Vasudeva, the eternal Lord, is the creator and ordainer of all that exists. This entire universe is, in truth, his very own form; the world rests and is sustained by him alone. He is beginningless, ever-existent, with a golden, radiant form, eyes like lotuses, gentle and pure, the beloved Lord of Sri and Bhumi, possessing a body full of auspiciousness. In the process of creation, Brahma and Shiva, those two supreme deities, act only according to his will, upholding his command in all their deeds. Out of reverence and awe for him, the wind blows, the sun rises, fire burns, the moon shines, and even death itself moves forth in its appointed course. In the beginning, there was only the divine Hari, the supreme God Narayana; there was no Brahma, no Indra, no Ishana, nor even the sun or the moon. Neither heavens nor earth existed, nor stars or celestial beings. Only the sages, steadfast in wisdom, beheld that supreme abode of Vishnu. O best of the twice-born, if one abandons the true meaning of all the Upanishads—whether out of passion, greed, or fear—what answer can be given before me? Having forsaken Hari, the protector and Lord of all, how could I, turning to false paths, worship Shankara instead? The consort of Lakshmi, God of gods, infinite and supreme, is dark as a blue lotus petal, with eyes wide and beautiful as lotus leaves. His chest bears the mark of Srivatsa, adorned with every ornament, ever youthful, the bestower of eternal bliss and happiness, the sovereign of all. Great-souled yogis like Sanaka meditate upon Krishna within their hearts; Brahma, Shiva, Indra, and all the hosts of gods worship him. By a mere sidelong glance from Lakshmi, his consort, the denizens of heaven—Brahma, Indra, Rudra, Varuna, Yama, Soma, and Kubera—are seen and blessed. By simply remembering his name, even the sinful quickly attain liberation—a liberation difficult even for exalted beings like Brahma to achieve. He alone is the protector, the ever-present Lord of Sri, the infallible one, always watching over the gods. Therefore, I worship only him, united with Lakshmi. By his grace, I will easily attain that supreme abode of Vishnu. At this, Rudra narrates, Hiranyakashipu, upon hearing these words, was seized by furious anger. His wrath blazed like a consuming fire as he looked fiercely around at the assembled Daityas. Maddened by rage, he spoke: "Kill Prahlada, the evildoer, with your terrifying weapons at my command—he who persists in worshiping our enemy! If Hari alone is the protector and truly cares for him, then today I shall see the reality of that protection." At his order, the Daityas, weapons raised high, surrounded the noble Prahlada, son of the Daitya lord. Yet Prahlada, firm and unmoved, stood in meditation upon Vishnu in the lotus of his heart, reciting the eight-syllabled mantra, steadfast like a mountain. The warriors closed in and struck him with spears, javelins, and lances, but Prahlada’s body, protected by his remembrance of Hari, remained unharmed. By Vishnu’s power, his body became as unassailable as adamant. The fierce weapons of the demons, upon striking him, fell harmlessly to the ground, scattered like petals of blue lotuses. Not even a small part of his body could be injured. Astonished and speechless, the warriors stood before their king, marveling at the greatness and power of Prahlada. Overcome by both wonder and anger, Hiranyakashipu next ordered all the venomous serpents, led by Vasuki, to attack. At the king’s command, the fierce serpents, terrible in form and with blazing mouths, rushed upon Prahlada, biting him with their venomous fangs. Yet their venom was rendered powerless, their fangs broken, and they became mere wind-eaters. Their bodies, wounded by the thousand attacks of Vainateya (Garuda), were greatly distressed, and they fled in all directions, blood flowing. Seeing the mighty serpents defeated, the demon king, enraged, ordered the powerful elephants of the quarters, intoxicated and strong, to attack. The elephants, maddened with pride, surrounded Prahlada and struck him fiercely with their great tusks. But their tusks broke at the roots and fell to the ground. Terrified and deprived of their strength, the elephants fled. Witnessing this, the furious king kindled a great fire and cast his own son into the flames. But Agni, the fire god, seeing Prahlada, beloved of the Lord who rests upon the waters, refused to burn him; the flames became cool, and Prahlada remained unharmed. The king was greatly astonished. He then gave Prahlada dreadful poison, deadly to all beings, but by Vishnu’s power, the poison became nectar. Offered to that divine one, the poison lost all harm and was transformed to ambrosia. Thus, by many terrible and fierce means, Hiranyakashipu tried to destroy his son. But seeing Prahlada’s invulnerability and unable to delude him, the king, overwhelmed with wonder, finally spoke gently to his son. Hiranyakashipu said, "You have spoken rightly of Vishnu’s supremacy before me. Because he pervades all beings, he is indeed called Vishnu. That god who is all-pervading is truly the Supreme Lord. Now, show me directly his all-pervasiveness. Reveal to me his lordly powers, his energies, brilliance, knowledge, strength, and might—these are the supreme form and divine glories of that transcendent one.