TEXTS 3–4
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-avesa—by a very angry mood; calat—trembling; gatrah—the whole body; putram—his son; hantum—to kill; manah—mind; dadhe—fixed; ksiptva—rebuking; parusaya—with very harsh; vaca—words; prahradam—Prahlada Maharaja; a-tat-arhanam—not fit to be chastised (due to his noble character and tender age); aha—said; iksamanah—looking at him in anger; papena—because of his sinful activities; tirascinena—crooked; caksusa—with eyes; prasraya-avanatam—very gentle and mild; dantam—very restrained; baddha-anjalim—having folded hands; avasthitam—situated; sarpah—a snake; pada-ahatah—being trampled by the foot; iva—like; svasan—hissing; prakrti—by nature; darunah—very 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 someone’s foot. His son Prahlada was peaceful, mild and gentle, his senses were under control, and he stood before Hiranyakasipu with folded hands. According to Prahlada’s 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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