Hiraṇyakaśipu, the mighty king of the Daityas, lifted his young son Prahlada, who had humbly bowed at his feet. Gazing upon Prahlada, whose inner strength seemed boundless, Hiraṇyakaśipu questioned him with a father's curiosity, “My child, among all the teachings you have studied and recited, which do you consider the best and most excellent? What is the highest truth you have learned in your time?” Prahlada, with deep respect and composure, replied, “Father, listen! At your command, I shall speak the essence of what I have learned. With a focused mind, I will share what is established within my heart.” Folding his hands in reverence, Prahlada declared, “I bow to the Great Soul, the cause of all causes—beginningless, endless, unborn, unaging, undecaying, and unchanging.” Hearing these words, Hiraṇyakaśipu’s eyes blazed red with anger. He glared at his son’s teacher, his lips quivering with rage, and demanded, “O false Brahmin! What is this teaching, filled with praise for our enemy? Foolish one, you have led this child astray, disregarding my wishes!” The teacher, trembling, pleaded, “O Lord of the Daityas, do not give in to anger. Your son does not speak what I have taught him.” Turning to Prahlada, Hiraṇyakaśipu demanded, “By whom and how have you been instructed, child? Tell me, Prahlada, for your teacher claims he did not teach you this.” With calm assurance, Prahlada replied, “Vishnu, who abides in the hearts of all, is the ruler of the entire world. Apart from that Supreme Self, dear father, who can instruct whom?” Hiraṇyakaśipu, seething with fury, retorted, “Who is this Vishnu, you fool, whom you keep mentioning again and again, right here before me, the lord of the worlds?” Prahlada answered, “He whose supreme state is beyond words, who is meditated upon by yogis, from whom the universe arises—He is Vishnu, the Supreme Lord.” But Hiraṇyakaśipu would not be pacified. “Ignorant one! Who else is called the Supreme Lord, existing through his own power? You must wish to die, since you keep saying this again and again!” Prahlada, undeterred, spoke gently, “Not only mine, father, but of all beings, Vishnu is the source and creator, the Supreme Lord. Be gracious—why do you show such anger?” Hiraṇyakaśipu, his heart darkened with wrath, cried out, “Who has corrupted the heart of this wicked, evil-minded boy, so that, possessed in mind, he speaks such unrighteous words?” Prahlada replied, “Not only my heart does Vishnu pervade—He abides in all the worlds. He, all-pervading, unites me, you, and all our kin in every action, O father.” Unable to contain his rage, Hiraṇyakaśipu ordered, “Let this wicked one be restrained and disciplined in the teacher’s house. By whom has this evil-minded boy been led to praise the enemy falsely?” Thus, Prahlada was taken again by the Daityas to the teacher’s house, where he diligently studied day and night, eager to learn. After a long time had passed, Hiraṇyakaśipu summoned his son and said, “My son, recite some verse you have learned.” Prahlada, ever steadfast, spoke: “From whom both Pradhāna and Puruṣa arise, and from whom all this moving and unmoving world comes—may that Vishnu, the cause of all, be gracious to us.” This was too much for Hiraṇyakaśipu. Consumed by anger, he declared, “This evil-hearted one should be killed; there is no purpose in his living. He has become a disgrace to the family, like one who cuts the wings of a bird.” At his command, the Daityas, armed with mighty weapons, rose in countless numbers to destroy Prahlada. But Vishnu’s presence shone through Prahlada, who declared, “As I stand among your weapons and among you, O Daityas, by this truth, let your weapons not touch me.” Though torrents of weapons struck Prahlada, he felt not the slightest pain, and his strength was renewed again and again. Hiraṇyakaśipu, desperate, shouted, “O fool, turn back from the enemy’s side! I grant you fearlessness—be wise, do not persist in your deluded mind!” Prahlada replied serenely, “When the remover of all fears stands in my mind, O father, where does fear remain? By remembering Him, all fears of birth, old age, death, and the like vanish.” Frustrated, Hiraṇyakaśipu called upon the serpents: “O serpents! This wicked one, of utterly evil mind, acts wrongly—immediately destroy him with your venomous flames!” At his command, the great serpents Kuhaka, Takshaka, and Andhaka bit Prahlada all over with their most potent venom. Yet Prahlada, his mind absorbed in Krishna, did not perceive his own body. He remained in the joy of remembrance, untouched by the serpents’ poison. Their fangs shattered, the gems upon their hoods cracked, heat burned in their hearts, and they trembled—yet not even a little of Prahlada’s skin was broken. The Daityas cried, “O lord of the Daityas, seek another means!” Hiraṇyakaśipu then commanded, “O guardians of the quarters! O mighty-tusked elephants! Strike down this one who has broken our enemy’s ranks; let your attack destroy him as a blazing fire consumes dry wood.” The guardians, resembling mountain peaks, struck Prahlada down and pierced him with their tusks. But as Prahlada remembered Govinda, the thousands of elephant tusks shattered upon his chest. He turned to his father and said, “The tusks of the elephants, sharp as thunderbolts, are broken—not by my strength, but by the power of remembering Janardana, the destroyer of great calamities and sins.” Still unrelenting, Hiraṇyakaśipu ordered, “Ignite the fire, O Asuras! Withdraw, O guardians of the quarters! Wind, kindle the fire; let it burn this sinful son of the lord of the Asuras, covered with great logs.” The Danavas, urged by fire, set Prahlada ablaze. Yet Prahlada, unscathed, said, “Father, though this fire is fanned by the wind, it does not burn me at all; I see lotus beds spread everywhere, and all the directions are cool.” At this, the sons of Bhargava, the great-souled priests, eloquent and wise, spoke to Hiraṇyakaśipu: “O king, restrain your anger toward this boy, your son and younger brother; let your wrath be directed at the hosts of gods, where it will be fruitful. Thus, in this way, those will become the chastisers of your boy. Childhood is the abode of all faults, O king of the Daityas; therefore, you should not direct excessive anger towards a child in this matter. If, by our words, he does not abandon the side of Hari, then we shall employ a magical rite to bring about his death and turn him back.” And so, Prahlada’s devotion remained unshaken, while the king and his counselors searched for ever more desperate means to turn his heart away from the Lord.