Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana Book 7 Chapter 10:15-30

Book 7: Chapter 10

Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana: Book 7: Chapter 10: Verses 15-30 (The story of) the conquest of Tripura Prahrada submitted : I solicit this boon from You, the Ruler of (all) bestowers of boons, O supreme Lord, that inasmuch as my father, who was ignorant of Your divine glory and whose heart was stung with indignation, spoke ill of You-who are no other than the almighty Lord, the Preceptor of the whole universe-labouring under the false notion that You had been the slayer of his brother (Hiranyaksa), and (further) bore ill-will to me, a devotee of Yours, he, my father, may (kindly) be absolved from that sin, which is so difficult to get rid of and so difficult to cross over, although (I am sure) he was purged (of it) the moment he was compassionately regarded with the outer corner of Your eye, O lover of the afflicted ! The Lord said Your father, O sinless one, was purified along with (as many as) twenty-one past generations by the very fact that you, the sanctifier of your race, were born in his house, 0 pious soul ! Wherever there are My devotees, perfectly tranquil, pious and extremely noble in character, viewing all with the same eye, (all) those tracts of land get hallowed, (the desecrated land of) Kikata (and other such territories including their inhabitants) not excepted. Those whose hankering has (totally) disappeared through devotion to Me, O ruler of the Daityas, persecute none among the multitudes of living beings, high and low, by any means (whatsoever). (Even) persons following your way of life in this world will become My devotees. Indeed you will serve as a model for all My devotees. (Now) perform you the obsequies with respect to your father (Hiranyakaipu), though he has been purified in everyway by the touch of My Person, O beloved one. Having been blessed with a noble son (like you), he will attain to the higher worlds. (Also) occupy the throne of your father (as the ruler of the Daityas) and, fixing your mind on Me, dear son, and (completely) devoted to Me, perform your duties as directed by the exponents of the Vedas. Narada continued : Prahrada too did what was due to his (deceased) father by way of funeral rites in the same way as the Lord had commanded him (to do), O king (Yudhisthira)! He was (then) crowned (as king) by the foremost of the Brahmanas. (24) Finding Sri Hari, who was disguised as a man-lion, wearing a serene look as a token of grace, Brahma, who was surrounded by gods and others, (first) extolled Him by means of sacred hymns and (then) submitted (as follows). Brahma said : O god of gods, supreme Ruler of all, Protector of (all) created beings, my Father ! fortunately (for us) the wicked demon (Hiranyakasipu), the tormentor of the world, has been slain by You. He is the same fellow who having secured a boon from me (to this effect) was not to be killed by living beings of my creation and, proud of his strength derived from austerities and Yoga (concentration of mind), stamped out all virtues inculcated by the Vedas. Luckily enough his son, a pious soul and an eminent devotee, though (Yet) an infant, has been delivered by You from (the jaws of) death and it is good that he has now duly attained to You. This (divine) form of Yours, 0 Lord, is capable of protecting from all dangers, nay, even from Death bent on destruction, anyone who contemplates on It and whose mind is completely subdued. Lord Nrsimha said : No more boon of this kind ought to be bestowed by you on the Asuras, O Brahma (sprung from a lotus). A boon conferred on those who are cruel by nature proves harmful as milk given to serpents.