Prahlāda Mahārāja, the Saintly Son of Hiraṇyakaśipu
Today we honor the appearance day of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, with a fast until sunset, followed by a nice vegetarian feast. We share with you the Seventh Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam-Part One which describes the pastimes of Pralada Maharaja and his Demonic father Hiranyakasipu. I have included in this post, the entire scanned copy of Canto 7, Vol. 1. You can download by following the link below (it will take a few moments to open).
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto 7, Vol.1 “The Science of God” by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
click the following link to veiw or save the entire scanned copy of SB-07-01-1976
Years ago I remember reading this article in Back to Godhead Magazine, and thinking what a brave young man this was. Years later I meet Dhruva das and was very impressed with him, he was very genuine and devote. For some reason, I always remembered this article and planed to revisit again someday.
Ahovalam—Revisited
A young Krsna devotee sets off on a dangerous journey to ancient temples of his lifelong deity.
by Dhruva Dasa
In 1980 I was born to devotee parents in the large Hare Krsna community of New Vrindavan, West Virginia. From my infancy my parents brought me to the temple each day. Gradually, as a young child I grew attached to the large, fierce-looking deity of Krsna’s form as Lord Nrsimhadeva (Narasimha) and His foremost devotee, the boy-saint Prahlada. When I was six, Prahlada’s age, the priest allowed me to assist him in the temple worship of Lord Nrsimhadeva. Although the Lord looked frightening, I always felt protected when I stood before Him.
When I was sixteen my family visited India. I fell in love with the spiritual atmosphere there and decided to return as soon as possible. By the time I turned eighteen I had decided to make the journey on my own. I worked hard to save for the trip and agonized over my itinerary. India is so big—where should I go?
One day I visited the Hare Krsna temple in Miami. As I glanced over a large stack of old issues of Back to Godhead, a stray breeze blew open the top one to a full-page photo of Lord Nrsimhadeva. The picture seemed to beckon me. Reading the accompanying article, I was amazed to learn about a young sannyasi, Indradyumna Swami, who had made an incredible journey to Ahovalam, a remote South Indian holy place said to be the very spot where Lord Nrsimhadeva dispatched the evil Hiranyakasipu. His article inspired me so much that I set my mind then and there on making the difficult pilgrimage to Ahovalam.
Today we honor the Appearance Day of Lord Nrsimha, with a full day fast, followed by an evening feast. To help remember and praise the Lord we have posted the “Sri Nrsimha Pranama” from the “Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas”. There is also a purport given by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Śrī Nṛsiṁha Praṇāma Translation from the Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas 1972 Edition
namas te narasiḿhāya prahlādāhlāda-dāyine hiraṇyakaśipor vakṣaḥ-śilā-ṭańka-nakhālaye
ito nṛsiḿhaḥ parato nṛsiḿho yato yato yāmi tato nṛsiḿhaḥ bahir nṛsiḿho hṛdaye nṛsiḿho nṛsiḿham ādiḿ śaraṇaḿ prapadye
“I offer my obeisances to Lord Nṛsiṁha -deva, who is always giving bliss to His devotees like Prahlada Maharaja and chiseling at the hearts of demons like Hiraṇyakaśipu. The devotee always sees Lord Nṛsiṁha everywhere. Lord Nṛsiṁha is within and without. Therefore let us take shelter of Lord Nrsimha.”
tava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-śṛṅgaṁ dalita-hiraṇyakaśipu-tanu-bhṛṅgam keśava dhṛta-narahari-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare
“O my lord Nṛsiṁha-deva, Your hands are very beautiful, like the lotus flower, but with Your longs nails You have ripped apart the wasp Hiraṇyakaśipu. Unto You, Lord of the Universe, I offer my humble obeisances.” (Prayers to Lord Nṛsiṁha from Dasavatara by Jayadeva Gosvami)
