श्रीपराशर उवाच । इति श्रुत्वा स दैत्येन्द्र ः! प्रासादशिखरे स्थितः । क्रोधान्धकारितमुखः प्राह दैतेयकिंकरान्
Śrī Parāśara said: Hearing this, the lord of the demons, standing atop the palace, his face darkened by anger, spoke to the demon attendants.
हिरण्यकशिपुरुपाच । दुरात्मा क्षिप्यतामस्मात्प्रासादाच्छतयोजनात् । गिरिपृष्ठे पतत्वस्मिन् शिलाभिन्नाङ्गसंहतिः
Hiraṇyakaśipu said: Cast this wicked child from the palace, a hundred yojanas away; let him fall upon the mountain's summit, his body shattered by the rocks.
ततस्तं चिक्षुपुः सर्वे बालं दैतेयदानवाः । पपात सोप्यधः क्षिप्तो हृदयेनोद्वहह्नरिम्
Then all the Daitya and Dānava demons hurled the boy; thrown down, he fell, carrying Hari in his heart.
पतमानं जगद्धात्री जगद्धातरि केशवे । भक्तियुक्तं दधारैनमुपसंगम्य मेदिनी
As he was falling, the earth, devoted to Keśava, the sustainer of the world, approached and received him, filled with devotion.
ततो विलोक्य तं स्वस्थमविशिर्णास्थिपञ्जरम् । हिरण्यकशिपुः प्राह शम्बरं मायिनां वरम्
Seeing him unharmed, his bones unbroken, Hiraṇyakaśipu spoke to Śambara, the foremost among magicians.
हिरण्यकशिपुरुपाच । नास्माभिः शक्यते हन्तुमसौ दुर्बुद्धिबालकः । मायां वेत्ति भवांस्तस्मान्माययैनं निषूदय
Hiraṇyakaśipu said: We are unable to kill this wicked-minded boy; you know magic, so destroy him by your magic.
शम्बर उवाच। सूदयाम्येव दैत्येन्द्र पश्य मायाबलं मम । सहस्रमत्र मायानां पश्य कोटिशतं तथा
Śambara said: I will indeed destroy him, O lord of the demons; witness the power of my magic—here are a thousand spells, and even a hundred million more.
श्रीपराशर उवाच । ततः स ससृजे मायां प्रह्लादे शम्बरोऽसुरः । विनाशमिच्छन्दुर्बुद्धिः सर्वत्र समदर्शिनि
Śrī Parāśara said: Then Śambara, the demon, created magic against Prahlāda, desiring his destruction, though Prahlāda saw all with equal vision.
समाहितमतिर्भूत्वा शम्बरेपि विमत्सरः । मैत्रेय सोपि प्रह्लादः सस्मार मधुसूदनम्
With his mind composed, free from envy even toward Śambara, Prahlāda, O Maitreya, remembered Madhusūdana.
श्रीपराशर उवाच। ततो भगवता तस्य रक्षार्थं चक्रमुत्तमम् । आजगाम समाज्ञप्तं ज्वालामालि सुदर्शनम्
Śrī Parāśara said: Then, for his protection, the supreme disc, Sudarśana, encircled with flames, arrived, summoned by the Lord.
तेन मायासहस्रं तच्छम्बरस्याशुगामिना । बालस्य रक्षता देहमेकैकं चारिशोधितम्
With that swift-moving disc, protecting the boy's body, each of Śambara's thousand spells was destroyed.
संशोषकं तथा वायुं दैत्येन्द्र स्त्विदमब्रवीत् । शीघ्रमेष ममादेशाद्दुरात्मा नीयतां क्षयम्
Then, the demon lord spoke: Let the drying wind quickly, by my command, bring this wicked one to destruction.
तथेत्युक्त्वा तु सोप्येनं विवेश पवनो लघु । शीतोतिरूक्षः शोषाय तद्देहस्यातिदुः सहः
Agreeing, the wind entered him, harsh and cold, to dry out his body, causing extreme suffering.
तेनाविष्टमथात्मानं स बुद्ध्वा दैत्यबालकः । हृदयेन महात्मानं दधार धरणीधरम्
Realizing that he had been possessed by the wind, the demon boy held the great Lord, the sustainer of the earth, in his heart.
हृदयस्थस्ततस्तस्य तं वायुमतिभीषणम् । पपौ जनार्दनः क्रुद्धः स ययौ पवनः क्षयम्
Then, with Janārdana dwelling in his heart, Prahlāda drank in that terrifying wind; enraged, Janārdana brought the wind to destruction.
क्षीणासुत सर्वमायासु पवने च क्षयं गते । जगाम सोपि भवनं गुरोरेव महामतिः
With all the magic exhausted and the wind destroyed, the wise boy returned to his teacher's house.
अहन्यहन्यथापाचार्यो नीतिं राज्यफलप्रदाम् । ग्राहयामास तं बालं राज्ञामुसनसा कृताम्
Day by day, the teacher instructed that child in the policy which yields the fruits of kingship, composed by Usanas for rulers.
गृहीतनीतिशास्त्रं तं विनीतं च यदा गुरुः । मेने तदैनं तत्पित्रे कथयामास शिक्षितम्
When the teacher considered that the boy had learned the treatise on policy and was disciplined, he reported his training to the boy’s father.
आचार्य उवाच। गृहीतनीतिशास्त्रस्ते पुत्रो दैत्यपते कृतः । प्रह्लादस्तत्त्वतो वेत्ति भार्गवेण यदीरितम्
The teacher said: Your son, O lord of the Daityas, has mastered the treatise on policy; Prahlada understands in essence what was taught by Bhargava.
हिरण्यकशिपुरुवाच । मित्रेषु वर्तेत कथमरिवर्गेषु भूपतिः । प्रह्लाद त्रिषु लोकेषु मध्यस्थेषु कथं चरेत्
Hiranyakashipu said: How should a king behave among friends and among enemies? Prahlada, how should one act among those neutral in the three worlds?
कथं मंत्रिष्वमात्येषु बाह्येष्वाभ्यंतरेषु च । चारेषु पौरवर्गेषु शङ्कितेष्वितरेषु च
How should one act with ministers, counselors, outsiders, insiders, spies, citizens, and those who are suspicious or otherwise?
कृत्याकृत्यविधानञ्च दुर्गाटविकसाधनम् । प्रह्लाद कथ्यतां सम्यक् तथा कण्टकशोधनम्
Tell me, Prahlada, the proper regulation of what should and should not be done, the securing of forts and forests, and likewise the removal of thorns.
एतच्चान्यच्च सकलमधीतं भवता यथा । तथा मे कथ्यतां ज्ञातुं तवेच्छामि मनोगतम्
And whatever else you have studied in full, tell me all of it as it is; I wish to know what is in your mind.
श्रीपराशर उवाच । प्रणिपत्य पितुः पादौ तदा प्रश्रयभूषणः । प्रह्लादः प्राह दैत्येन्द्रं कृतांजलिपुटस्तथा
Sri Parashara said: Then Prahlada, adorned with humility, bowed at his father’s feet and, with hands joined, addressed the lord of the Daityas.
प्रह्लाद उवाच । ममो पदिष्टं सकलं गुरुणा नात्र संशयः । गृहीतन्तु मया किन्तु न सदेतन्मतम्मम
Prahlada said: All that was instructed to me by the teacher, I have learned without doubt; but though I have grasped it, it is not truly my opinion.
साम चोपप्रदानं च भेददण्डौ तथापरौ । उपायाः कथिताः सर्वे मित्रादिनां च साधने
Conciliation, giving, division, and punishment—these means have all been taught for the accomplishment of friends and others.
तानेवाहं न पश्यामि मित्रादींस्तात मा क्रुधः । साध्याभावे महाबाहो साधनैः किं प्रयोजनम्
But, father, I do not see those friends and others; do not be angry. When there is nothing to be accomplished, what purpose do the means serve, O mighty-armed?
सर्वभूतात्मके तात जगन्नाथे जगन्मये । परमात्मनि गोविन्दे मित्रामित्रकथा कुतः
Father, in the soul of all beings, in the lord of the universe, in the universe itself, in the supreme soul Govinda—how can there be talk of friend and enemy?
त्वय्यस्ति भगवातन् विष्णुर्मयि चान्यत्र चास्ति सः । यतस्ततोयं मित्रं मे शत्रुश्चेति पृथक्कुतः
That Lord Vishnu is present in you, in me, and elsewhere; therefore, how can one be my friend and another my enemy, and how can there be distinction?
तदेभिरलमत्यर्थं दुष्टारम्भोक्तिविस्तरैः । अविद्यान्तर्गतैर्यत्नः कर्त्तव्यस्तात शोभने
Therefore, enough of these excessive and elaborate discussions about hostile undertakings, father; effort should be made, O noble one, only within ignorance.