पादप्रणामावनतं तमुत्थाप्य पिता सुतम् । हिरण्यकशिपुः प्राह प्रह्लादममितोजसम्
Hiraṇyakaśipu, raising his son who had bowed at his feet, spoke to Prahlada, whose energy was immeasurable.
पठयतां भवता वत्स ! सारभूतं सुभाषितम् । कालेनैतावता यत् ते सदोद्यु क्तने शिक्षितम्
O child, among all that you have studied and recited, what is the best and most excellent saying you have learned in this time?
श्वूयतां तात ! वक्ष्यामि सारभूतं तवाज्ञया । समाहितमना भूत्वा यन्मे चेतस्यवस्थितम्
Listen, dear one! By your command, I shall speak the essence; with a focused mind, I will express what is established in my heart.
अनादिमध्यान्तमजमवृद्धिक्षयमच्युतम् । प्रणातोऽस्मि महात्मानं सर्व्वकारणकारणम्
I bow to the great soul, the cause of all causes—beginningless, endless, unborn, unaging, undecaying, and unchanging.
एवं निशम्य दैन्येन्द्रः क्रोधसंरक्तलोचनः । विलोक्य तदूगुरुं प्राह स्फुरिताधरपल्लवः
Hearing thus, the king of the Daityas, his eyes reddened with anger, looked at his son's teacher and spoke, his lips quivering.
ब्रह्मबन्धो ! किमेतत् ते विपक्षस्तुतिसहितम् । असारं ग्राहितो बालो मामवज्ञाय दुर्मते !
O false Brahmin! What is this, filled with praise for the enemy? Foolish one, you have led this child astray, disregarding me!
दैत्येश्वर ! न कोपस्य वशमागन्तुमर्हसि । ममोपदेशजनितं नायं वदति ते सुतः
Lord of the Daityas, you should not give in to anger; your son does not speak what I have taught him.
अनुशास्तोसि केनेदृगु वत्स ! प्रह्लाद कथ्यताम् । ममोपदिष्ट नेत्येष प्रब्रवीति गुरुस्तव
By whom and how have you been instructed, child? Tell me, Prahlada. This is not what I have taught—so says your teacher.
शास्ता विष्णुरशेषस्य जगतो यो ह्टदि स्थितः । तमृते परमात्मानं तात ! कः केन शास्यते
Vishnu, who abides in the heart, is the ruler of the entire world; apart from that Supreme Self, dear father, who can instruct whom?
कोऽय विष्णुः सुदुर्बुद्ध ! यं ब्रवीषि पुनः पुनः । जगतामीश्वरस्येह पुरतः प्रसभं मम
Who is this Vishnu, you fool, whom you keep mentioning again and again, right here before me, the lord of the worlds?
न शह्दगोचरे यस्य योगिध्येयं परं पदम् । यतो यश्व स्वयं विश्वं स विष्णुः परमेश्वरः
He whose supreme state is not within the reach of words, who is meditated upon by yogis—he, from whom the universe arises, is Vishnu, the Supreme Lord.
परमेश्वरसंज्ञोऽज्ञ ! किमन्यो मययवस्थिते । तवास्ति मर्त्तुकामस्त्व प्रब्रवीषि पुनः पुनः
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.
न केवलं तात ! मम प्रजानां स ब्रह्मभूतो भवतश्व विष्णुः । धाता विधाता परमेश्वरश्च प्रसीद कोपं कुरुषे किमर्थम
Not only mine, father, but of all beings, that Vishnu is the source and creator, the Supreme Lord. Be gracious—why do you show anger?
प्रविचष्टः कोऽस्य ह्टदये दुर्बुद्धेरतिपापकृत् । येनेदृशान्यसाधूनि वदत्याविष्टमानसः
Who has corrupted the heart of this wicked, evil-minded one, so that, possessed in mind, he speaks such unrighteous words?
न केवलं मदूह्टदयं स विष्णु--राक्रम्य लोकान् सकलानवस्थितः । स मां त्वदादींश्च पितः ! समस्तान् समस्तचेष्टासु युनक्ति सर्वगः
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.
निष्काम्यतामयं दुष्टः शास्यताञ्च गुरोगृ हे । योजितो दुर्म्मतिः केन विपक्षवितथस्तुतौ
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?
इत्युक्तोऽसौ तदा दैत्यैर्नीतो गुरुगृहं पुनः । जग्राह विद्यामनिशं गुरुशुश्वू षणोद्यतः
Thus addressed, he was then taken by the Daityas again to the teacher's house, where he diligently learned knowledge day and night, eager to listen.
कालेऽतीते च महति प्रह्लादमसुरेश्वरः । समाहूयाब्रवीत् पुत्र ! गाध काचित् प्रगीयताम्
When a long time had passed, the lord of the Asuras summoned Prahlada and said, 'My son, recite some verse you have learned.'
यतः प्रधानपुरुषौ यतश्चैतज्वराचरम् । कारणां सकलस्यास्य स नो विष्णुः प्रसीदतु
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.
दुरात्मा वध्यतामेष ननिनार्थोऽस्ति जीवता । खपक्षहानिकर्त्तृ त्वाद यः कुलाङ्गारतां गतः
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.
इत्याज्ञप्तास्ततस्तेन प्रगृहीतमहायुधाः । उद्यतास्तस्य नाशाय दैत्याः शतसहस्त्रशः
Thus commanded by him, the Daityas, armed with mighty weapons, rose up in countless thousands to destroy him.
विष्णूः शस्त्रेषु युष्माकं मयि चासौ यथा स्थितः । दैतेयास्तेन सत्येन मा क्रामन्त्वायुधानि मे
Vishnu said: 'As I stand among your weapons and among you, O Daityas, by this truth, let your weapons not touch me.'
ततस्तैः शतशो धैत्यैः सस्त्रौघैराहतोऽपि सन् । नावाप वेदनामल्पामभूज्व वै पुनर्नवः
Then, though struck by the Daityas with torrents of weapons by the hundreds, he felt not even the slightest pain and became renewed again.
दुर्बुद्ध ! विनिवर्त्तस्व वैरिपक्षस्तवादतः । अभयं ते प्रयच्छामि मातिमूढ़मतिर्भव
O fool, turn back from the enemy's side; I grant you fearlessness—be wise, do not persist in your deluded mind.
भयं भयानामपहारिणि स्थिते मनस्यनन्ते मम कुत्र तिष्ठति । यस्मिन् स्मते जन्मजरान्तकादिभयानि सर्व्वाणयपयान्ति तात
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.
भोभोः सर्पा ! दुराचारमेनमत्यन्तदुर्मतिम् । विषज्वालाकुलैर्व्वक्तूः सद्यो नयत संक्षयम्
O serpents! This wicked one, of utterly evil mind, acts wrongly—immediately destroy him with your venomous flames.
इत्युक्तास्तेन ते सर्पाः कुहकास्तक्षकान्धकाः । अदशन्त समस्तेषु गात्रेष्वतिविषोल्वणाः
Thus commanded by him, the serpents—Kuhaka, Takshaka, and Andhaka—bit him all over with exceedingly potent venom.
स त्वासक्तमतिः कृष्णो दश्यमानो महोरगैः । न विवेदात्मनो गात्रं तत्स्मृत्याह्लादसंस्थितः
Yet Krishna, his mind absorbed, though bitten by the great serpents, did not perceive his own body, remaining in the joy of remembrance.
दंष्ट्रा विशीर्णा मणयः स्फुटन्ति फणेषु तापो हृदयेषु कम्पः । नास्य त्वचः स्वल्पमपीह भिन्न प्रशाधि दैत्येश्वर कार्य्यमन्यत्
Their fangs shattered, gems cracked upon their hoods, heat in their hearts, trembling—yet not even a little of his skin was broken; O lord of the Daityas, seek another means.
हे दिग्गजाः ! सङ्कटदन्तमिशाव ! ध्नतैनमस्मद्रिपुपक्षभिन्नम् । तज्जा विनाशाय भवन्ति तस्य यथारणोः प्रज्वलितो हुताशाः
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.