| Back
to Content
|
by S. Vyas Scene: Hiranyakashipu doing tapa. Hiranyakashipu keeps on chanting: “Om namo Brahmaya!” Brahma: O Hiranyakashipu, stop you tapa. You have been doing this tapa since many many years without eating or sleeping. Your body has been eaten by ants and still you have kept on doing tapa. I, Brahma, the creator and the giver of boons, am pleased with you. Tell me what you want. I will give it. Hiranyakashipu: O Brahma, make me immortal and powerful. Brahma: I am sorry, I cannot make you immortal, because I am not immortal my self. So, ask for some other boon. Hiranyakashipu: Hmmmm. Let me think. OK. Give me boon that I could not be killed by weapons, I could not be killed by man or animals, I could not be killed in the house, I could not be killed out of the house, I could not be killed in day, I could not be killed in night. I could not be killed on earth. I could not be killed in sky. Brahma: tathaastu! So be it!
Hiranyakashipu: O my soldiers, I am Hiranyakashipu, your king.
I am the mighty king of the whole world. Remember that I have done
severe penance. Therefore, Brahma has given me such a boon that I
could not die. He did not want to make me immortal, but I tricked
him. He has given me a lot of powers also. Now I am strong
and powerful to destroy Vishnu and worshipers of Vishnu.
Soldiers: Yes mighty king, we will go and do as you said.
(going.)
Varuna, Agni, etc. demigods: O Indra, ever since Hiranyakashipu started his demoniac activities we have left the heaven and are living on earth in disguise to see what is happening. We have seen that the demon has destroyed Vishnu worshippers and everyone is worshipping the demon. He is very powerful and everyone is afraid of him. He is even more powerful than us. We are helpless against him. So, we suggest let us to Bhagavan Vishnu and ask for his help. Indra: O demigods, what you said is true. Let us go and pray Vishnu for his help. [Going to Vishnu and praying.] Demigods: O Vishnu, you are the protector of everyone. This demon Hiranyakashipu is destroying Sanatan Dharma and your worshippers. He is stronger than us. We are afraid of him. Please save us, the people, and Sanatan Dharma. Voice of Vishnu: O best demigods, do not fear any more.
I have known all the demoniac things this demon has done. I will
kill him. Wait for some time. Those who become enemy of you
demigods, Dharma, Vedas, cows, brahmanas, sadhus, and me, they surely meet
destruction. This demon has become strong due to Brahma’s boon, but
when he acts like an enemy of his own son and my devotee, I will kill him.
Shanda: Children, be quiet and listen. I am Shanda.
This is my brother Amarka. We are your teachers. This is mighty king
Hiranyakashipu’s school. Today’s lesson is: Do not worship
Vishnu. Worship Hiranyakashipu. Kill and eat cows. Now
go home and remember the lesson.
Hiranyakashipu: O respectable demons, My dear son Prahalada had is first day in school today. So, I want to know what he has learned in our school. Guard, bring my son here. A guard comes with Prahalada. Prahalada: Namaskar my dear father! Hiranyakashipu: My dear Prahapada, come, come. Sit in my lap. Tell me, what you learned in school today? Prahalada: Vishnu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everyone should worship Vishnu and worship cows too. Hiranyakashipu: Guards, take this boy to his room. It seem that some Vishu dootas have secretly taught my son this nonsense. Warn the teachers that no student knows anything about Vishnu. Our school should only teach that I am God. Guards: Yes, your majesty. [They take Prahapada away.]
Shanda: Everyone be quiet. Prahalada, tell me, how did you learn about Vishnu? I did not teach it. Prahalada: Bhagavan Vishnu tells me in my heart. Shanda: You just listen and learn from me, otherwise your father will kill both of us. OK children, listen today’s lesson: Worship Hiranyakashipu.
Hiranyakashipu: Guard, bring my son Prahapada. I want to know what he has learned in school today. Guard: Here is Prahalada, your majesty.. Hiranyakashipu: So, tell me, what did you learn in school today? Prahalada: You are not God. Vishnu is God. Never take drugs or alcohol. Every one should worship Vishnu by nine types of Bhakti, which are: listening about Him, singing songs about Him, worshipping His feet, doing His pooja, bowing down to Him, acting as His servant, acting as His friend, and totally surrendering to Him. Hiranyakashipu: {Pushing Prahalada off his lap.] Get off my lap, you fool! Vishnu is my enemy. Don’t you ever speak his name to me. Go away and learn what the teacher teaches. Prahalada: Namaskar father! [Goes away.]
Shanda: Children. Listen with attention. Today’s lesson is: Worship Hiranyakashipu, not Vishnu.
Now go home and remember the lesson.
Hiranyakashipu: Guard, bring Prahalada here. Let us see if he learned anything right. Prahalada: Namaskar father! Hiranyakashipu: Tell me, what did you learn in school today? Prahalada: Bhagavan Vishu is the Supreme controller. He is the one who digests food in our stomach. Never do gambling. Everyone has to die. Even you will die. Therefore, do not waste this body in too much sense enjoyments. Instead, engage this body in the service of Vishnu. Then he will get us out of the cycle of birth and death, and we will get supreme happiness here and in Vaikuntha. Hiranyakashipu: [shouting.] Prahala....d! How many time do I have to tell you that Vishnu is our enemy. I tried everything to give you good education, and you are not learning. You are not worth living at all. Guards, take this stupid boy and kill him. Prahalada: My dear father, I am surrendered to Vishnu. So, I have no fear. He will protect me. Hiranyakashipu: Kill him, guards! I will see how Vishnu
can protect him.
Guards: O mighty king, your majesty. We tried many way to kill Prahalada, but he does not die. Nothing happens to him. We do not know how to kill him. Hiranyakashipu: Tell me, how many ways you tried to kill him? Guards: We threw him from a cliff. We threw him in a boiling oil pan. We put him with poisonous cobra snakes. We left him with wild animals. We threw weapons at him. We buried him in snow and dirt. We threw him in fire, we kept him in deep water. We kept him without food. We kept him buried under heavy boulders, we gave him poison, and we did so many other things. Now we do not know what else we could do. Many of us expert killers are afraid of him now, because we think that he is protected by some power which is much much more than your power. Hiranhakashipu: Never think that there is any power superior to me, or I will kill you. Go, and let me think of some way how to kill him. [Guards go away.] Holika: O my dear brother, I know a way to kill Prahalada. Hiranyakashipu: O my dear sister Holika, tell me how Prahalada can be killed. Holika: Remember. I have a boon. Fire cannot burn me. Therefore, I suggest that I sit on a big pile of fire wood and wax and hold Prahapada in my lap. When the fire is lighted, I will hold Prahalada until he is burnt to ashes. Nothing will happen to me. What do you think? Hiranyakashipu: Oh Holika! This is an excellent idea!
Guards, prepare for a big fire. Invite all the people of the world
to see how I kill Prahalada. That way, they will know what I will
do to any one who worships Vishnu. I am the supreme power.
I am the enjoyer. Vishnu has no power to protect. I have all
the power to protect or kill.
Prahalada, with folded hands and closed eyes, keeps on chanting: “Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya.” Holika starts screaming: Help me, help me, I am burning. I am burning. Get me out of here, get me out of here. Heeeelp! Finally she dies. Fire stops and Prahapada is found harmless and chanting. Audience: Vishnu Bhagavanki jai.
Vishnu Bhagavanki jai.
Vishnu Bhagavanki jai.
Audience becomes quiet. Did you forget who is God? Did You? Did you? Audience: [Afraid of him and running away from him] Hiranyakashipu ki jai! Hiranyakashipu ki jai. Hiranyakashipu: Prahalada, come to me.
Hiranyakashipu: Tell me, where is your Vishnu, and I will kill him. Then you will know that I am the supreme. Prahalada: My dear father, Vishnu is every where. You cannot kill Him. He could kill you. Hiranyakashipu: Shut up! Tell me is Vishnu in this pillar? Prahalada: Yes, he is in there. Hiranyakashipu: OK. See how I destroy the pillar and your Vishnu with it. [He attacks on the pillar with the sward.] A terrifying roar of a lion is heard. With the sound of a thunderbolt, the pillar is shattered, and there appears Nrushinha Bhagavan. His body of man, but head and hands of a lion. Hiranyakashipu is somewhat bewildered and afraid. Nrushinha, roaring, catches Hiranyakashipu, throws away his sward, and puts him in his lap. Nrushinha: O demon, tell me. is this day or night? Demon: This is not day or night this is evening. Nrushinha: Are you in or out of the house. Demon: I am neither in nor out. I am at the door. Nrushinha: Are you on earth or in sky?
Nrushinha: Am I a man or a animal? Hiranyakashipu: You are not a man nor a lion. Nrushinha showing his claws and nails: Is this any weapon? Hiranyakashipu: No. This is a claw. Nrushinha: O Demon, you have harassed my great devotee Prahalada. I cannot keep you alive. Nrushinha tears apart the demon’s stomach. Hiranyakashipu screams and dies. Nrushinha keeps on roaring with anger. All the demigods are standing there terrified at the look and the anger of Nrushinha. Brahma: O Lakshmijee, please pacify Nrushinha, the Vishnu. We are all afraid of him. Lakshmijee: O Brahma, I have never seen Vishnu in such an anger. I have become afraid by his look and temper too. Where is Prahapada? Prahalada: I am here my dear mother lakshmijee. Lakshmijee: Prahalada, you are very dear to Vishnu, please go to him and pacify him. Please, we all are afraid of him. Prahalada goes to Nrushinha with folded hands. Prahalada: O Bhagavan Narashinha! You are the supreme powerful. There is no need to be so much angry and ferocious to kill a demon who is like a mosquito. Please calm down. All the demigods are terrified by your look and anger. Nrushinha calms down. He lovingly takes Prahalada in his lap and licks his face. Audience sings Nrushinha aarti: Namaste narashnhaya
|
