Srimad Bhagavatam – day 421
Govindāya namah
Prahlāda continued, “O Supreme Lord! Remaining silent (mouna), practicing celibacy (brahmacarya), studying of the scriptures, undertaking austerities, studying Vedas, strictly adhering to the righteous duties prescribed for the person’s stage of life (swadharma), recollecting the lessons from the scriptures, living in solitude, penance and absolute meditation are methods prescribed for obtaining liberation.
However, in this world, these methods are being used as means of livelihood by those who have not perfected sense-control. To the pretentious, at times these tools backfire. The moment their fraud gets exposed it ceases to remain the source of their livelihood.
Vedas declare that to the inherently formless Lord, the seed called cause and effect are like two sprouts. There is nothing apart from You in this creation. Spiritual aspirants conquer their mind and through the path of devotion, search for you within their hearts. Just like the spark that lies deeply hidden within the log of wood they then find You hidden within their heart. The only way to obtain God-realization is to see You pervading as everything in this universe! Apart from this there is no other method.
O Lord who is beyond the limitations of time and space! You are the 5 gross elements known as space, wind, fire, water and earth as well as the 5 subtle elements known as sound, touch, form, taste and smell. You are the 5 life-forces such as praṇa, apāna etc. You alone are the senses and the four-fold mind. O Lord, You are the Sun and other Devatas who empower the senses. O Lord, You are everything gross and subtle. You are with attributes (saguṇa) and yet without attributes (nirguṇa). That which is thought by the mind and that which is expressed through speech are nothing but You, O Lord.
O Lord of great renown! Neither the three attributes of Nature known as sattva, rajas and tamas nor their transformed states known as Mahat and other principles (tattva), nor the activities of the four-fold mind, nor Devatas nor humans can ever understand Your true form. This is because all of them have an impermanent fleeting existence. Only wise persons who understand this profound truth exit from this web of words (sabda-jaal).
O most-venerable Lord! O Lord who is most worthy of all worship! Please accept my obeisance. Offering obeisance, singing Your glories, serving You, offering You worship, remembering Your lotus feet and listening to Your divine glories are the 6 limbs through which You can be served with dedication and devotion. Without offering these services with total devotion, human beings can never obtain You, whom supreme Paramahamsas obtain as their inner Self. Hence O Lord, please bless me with such devotion”- concluded Prahlāda.
Although He inherently is devoid of traits (nirguṇa), Lord Narasimha manifested in a form filled with traits. With overflowing devotion Prahlāda, the supreme devotee, glorified the Lord in various ways. Lord Narasimha who heard the melodious words uttered by Prahlāda was pleased. Giving up his anger, He addressed Prahlāda, who had prostrated before Him and said:
“O Prahlāda, You are a form of auspiciousness. You are the best among demons. I am deeply pleased with you. Seek any boon of your choice. I fulfil all the desires of human beings. O immortal being! If I am not pleased it is impossible to have my darshan. The living entity who has my darshan is spared from future afflictions (tāpa).
Noble souls who have the discriminatory knowledge of objects permanent and impermanent in this creation, seek only the supreme auspiciousness known as liberation. They offer to Me everything in entirety and please Me, the Supreme Lord, who fulfils all desires”.
In this way Lord Narasimha lured Prahlāda, the best among demons, with material boons that would tempt ordinary human beings. Nevertheless, Prahlāda who possessed single-focussed devotion towards Him, did not even slightly desire them”- said Maharishi Nārada.
With this the ninth chapter of the Seventh Canto comes to an end.
Seventh Canto Chapter Ten
In this chapter, the selfless devotion (niṣkāma bhakti) of Prahlāda is visible. In addition, the destruction of Tripura is explained.
Maharishi Nārada said, “Although being a small boy, Prahlāda considered these boons that Lord Narasimha wanted to shower upon him as obstacles in the path of devotion. Hence he replied,
“O Lord, Inherently I am drawn towards material boons. Hence please do not lure me with such boons. I am extremely scared of material temptations. I desire to be free from them and tread the path of devotion. You have bestowed me with the knowledge that nothing is more important than You. Hence I seek only You. I seek liberation.”
I fear these desires. Why should I entertain desires? I surrender to You seeking liberation. Since You asked me to seek any boon I seek liberation, O Lord.
“Material desires are the root for this repeated cycle of re-births and for worldly bondages. They are like knots in the heart. Only to understand the qualities of a true devotee You are luring me with boons.
O Guru for all the worlds! O epitome of compassion! You will never simply lure your true devotee in order to test him. A person who seeks fulfilment of a desire can be addressed as a trader but he can never be addressed as a true devotee. But O Lord, I am your devotee. Why do you tempt me by asking me to seek boons? The devotee who wants to use God for fulfilment of desires can never be a true devotee, O Lord. Hence please excuse me.”