SECTION XX.Parāçara said:—O twice-born! Thus meditating upon Vishnu as identical with himself he attained to that unification, which is desired by all and regarded him as the undecaying divinity. He forgot his individuality and was not conscious of anything. And he thought that he himself was the endless, undecaying supreme soul. And on account of this efficient notion of identity, the undecaying Vishnu, whose essence is wisdom, appeared in his mind which was wholly purified from sin. When the Asura Prahlāda had become identified with Vishnu by virtue of contemplation all the bonds were at once severed, as soon as he shook. The mighty deep rose up in waves and the monsters therein were terrified. And the earth trembled with all her mountains and forests. And throwing aside the pile of rocks that were placed by the Daityas on his breast, the high-minded Prahlāda came out of waters. And beholding the outer world, earth and heaven, he remembered who he was and knew himself to be Prahlāda. And again the wise boy, with his mind solely devoted to him and controlling his mind and speech, sang the glory of that excellent Purusha who is without beginning: Prahlāda said,—"Salutation unto thee who art the true wisdom, who art subtile and substantial, mutable and immutable, perceptible and unperceptible, who art with form and without it, indescribable and describable. Thou art the asylum of all attributes; thou art without qualities and with them; thou art with shape and without it; thou art minute and vast; visible and invisible; thou art hideousness and beauty; O undecaying Hari! thou art wisdom and ignorance. Thou art cause and effect; existence and non-existence; thou dost comprise all that is good and evil; thou art the substance of all perishable and imperishable elements and the refuge of all undeveloped rudiments. Salutation unto thee who art both one and many, Vāsudeva and the first cause of all. Salutation unto that excellent Purusha, who is both large and small, manifest and hidden, who is present in all beings and not, and from whom proceeds the universe although distinct from universal cause". Parāçara said:—While with his mind thus devoted to Vishnu Prahlāda chanted his praises; the Great Hari, clad in yellow suddenly appeared before him. Beholding him, he respectfully rose and with hesitating speech exclaimed repeatedly "Glory unto Vishnu" and said,—"O thou who removest the affliction of thy followers, O Keshava, do thou be propitious unto me. Do thou again purify me, O eternal god, with thy sight". The Deity replied,—"I am propitiated with thee for thy unshaken devotion unto me. Ask of me, Prahlāda, whatever thou wishest". Prahlāda said,—"My faith in thee may never suffer decrease in all the thousand births through which I may be doomed to pass. May my devotion unto thee be as firm as the attachment cherished by the ignorant people towards all worldly objects". The Deity replied,—"Thou hast already devotion unto me—and it shall ever be the same; but do thou beg of me a boon, O Prahlāda, whatever thou wishest". Prahlāda said,—"My father has treated me malignantly for proclaiming thy praises. O lord, do thou remove the sin he hath thus committed. He assailed me with weapons—he had me thrown into fire, bitten by the serpents, had poison mixed up with my viands, had me cast into the deep in bonds, and buried down with rocks and many other ills he had wrought against me out of malice for being devoted unto thee. May my father, O lord, by thy mercy, be speedily relieved of the sin he hath thus committed". The Deity replied,—"Prahlāda, all this shall be accomplished by my mercy. I wish to confer upon thee another boon, O son of Asura, do thou beg it". Prahlāda said,—"All my desires, O lord, have been fulfilled by the boon thou hast conferred upon me, that my faith in thee may never suffer decrease. What to speak of wealth, virtue or desire, even emancipation is in his hands who has firm devotion in thee, the root of the universal world". The Deity said,—"As unshaken is thy devotion unto me thou shalt by my mercy obtain final emancipation from existence". Parāçara said:—Having said this Vishnu disappeared from his sight, O Maitreya and Prahlāda again went to his father and bowed down before him. Having smelt his forehead, embraced him and shed tears, the father said, "Dost thou live my child?" The Great Asura treated him with kindness and repented for his past actions. And Prahlāda, conversant with piety, attended diligently upon his father and preceptor. After his father had been slain by Vishnu in the form of the man-lion, he became, O Maitreya, the sovereign of the Daityas. And obtaining the splendours of royalty on account of piety, he came by immense wealth and was blessed, with a numerous progeny. At the expiration of the regal power and freed from the consequences of moral merit or demerit, he obtained, by virtue of his meditation of the deity final emancipation from future births. So powerful was the wise Daitya Prahlāda devoted to Vishnu, O Maitreya, about whom you asked me. Whoever listens to the story of Prahlāda, is speedily freed from all sins. Forsooth a man is released from the iniquities he commits day and night by once hearing or reading the history of Prahlāda. The reading of this history, on the day of full-moon, of new-moon or in the eighth and twelfth days of the lunar half month, shall offer fruit tantamount to the gift of a cow, O twice born one. As Hari protected Prahlāda in all his calamities so he shall protect him who constantly listens to his history.
SECTION XX.Parāçara said:—O twice-born! Thus meditating upon Vishnu as identical with himself he attained to that unification, which is desired by all and regarded him as the undecaying divinity. He forgot his individuality and was not conscious of anything. And he thought that he himself was the endless, undecaying supreme soul. And on account of this efficient notion of identity, the undecaying Vishnu, whose essence is wisdom, appeared in his mind which was wholly purified from sin. When the Asura Prahlāda had become identified with Vishnu by virtue of contemplation all the bonds were at once severed, as soon as he shook. The mighty deep rose up in waves and the monsters therein were terrified. And the earth trembled with all her mountains and forests. And throwing aside the pile of rocks that were placed by the Daityas on his breast, the high-minded Prahlāda came out of waters. And beholding the outer world, earth and heaven, he remembered who he was and knew himself to be Prahlāda. And again the wise boy, with his mind solely devoted to him and controlling his mind and speech, sang the glory of that excellent Purusha who is without beginning: Prahlāda said,—"Salutation unto thee who art the true wisdom, who art subtile and substantial, mutable and immutable, perceptible and unperceptible, who art with form and without it, indescribable and describable. Thou art the asylum of all attributes; thou art without qualities and with them; thou art with shape and without it; thou art minute and vast; visible and invisible; thou art hideousness and beauty; O undecaying Hari! thou art wisdom and ignorance. Thou art cause and effect; existence and non-existence; thou dost comprise all that is good and evil; thou art the substance of all perishable and imperishable elements and the refuge of all undeveloped rudiments. Salutation unto thee who art both one and many, Vāsudeva and the first cause of all. Salutation unto that excellent Purusha, who is both large and small, manifest and hidden, who is present in all beings and not, and from whom proceeds the universe although distinct from universal cause". Parāçara said:—While with his mind thus devoted to Vishnu Prahlāda chanted his praises; the Great Hari, clad in yellow suddenly appeared before him. Beholding him, he respectfully rose and with hesitating speech exclaimed repeatedly "Glory unto Vishnu" and said,—"O thou who removest the affliction of thy followers, O Keshava, do thou be propitious unto me. Do thou again purify me, O eternal god, with thy sight". The Deity replied,—"I am propitiated with thee for thy unshaken devotion unto me. Ask of me, Prahlāda, whatever thou wishest". Prahlāda said,—"My faith in thee may never suffer decrease in all the thousand births through which I may be doomed to pass. May my devotion unto thee be as firm as the attachment cherished by the ignorant people towards all worldly objects". The Deity replied,—"Thou hast already devotion unto me—and it shall ever be the same; but do thou beg of me a boon, O Prahlāda, whatever thou wishest". Prahlāda said,—"My father has treated me malignantly for proclaiming thy praises. O lord, do thou remove the sin he hath thus committed. He assailed me with weapons—he had me thrown into fire, bitten by the serpents, had poison mixed up with my viands, had me cast into the deep in bonds, and buried down with rocks and many other ills he had wrought against me out of malice for being devoted unto thee. May my father, O lord, by thy mercy, be speedily relieved of the sin he hath thus committed". The Deity replied,—"Prahlāda, all this shall be accomplished by my mercy. I wish to confer upon thee another boon, O son of Asura, do thou beg it". Prahlāda said,—"All my desires, O lord, have been fulfilled by the boon thou hast conferred upon me, that my faith in thee may never suffer decrease. What to speak of wealth, virtue or desire, even emancipation is in his hands who has firm devotion in thee, the root of the universal world". The Deity said,—"As unshaken is thy devotion unto me thou shalt by my mercy obtain final emancipation from existence". Parāçara said:—Having said this Vishnu disappeared from his sight, O Maitreya and Prahlāda again went to his father and bowed down before him. Having smelt his forehead, embraced him and shed tears, the father said, "Dost thou live my child?" The Great Asura treated him with kindness and repented for his past actions. And Prahlāda, conversant with piety, attended diligently upon his father and preceptor. After his father had been slain by Vishnu in the form of the man-lion, he became, O Maitreya, the sovereign of the Daityas. And obtaining the splendours of royalty on account of piety, he came by immense wealth and was blessed, with a numerous progeny. At the expiration of the regal power and freed from the consequences of moral merit or demerit, he obtained, by virtue of his meditation of the deity final emancipation from future births. So powerful was the wise Daitya Prahlāda devoted to Vishnu, O Maitreya, about whom you asked me. Whoever listens to the story of Prahlāda, is speedily freed from all sins. Forsooth a man is released from the iniquities he commits day and night by once hearing or reading the history of Prahlāda. The reading of this history, on the day of full-moon, of new-moon or in the eighth and twelfth days of the lunar half month, shall offer fruit tantamount to the gift of a cow, O twice born one. As Hari protected Prahlāda in all his calamities so he shall protect him who constantly listens to his history.
SECTION XX.Parāçara said:—O twice-born! Thus meditating upon Vishnu as identical with himself he attained to that unification, which is desired by all and regarded him as the undecaying divinity. He forgot his individuality and was not conscious of anything. And he thought that he himself was the endless, undecaying supreme soul. And on account of this efficient notion of identity, the undecaying Vishnu, whose essence is wisdom, appeared in his mind which was wholly purified from sin. When the Asura Prahlāda had become identified with Vishnu by virtue of contemplation all the bonds were at once severed, as soon as he shook. The mighty deep rose up in waves and the monsters therein were terrified. And the earth trembled with all her mountains and forests. And throwing aside the pile of rocks that were placed by the Daityas on his breast, the high-minded Prahlāda came out of waters. And beholding the outer world, earth and heaven, he remembered who he was and knew himself to be Prahlāda. And again the wise boy, with his mind solely devoted to him and controlling his mind and speech, sang the glory of that excellent Purusha who is without beginning: Prahlāda said,—"Salutation unto thee who art the true wisdom, who art subtile and substantial, mutable and immutable, perceptible and unperceptible, who art with form and without it, indescribable and describable. Thou art the asylum of all attributes; thou art without qualities and with them; thou art with shape and without it; thou art minute and vast; visible and invisible; thou art hideousness and beauty; O undecaying Hari! thou art wisdom and ignorance. Thou art cause and effect; existence and non-existence; thou dost comprise all that is good and evil; thou art the substance of all perishable and imperishable elements and the refuge of all undeveloped rudiments. Salutation unto thee who art both one and many, Vāsudeva and the first cause of all. Salutation unto that excellent Purusha, who is both large and small, manifest and hidden, who is present in all beings and not, and from whom proceeds the universe although distinct from universal cause". Parāçara said:—While with his mind thus devoted to Vishnu Prahlāda chanted his praises; the Great Hari, clad in yellow suddenly appeared before him. Beholding him, he respectfully rose and with hesitating speech exclaimed repeatedly "Glory unto Vishnu" and said,—"O thou who removest the affliction of thy followers, O Keshava, do thou be propitious unto me. Do thou again purify me, O eternal god, with thy sight". The Deity replied,—"I am propitiated with thee for thy unshaken devotion unto me. Ask of me, Prahlāda, whatever thou wishest". Prahlāda said,—"My faith in thee may never suffer decrease in all the thousand births through which I may be doomed to pass. May my devotion unto thee be as firm as the attachment cherished by the ignorant people towards all worldly objects". The Deity replied,—"Thou hast already devotion unto me—and it shall ever be the same; but do thou beg of me a boon, O Prahlāda, whatever thou wishest". Prahlāda said,—"My father has treated me malignantly for proclaiming thy praises. O lord, do thou remove the sin he hath thus committed. He assailed me with weapons—he had me thrown into fire, bitten by the serpents, had poison mixed up with my viands, had me cast into the deep in bonds, and buried down with rocks and many other ills he had wrought against me out of malice for being devoted unto thee. May my father, O lord, by thy mercy, be speedily relieved of the sin he hath thus committed". The Deity replied,—"Prahlāda, all this shall be accomplished by my mercy. I wish to confer upon thee another boon, O son of Asura, do thou beg it". Prahlāda said,—"All my desires, O lord, have been fulfilled by the boon thou hast conferred upon me, that my faith in thee may never suffer decrease. What to speak of wealth, virtue or desire, even emancipation is in his hands who has firm devotion in thee, the root of the universal world". The Deity said,—"As unshaken is thy devotion unto me thou shalt by my mercy obtain final emancipation from existence". Parāçara said:—Having said this Vishnu disappeared from his sight, O Maitreya and Prahlāda again went to his father and bowed down before him. Having smelt his forehead, embraced him and shed tears, the father said, "Dost thou live my child?" The Great Asura treated him with kindness and repented for his past actions. And Prahlāda, conversant with piety, attended diligently upon his father and preceptor. After his father had been slain by Vishnu in the form of the man-lion, he became, O Maitreya, the sovereign of the Daityas. And obtaining the splendours of royalty on account of piety, he came by immense wealth and was blessed, with a numerous progeny. At the expiration of the regal power and freed from the consequences of moral merit or demerit, he obtained, by virtue of his meditation of the deity final emancipation from future births. So powerful was the wise Daitya Prahlāda devoted to Vishnu, O Maitreya, about whom you asked me. Whoever listens to the story of Prahlāda, is speedily freed from all sins. Forsooth a man is released from the iniquities he commits day and night by once hearing or reading the history of Prahlāda. The reading of this history, on the day of full-moon, of new-moon or in the eighth and twelfth days of the lunar half month, shall offer fruit tantamount to the gift of a cow, O twice born one. As Hari protected Prahlāda in all his calamities so he shall protect him who constantly listens to his history.
Parāçara said:—O twice-born! Thus meditating upon Vishnu as identical with himself he attained to that unification, which is desired by all and regarded him as the undecaying divinity. He forgot his individuality and was not conscious of anything. And he thought that he himself was the endless, undecaying supreme soul. And on account of this efficient notion of identity, the undecaying Vishnu, whose essence is wisdom, appeared in his mind which was wholly purified from sin. When the Asura Prahlāda had become identified with Vishnu by virtue of contemplation all the bonds were at once severed, as soon as he shook. The mighty deep rose up in waves and the monsters therein were terrified. And the earth trembled with all her mountains and forests. And throwing aside the pile of rocks that were placed by the Daityas on his breast, the high-minded Prahlāda came out of waters. And beholding the outer world, earth and heaven, he remembered who he was and knew himself to be Prahlāda. And again the wise boy, with his mind solely devoted to him and controlling his mind and speech, sang the glory of that excellent Purusha who is without beginning: Prahlāda said,—"Salutation unto thee who art the true wisdom, who art subtile and substantial, mutable and immutable, perceptible and unperceptible, who art with form and without it, indescribable and describable. Thou art the asylum of all attributes; thou art without qualities and with them; thou art with shape and without it; thou art minute and vast; visible and invisible; thou art hideousness and beauty; O undecaying Hari! thou art wisdom and ignorance. Thou art cause and effect; existence and non-existence; thou dost comprise all that is good and evil; thou art the substance of all perishable and imperishable elements and the refuge of all undeveloped rudiments. Salutation unto thee who art both one and many, Vāsudeva and the first cause of all. Salutation unto that excellent Purusha, who is both large and small, manifest and hidden, who is present in all beings and not, and from whom proceeds the universe although distinct from universal cause". Parāçara said:—While with his mind thus devoted to Vishnu Prahlāda chanted his praises; the Great Hari, clad in yellow suddenly appeared before him. Beholding him, he respectfully rose and with hesitating speech exclaimed repeatedly "Glory unto Vishnu" and said,—"O thou who removest the affliction of thy followers, O Keshava, do thou be propitious unto me. Do thou again purify me, O eternal god, with thy sight". The Deity replied,—"I am propitiated with thee for thy unshaken devotion unto me. Ask of me, Prahlāda, whatever thou wishest". Prahlāda said,—"My faith in thee may never suffer decrease in all the thousand births through which I may be doomed to pass. May my devotion unto thee be as firm as the attachment cherished by the ignorant people towards all worldly objects". The Deity replied,—"Thou hast already devotion unto me—and it shall ever be the same; but do thou beg of me a boon, O Prahlāda, whatever thou wishest". Prahlāda said,—"My father has treated me malignantly for proclaiming thy praises. O lord, do thou remove the sin he hath thus committed. He assailed me with weapons—he had me thrown into fire, bitten by the serpents, had poison mixed up with my viands, had me cast into the deep in bonds, and buried down with rocks and many other ills he had wrought against me out of malice for being devoted unto thee. May my father, O lord, by thy mercy, be speedily relieved of the sin he hath thus committed". The Deity replied,—"Prahlāda, all this shall be accomplished by my mercy. I wish to confer upon thee another boon, O son of Asura, do thou beg it". Prahlāda said,—"All my desires, O lord, have been fulfilled by the boon thou hast conferred upon me, that my faith in thee may never suffer decrease. What to speak of wealth, virtue or desire, even emancipation is in his hands who has firm devotion in thee, the root of the universal world". The Deity said,—"As unshaken is thy devotion unto me thou shalt by my mercy obtain final emancipation from existence". Parāçara said:—Having said this Vishnu disappeared from his sight, O Maitreya and Prahlāda again went to his father and bowed down before him. Having smelt his forehead, embraced him and shed tears, the father said, "Dost thou live my child?" The Great Asura treated him with kindness and repented for his past actions. And Prahlāda, conversant with piety, attended diligently upon his father and preceptor. After his father had been slain by Vishnu in the form of the man-lion, he became, O Maitreya, the sovereign of the Daityas. And obtaining the splendours of royalty on account of piety, he came by immense wealth and was blessed, with a numerous progeny. At the expiration of the regal power and freed from the consequences of moral merit or demerit, he obtained, by virtue of his meditation of the deity final emancipation from future births. So powerful was the wise Daitya Prahlāda devoted to Vishnu, O Maitreya, about whom you asked me. Whoever listens to the story of Prahlāda, is speedily freed from all sins. Forsooth a man is released from the iniquities he commits day and night by once hearing or reading the history of Prahlāda. The reading of this history, on the day of full-moon, of new-moon or in the eighth and twelfth days of the lunar half month, shall offer fruit tantamount to the gift of a cow, O twice born one. As Hari protected Prahlāda in all his calamities so he shall protect him who constantly listens to his history.