TEXTS 34
kopavesa-calad-gatrah
putram hantum mano dadhe
ksiptva parusaya vaca
prahradam atad-arhanam
aheksamanah papena
tirascinena caksusa
prasrayavanatam dantam
baddhanjalim avasthitam
sarpah padahata iva
svasan prakrti-darunah
SYNONYMS
kopa-avesaby a very angry mood; calattrembling; gatrahthe whole body; putramhis son; hantumto kill; manahmind; dadhefixed; ksiptvarebuking; parusayawith very harsh; vacawords; prahradamPrahlada Maharaja; a-tat-arhanamnot fit to be chastised (due to his noble character and tender age); ahasaid; iksamanahlooking at him in anger; papenabecause of his sinful activities; tirascinenacrooked; caksusawith eyes; prasraya-avanatamvery gentle and mild; dantamvery restrained; baddha-anjalimhaving folded hands; avasthitamsituated; sarpaha snake; pada-ahatahbeing trampled by the foot; ivalike; svasanhissing; prakrtiby nature; darunahvery evil.
TRANSLATION
When Hiranyakasipu understood the entire situation, he was extremely angry, so much so that his body trembled. Thus he finally decided to kill his son Prahlada. Hiranyakasipu was by nature very cruel, and feeling insulted, he began hissing like a snake trampled upon by someones foot. His son Prahlada was peaceful, mild and gentle, his senses were under control, and he stood before Hiranyakasipu with folded hands. According to Prahladas age and behavior, he was not to be chastised. Yet with staring, crooked eyes, Hiranyakasipu rebuked him with the following harsh words.
PURPORT
When one is impudent toward a highly authorized devotee, one is punished by the laws of nature. The duration of his life is diminished, and he loses the blessings of superior persons and the results of pious activities. Hiranyakasipu, for example, had achieved such great power in the material world that he could subdue practically all the planetary systems in the universe, including the heavenly planets (Svargaloka). Yet now, because of his mistreatment of such a Vaisnava as Prahlada Maharaja, all the results of his tapasya diminished. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.4.46):
When one mistreats great souls, his life span, opulence, reputation, religion, possessions and good fortune are all destroyed.

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