, but God can expand Himself in many forms. That is a different thing.

Hiranyakasipu was materially puffed up, and he was thinking that he is God. Fortunately, his son Prahlada Maharaja was a great devotee, a Vaishnava, by the grace of Narada, and he was always in Krishna consciousness. He was in school, a five-year-old boy, and naturally the school was an atheistic school. Similarly nowadays, in no school or college do they encourage any theological study. What is it called? Secular state. So gradually we are becoming like Hiranyakasipu. Hiranyakasipu tried, Ravana tried, Kamsa tried to exist without God, but they did not continue to exist.

Hiranyakasipu tried to protect himself in so many material ways. But when he was too much against his innocent devotee son, then Krishna appeared as Nrisimhadeva. And He was very fearsome, so fearsome that all the demigods came to pacify Him. He was groaning in anger.

There is anger in God also. Somebody says, “Why should God be angry?” No, there is anger in God. Everything is there in God. Otherwise, where does anger come from? He is the source of everything. But He is absolute; His anger is as good as His mercy. That is the difference. When we become angry, there is no mercy. Mercy is far away from our anger. But God, Krishna, because He is absolute, whether He is angry or He is merciful, He’s the same.

It is said “God is good.” He’s good when He’s angry and He’s good when He’s merciful. That is the difference between Him and us. Not only God, but even God’s devotees acquire the same quality. Sometimes we see that saintly persons like Narada and Siva become angry and curse somebody, but that curse becomes a benediction. That is the absolute stage.

Hiranyakasipu was killed by Nrisimhadeva, and everyone was very fearful. “God has appeared in such a fearsome form – half lion, half man, with four hands.” Nobody could pacify Him. Everyone was afraid. Then Prahlada Maharaja, a five-year-old boy, was requested, “Nrisimhadeva has appeared for your protection especially. So try to pacify the Lord.”

The boy was very jolly. He was praying in this way, brahmadayah sura-gana munayo ’tha siddhah: “I see here there are so many great personalities, like Brahma, Siva, Indra, Candra – all great demigods.” Suraganah means demigods, and munayah means great saintly persons, sages. “All of them are here.”

The Residents Of Siddhaloka

Siddhah means the residents of Siddhaloka. There is a planet within this universe called Siddhaloka. Its inhabitants are highly elevated. They are materialists; they are not spiritualists. But they are materially advanced. Here, we are flying in the sky or in outer space with some machine, but there, in that planet, Siddhaloka, the inhabitants are so elevated that they can fly in the sky without any machine. Wherever they like, they can go. And whatever they want, immediately they can acquire it. These are called yoga-siddhis.

You have heard so much advertisement of yoga. Actually, when one becomes perfect in yoga – in ashtasiddhi-yoga, eight kinds of material perfection – then he can become smaller than the atom. He can go out from anywhere. You may lock him up airtight, packed, but he’ll come out. This is called anima-siddhi.

Actually, it so happened in Benares. There was a swami whose name was Trailunga Swami. He was wandering in the street naked. It is not a very old story; say about 150 years ago this happened in Benares. He was a naked yogi, and the government would not allow that; the police would not allow that. So he was thrice arrested and put into custody, and thrice he came out. Then he became a very famous man, simply by exhibiting one perfection of yoga. That means a perfect yogi can come out from anywhere.

Not only Trailunga Swami, but we have seen one Mr. Chakravarti in our childhood in a circus – he was playing this part. He was packed up. First of all, his hands and legs were tightly knotted with a seal. Then he was put into a bag and the bag was also sealed. Then with this bag he was put in a box. The box was locked and sealed. And he came out from that box in everyone’s presence. We have seen it.

These wonderful things, yoga-siddhis, are there. Similarly, one can walk on the water. He’ll not be drowned. He becomes so light he can float in the air.

So siddhah means that the persons who reside on that planet have got these siddhis automatically by taking birth there. Just by taking birth in the Western countries – America or Europe – you are more opulent than other countries materially. Similarly, in Krishnaloka also, those who are there are automatically all lovers of Krishna. There are many different planets with different kinds of residents. What knowledge have we got of these things?

Knowledge from Sastra

But we have to take knowledge from the sastra, the Vedic scriptures. Therefore the Vedanta-sutra says, sastra-yonitvat. You have to understand, you have to gather your knowledge, from authentic scripture, not by experimental knowledge. Experimental knowledge cannot be perfect because our instruments of acquiring knowledge are imperfect. So however you may use these instruments perfectly in your way, basically they are imperfect. Therefore you cannot have perfect knowledge through them. If you want to have perfect knowledge, then you have to understand authoritative scripture.

Just like here, in this Srimad-Bhagavatam, we understand that there are Brahma and the demigods and the siddhas. So we have to accept. You cannot understand these things by experimental knowledge. You simply have to accept them as it is stated here. Therefore I am presenting this Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Then you understand. That is knowledge, perfect knowledge. Otherwise, if you interpret, if you don’t believe, then you don’t get perfect knowledge. There is no other way.

The example is that if you want to know who is your father, the only witness is your mother. Higher evidence is final. If you want to make an experiment to find out who is your father, that is not possible. That experimental knowledge is not possible. You have to accept. Similarly, for perfect knowledge of the Supreme, you have to accept the supreme version of the Vedas. Then it is perfect knowledge.

Dr. Frogs of the Material World

So there are many different planets within this universe, and there are spiritual planets beyond this universe. God’s creation is full of variety. We should not think that what we are seeing is all in all. This is Dr. Frog’s knowledge. Dr. Frog knows, “This small well is everything.” He has no knowledge of the Pacific Ocean.

Similarly, these Dr. Frogs of this material world are thinking this planet is all in all and 25,000 miles up from this planet is all space. No.

panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara sampragamyo

vayor athapi manaso muni-pungavanam

so ’py asti yat-prapada-simny avicintya-tattve

govindam adi-purusham tam aham bhajami

“I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, only the tip of the toe of whose lotus feet is approached by the yogis who aspire after the transcendental and betake themselves to pranayama by drilling the respiration; or by the jshanis who try to find out the nondifferentiated Brahman by the process of elimination of the mundane, extending over thousands of millions of years.” (Brahma-samhita 5.34)

Consider if you could prepare an airplane that is a mental airplane. You are sitting here, and mentally you can immediately transfer yourself ten thousand miles away or more than that – immediately, within a second. I am here in America, and India is about fifteen thousand miles away from this place. But immediately, within a second, I can think that I’m sitting in my room there. The mind is so forceful. Just see.

This is practical. You can transfer your mind immediately. So how can you compare mental airplanes with mechanical airplanes? The mechanical airplane is not so speedy. The jet planes are running at the rate of five hundred or one thousand miles per hour, but my mental plane can run fifteen thousand miles per second. You see? And just understand, then, the spirit – how speedy the spirit should be.

Matter is earth, water, fire, air, and ether. Earth is crude. Water is crude. Fire is still finer, but crude. But still finer is air, and still finer is ether, and still finer is mind, and still finer is soul. You see? So just imagine: if the mind is so strong that it can transfer itself from here to fifteen thousand miles away in a second, how speedy and powerful is the soul.

Yogis can come to the platform of the mental plane and travel speedily. There are still many yogis in India who early in the morning travel about four thousand miles and take bath in four different pilgrimage sites within half an hour. Yes. So the siddhas mentioned here are real persons; it is not a story.

The Power of Goodness

So Prahlada Maharaja says, “These demigods, these great saintly persons, these siddhas, how have they become so powerful?” Sattvaikatana: being situated in the material mode of goodness. If you keep yourself in the mode of goodness, then you get your spiritual power more and more.

And if you keep yourself in the modes of ignorance and passion, then you cannot make progress. You will have to remain here or go down. If you keep yourself in the mode of ignorance, then you go down even to the animal kingdom. If you keep yourself in the mode of passion, then utmost you can remain in Europe and America, that’s all. But if you keep yourself in goodness, then you can go up. These things are explained in the Bhagavad-gita.

Those who are in the mode of goodness, even if they are not sufficiently spiritually advanced to enter the spiritual kingdom, will go to the upper status of planetary systems, such as Siddhaloka, Janaloka, and Maharloka. This earth is in the middle planetary system, as is heaven also. Bhur bhuvah svah. You are chanting the Gayatri mantra: bhur bhuvah svah. These are in the middle. Then above them are Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapaloka, and Satyaloka. There are seven planetary systems that are up and seven that are down. Those who are in the mode of goodness are elevated to the higher planetary systems.

urdhvam gacchanti sattva-stha

madhye tisthanti rajasah

jaghanya-guna-vritti-stha

adho gacchanti tamasah

“Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the abominable mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds.” (Gita 14.18) Jaghanya means very abominable character. You see? Eating nonsense and keeping nonsense habits. Little more than the animals, that’s all. Jaghanya-gunavritti-stha adho gacchanti tamasah.

They are going down, down, down, down. These things are explained there.

So here, the demigods headed by Lord Brahma, and the siddhas and the great saintly persons and elevated yogis – how have they become so? Now, sattvaikatana-gatayo vacasam pravahaih. They fluently explain everything in very nice words, just like a prayer. Krishna’s name is Uttamasloka. Uttama “selected, high class.” Actually, not high class; it is transcendental. Ut means “trans,” tama means “darkness,” and sloka means “verses.” So uttamasloka means verses which are not of this material world.

In Brahma-samhita we read, govindam adi-purusham tam aham bhajami: “I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord.” These words, these vibrations, are not of this material world. These are transcendental vibrations, above this material world. And so those mentioned here are so learned that fluently they went on praying to the Lord with uttamasloka, selected transcendental sounds. But naradhitum puru-gunair adhunapi pipruh: but still, the Lord is not yet pacified.

Although these great personalities have presented their prayers in such nice selected verses that are transcendental vibrations, still they could not pacify the Lord. And kim toshtum arhati sa me harir ugra-jateh: “Then how is it possible for me to please the Lord? I am born of a father who was most passionate. So my body is most abominable. I have got this body from an abominable father. So how can I please the Lord when they have failed?”

This is the mood of a Vaishnava. He’s not proud. Brahma, Lakshmi, and all the demigods and saintly persons have requested him, “My dear Prahlada, you try.” That means he is greater than all the persons present there; otherwise how could they request him? If in an assembly somebody is requested, “Please lead us,” that means that person, that leader, is the greatest of all.

Prahlada is accepted as the greatest personality, greater than Brahma, than the demigods, than the yogis. But this is his humbleness, meekness. In the Bible also it is said that the humble and meek can enter into the kingdom of God. So out of his humbleness, meekness, he’s expressing, “These great personalities failed to pacify the Lord. How is it possible for me, who have got this body born of a passionate father?” This is very beautiful.

Don’t Be Afraid

Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught us how we shall preach this Krishna consciousness. Don’t be disheartened because the police are obstructing, because the people are complaining. They will do that. Why just the police and the public? This poor, innocent boy, five years old, because he was chanting, his father became his enemy. His father, what to speak of others.

If you try to trace out the history of the world, you’ll find always that persons who are for Krishna or God have been persecuted. Lord Jesus Christ was crucified; Haridasa Thakura was caned in twenty-two marketplaces; Prahlada Maharaja was tortured by his father. So there may be such things.

Of course, Krishna will protect us. So don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid if somebody tortures us, somebody teases us. We must go on with Krishna consciousness without any hesitation, and Krishna will give us protection. If you are more tortured, then Krishna will appear as Nrisimhadeva and give you all protection. You are all representatives of Prahlada. Keep your confidence in Krishna, and He will give you protection. And go on chanting Hare Krishna.

Thank you very much.