Amazing Life Lesson: From Prahalad Maharaj and Narasingha Dev That Everyone Needs to Know

Lord Vishnu, who serves as the universe's protector, is tasked with preserving peace and preserving people's lives. To that aim, the Lord himself incarnates on Earth from time to time, annihilating evil, protecting mankind from cruelty, and establishing dharma, the ultimate righteousness. Narasimha, the Lord's fourth incarnation on Earth, is one such hallowed incarnation or Avatar. Narasimha is a one-of-a-kind figure with a human body and a lion head. This Avatar was thought to have been taken during the Krita (Satya) Yuga, or Golden Age.

Description of Lord Narasimha

Lord Narasimha is the lion-man avatar of Lord Vishnu, with a human torso and lower body underneath the lion's head. He is typically portrayed as having four to sixteen hands holding various weapons, such as a mace, discus, conch, axe, etc., with an angry expression on his face with bulging eyes. Always keep one hand in the Abhaya mudra, often known as the blessing position. As Lakshmi Narasimha, he is occasionally shown sitting serenely alongside his spouse, the Goddess Lakshmi.

 

Importance of Lord Narasimha

"Nara-Simha" is a Man-Lion since "Nara" is a Human and "Simha" is a Lion. Lord Vishnu was forced to assume this astoundingly bizarre appearance to defeat the strong demon Hiranyakashipu, who was well-protected by several boons, and free the earth and its inhabitants from his rule.

Sri Narasimha Dev Mantra - Ugram Viram Maha Vishnum with meaning

Mantra Meaning: I bow donw in front of the ferocious and brave form of Lord Narashimha, who is effulgent like fire, has his face everywhere, the most auspicious one and the death of death itself.

11 Important and Extraordinary Lessons of Prahalad Narasingha That Everyone Needs to Know

 

The mythology related to Narasimha is depicted graphically in the Bhagavata Purana. Hiranyakashipu was a powerful Asura (demon). He developed a deep aversion to Lord Vishnu, who had earlier killed his brother and put an end to his cruelties. Hiranyakashipu performed intense penance for Lord Brahma and received many exceptional boons from him, including the inability to be killed by the Devas (celestial beings), Asuras, humans, or animals; by any weapon; during the day or at night; on the ground or in space; and inside or outside any structure.

Hiranyakashipu unleashed a reign of terror on all of the worlds while wearing this armor that appeared to be indestructible and was nearly eternal. He deposed the Devas, killed countless sages, saints, and people, and ruthlessly punished anyone who claimed the names of Vishnu or Narayana. As a result, the chant "Om Hiranyaya Namaha" started to resonate throughout the entire world. People bowed to the Lord in search of his mercy and intervention since they were unable to fend off the demon's attacks. The all-knowing Vishnu began his great quest to exterminate the demon and save the righteous.

Hinranyakashipu was gifted with a son, Prahlada, who grew up to be Lord Vishnu's most fervent follower. While the world outside bowed to the Asura's diktats, this pious young prince practically lived and flourished, taking on taking Lord Vishnu's hallowed name and chanting his honor on the right in Hiranya's palace. Hiranya couldn't stand it when his kid openly defied him and revered his sworn enemy's name, and he tried everything he could to get the youngster to change his mind and fall in line. However, he was unsuccessful in his endeavors. He tried all he could to kill him, but nothing worked against that miraculously favored boy. Hiranya convinced that it is none other than his great opponent Vishnu who is agitating and protecting the small kid, asked his devotee son where the Lord is and, after being assured that he is anywhere and everywhere, shattered his mace at a pillar in the palace in anger.

What a surprise! The pillar burst open, revealing the astonishing figure of a man-lion with fire-emitting eyes. This incarnation grabbed the befuddled Hiranyakashipu's hands, pulled him to the palace gate, put him on his lap, tore his body with his sharp nails, and murdered the vicious demon at exactly 5:00 p.m. Thus, without violating any of the great boons he had obtained, this extraordinary Narasimha Avatar of Lord Vishnu halted a dreadful demon who appeared invincible and freed his devotee of the universe from his unbearable horrors.

 

Prahalad is highly regarded across the devotee community, and he is also one of the 12 Mahajans. There are no limits to the messages and lessons we may acquire from Lord Narasingha and His pure devotees like Prahalad. Let us look at 11 truly extraordinary messages from Prahalad Maharaj and Narasingha Dev that can help us become better devotees.

 

Lesson 1: When should you begin practicing spirituality?

 

According to Prahalad Maharaj, one who is sufficiently knowledgeable should employ the human form of body from the beginning of life — that is, from the early age of childhood — to do devotional service, abandoning all other undertakings. The human body is rarely attained, and while it is transient, like other bodies, it is valuable because it allows one to perform devotional service. Even a small quantity of genuine devotional service can result in complete perfection. - Srimad Bhagavatam 7.6.1

 

Scriptures and Prahalad Maharaj affirm that because human birth is so uncommon, an enlightened person should not waste even a second. Therefore, it is best to start devotional activities in early life. Along with their regular education, parents must urge their children to develop Krishna Consciousness. According to Srimad Bhagavatam, every parent must ensure that their offspring be freed from the never-ending cycle of birth and death. If not, one should avoid taking on the responsibility of having kids. Every pair needs to understand the actual art of parenting as a result.

Lesson 2: Simply said, living for immediate fulfillment is a waste of time

 

Every human has a potential lifespan of one hundred years, however, for someone unable to manage their senses, half of that time is utterly squandered because they sleep for twelve hours at night while being ignorant. Consequently, such a person only has a fifty-year lifespan.

One reaches ten years of age during the impressionable years of youth when everyone is confused. Similar to how one passes another ten years as a boy while playing and participating in sports. Twenty years are spent in this manner. Similar to this, spending another twenty years needlessly when one is elderly and disabled, unable to perform even basic tasks.

A person whose mind and senses are out of control grows more and more linked to family life as a result of ravenous lusty wants and powerful illusions. The remaining years in the life of such a lunatic are also lost because he is unable to do acts of devotion throughout those years. - Srimad Bhagavatam 7.6.6 – 8

 

According to Prahalad Maharaj, if we assume that a person has a maximum lifespan of 100 years, he or she wastes 50 years sleeping, 10 years growing up, 10 years as a kid, and 20 years as an elderly person. As a result, one effectively has just 10 years left [100 - (50 + 10 + 10 + 20) = 10]. However, if a man's mind and senses are not under control, he will quickly become attached to numerous objects of material value and waste the remaining 10 years as well.

It's interesting to note that these were said during the Satya Yuga, a period of purity. Thanks to modernizations and purported advancements, it is quite unlikely that we will live 100 years old shortly; young individuals in their 30s are already dying from cardiac problems. In addition, we are required to work for a minimum of 12 hours per day in the office, the average commute from our homes to offices takes us 2 hours, and let's not forget the numerous distractions like TV, endless channels, movies, YouTube, sports, news, newspapers, fictional books, mobile, internet, social media, and the list goes on.

Effective time management occurs when we can schedule our most important chores, such as regular sadhana while maintaining our current level of social obligation. Only when we carefully watch to ensure that we don't waste any time in our lives is it achievable. Before we entered Krishna Consciousness, we used to gather with friends in theatres, cafes, restaurants, or malls to pass the time after a demanding day at the office. This practice is referred to as "Time Pass." Fools created the phrase "Time Pass" because they are unaware that time is already running out and that we will run out of time in a matter of days or years.

 

Lesson 3: When a family is forced into servitude

 

As a result, the household is referred to as " gṛham andha-kūpam," or "the man has fallen into a dark well." It is quite challenging for such a man to escape unless he receives assistance from a powerful someone, such as a spiritual master, who provides the fallen person with a powerful rope of spiritual teachings. By using this rope, a fallen individual can be rescued from the dark well by the spiritual guide, also known as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. - Srimad Bhagavatam 7.6.11

 

According to Prahalad Maharaj, the important thing to understand is that nothing in this fleeting world—not even our bodies—belongs to us, let alone our family and relations. We shall be deceived by these corporeal conceptions and relations as long as we are in the present body. We shall all forget everything the instant we accept a new body and leave this one behind. Similar to how the majority of us have no memory of our former selves.

A devotee views his family as Krishna's property, with him acting as merely an upright caretaker. They aren't caught up in the delusion of "I and My," even though they feel compassion and empathy for others.

Prahalad Maharaj likens this material domestic life, in which the householder is deeply entangled, to a black well in one of the lines. The only option a householder has is to remove himself from such a severe entanglement, according to Srila Prabhupada.

 

Lesson 4: A Devote's position.

A devotee who is a dog-eater but has dedicated everything — mind, words, activities, wealth, and life — to the Supreme Lord is undoubtedly lower than a brāhmaṇa who possesses all twelve of the brahminical qualifications (as they are listed in the book Sanat-sujta) and is opposed to the Lord's lotus feet. This type of devotee is preferable to this type of brāhmaṇa because the devotee can purify his entire family, as opposed to the so-called brāhmaṇa in a position of false prestige who is unable to purify even himself. - Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.10

The rank of a Vaishnava, or a devotee of the Lord, is even greater than that of a caste brahmin who possesses all the attributes but is not a devotee, according to this verse.

 In Srimad Bhagavad Gita 6.47, Krishna further affirms the role of a devotee. Additionally, the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya states:

All of a person's merits as a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya or vaiśya are rendered meaningless if they are not a devotee of the Lord, regardless of whether they were born into a high family like that of a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya or vaiśya. Indeed, they are seen as ornaments for a corpse.  - Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.10

 True spiritual advancement transcends caste by birth. After gaining an understanding of the role of a devotee, every one of us must strive to follow the appropriate disciplic succession and become true devotees of the Lord without becoming bogged down in rituals like caste brahmans.

 

Lesson 5: The value of praying to the Lord

I can thus, without a doubt, offer petitions to the Lord with all my might, as far as my brain permits, even though I was born into a demoniac family. If someone prays to the Lord and hears the Lord's praises, they can be purified of the material life that drove them into the material world. - Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.12

 Every religion in the globe and throughout the cosmos advises people to pray for this reason. We can only uplift ourselves via earnest prayer.

 

Lesson 6: The aspiration of a sincere devotee

I have been associated with demons as a result of my actions, so I am extremely scared of my condition of life in this material world, O most strong, unconquerable Lord, who is kind to the fallen souls. When will the time come when You will summon me to the safety of Your lotus feet, which represent the pinnacle of freedom from a life of conditions? -  Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.16

Staying in the material world is completely futile and terrible, but it becomes even more difficult when one is involved in a relationship with asuras, or atheistic men. Eight out of ten people in today's world behave like terrorists or the Mafia of God Consciousness. An aspirant devotee needs to protect his passion and oneself from such people. Therefore, by adopting the right level of Krishna Consciousness and seeking refuge at the lotus feet of the Lord, everyone should be anxious to return to their true home—Godhead—their eternal residence.

My dear Lord, individuals typically desire to be promoted to higher planetary systems to experience longer lifespans, affluence, and enjoyment, but I have personally witnessed all of these things via the actions of my father. The demigods were instantly defeated by my father's angry sarcastic laughter at them; all they had to do was watch his eyebrows move to defeat him. However, You defeated my father, who was so strong, in a matter of seconds. My dear Lord, I now have comprehensive knowledge of the material comforts, longevity, and otherworldly opulence enjoyed by all living things, from Lord Brahmā to the ant. You destroy every one of them in one strong moment. I, therefore, do not wish to possess them due to my experience. Dear Lord, I beg You to connect me with one of Your devoted followers so that I may be of service to him. - Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.23 – 24

 

The worth of material riches, longevity, and power should be understood to be transient in this material world. Prahalad Maharaj consequently gave nothing in the earthly world any importance. Goats are busy nibbling green leaves, just like they would in a slaughterhouse, as they watch as one by one they are brought inside and killed. This stupid goat is so caught up in his happiness that he fails to see how each goat is disappearing one by one. He will also be drawn in very shortly. Goat syndrome is the name given to this condition. We observe as well that one by one, our grandparents, our relatives, and our parents are all departing this world and are unable to carry their material luxury but must instead leave it behind. We must avoid acting foolishly like the goat who is busy munching on leaves. Parents who are materialistic and deeply confused by illusion don't learn from the examples set by their forefathers; instead, they try to live a life of goats, working tirelessly to gather and acquire as much as they can. Encourage your children to do the same course when they are old and still naive. And this pattern is still present. On the other hand, a smart person who is a devotee constantly seeks out other devotees of the Lord and wants to assist them. When such a sophisticated class of people takes on motherhood, they transmit the same message to their child, who in turn transmits the same culture, and the cycle continues.

 

Lesson 7: Devotee Association: Its Importance.

O my Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, I shall become fully free from the affiliation of the three modes of material nature and be able to chant the glories of Your Lordship, who are so dear to me, by engaging in Your transcendental loving service in the association of devotees who are liberated souls [haṁsas]. In precise resemblance to Lord Brahmā and his disciplic succession, I will hymn Your glories. I will certainly be able to cross the ocean of ignorance in this way. - Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.18

 

Here is the mood of a devoted enthusiast. A devotee is always looking for a group of other devotees where he can sing and listen to songs that exalt the Lord. The only way to escape the physical world is through this relationship. Reciting the Supreme Lord's name and miracles gives a devotee unquestionably independence from material encumbrance. Reciting the authentic hymns that one has learned from a legitimate sampradaya is advised.

 

Lesson 8: What should you not ask the Lord?

 

Although Prahalad Maharaj was only a boy, the saint Narad Muni said, "When he heard the benedictions bestowed by Lord Nsihadeva, he deemed them obstacles on the path of devotional service." He then grinned very subtly and said the following. My darling Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, I am naturally attached to material enjoyment because I was born into an atheistic family, Prahalad Maharaj stated. So please don't seduce me with these deceptions. I want to live free from a materialistic lifestyle since I am extremely terrified of material situations. I have sought refuge at Your lotus feet because of this. - Srimad Bhagavatam 7.10.1 - 2

 

One of the most significant lessons Prahalad Maharaj can teach us is this. He makes it quite clear in this passage that the goal of devotional service is not to advance one's material circumstances. The only purpose is achieving adoration of the Godhead. As a result, there are many examples in our illustrious Vedic past of great kings who were also great devotees, accepting their luxurious lifestyles in the service of the Lord rather than for their enjoyment. Whatever such a devotee has, he uses entirely in the service of the Lord, unlike a materialist. When one is seduced by material wealth, they are perceived as gifts from Maya, but when they are used only for acts of devotion, they are seen as God's blessings.

A connection to the body and a view of everything in terms of the body is implied by a materialistic lifestyle. According to the Bhagavad-Gita, those who are attached to financial success frequently worship goddesses like Durga and Lord Siva. But worshippers like Prahalad, who have no use for earthly wealth, seek refuge at Lord Nishadeva's lotus feet rather than any other deity's feet.

 

Lesson 9: What should I ask the Lord?

 

I ask from Your Lordship that there be no material wants in the depths of my heart, O my Lord, best of the benediction-givers, if You at all wish to bestow a desirable benediction upon me. O my Lord, the functions of one's senses, mind, life, body, religion, patience, wisdom, shyness, opulence, strength, memory, and truthfulness are destroyed because of lustful impulses from the moment of birth. O my Lord, a person only qualifies to have wealth and opulence like Yours when he can let go of all material wants in his thoughts. - Srimad Bhagavatam 7.10.1 - 2

 

The mindset of a follower is this. In the purport, Srila Prabhupada referred to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's teachings, in which Mahaprabhu rejects fame, admiration, a beautiful wife, and all other types of materialistic aspirations in favor of a causeless desire for Krishna's devoted service throughout His life, birth after birth.

 

Lesson 10: How can you survive in this world of things?

 

The fact that you are in the physical world is irrelevant. I am the Supersoul that resides at the center of everyone's heart, thus you should constantly, continually, receive the directions and messages that I offer you. So abandon productive endeavors and worship Me instead. My beloved Prahalad, by experiencing happiness, you will use up all the effects of pious activity while you are in this world, and by behaving religiously, you will counteract impious activity. Due to the strong influence of time, you will pass away, but the accomplishments of your life will be celebrated in the higher planetary systems, and once you are completely freed from all bonds, you will return to Godhead, where you belong. - Srimad Bhagavatam 7.10.12 – 13

 

We must realize that Karma-Kanda is intended for the lower social classes of society. Scriptures and acharyas both state that persons who get caught up in the Karma Kanda and the Gyana Kanda are wasting their lives. Therefore, as the Lord implied, a devotee merely seeks to carry out devotional service for the Lord's pleasure. A devotee must make an effort to put aside their worldly interests to concentrate on and serve the Lord. He attains every affluence imaginable by doing so flawlessly. The presence of material affluence in a devotee's life typically causes materialistic individuals to feel a little envy. People seem to believe that the temple and its followers should be devoid of material richness; otherwise, "they are engaging in business in the name of devotion." However, as Srila Prabhupada points out in the text, we must recognize that when we witness material wealth in the life of a devotee, we must not assume that they are using it for their sense of enjoyment; rather, we must comprehend that they are using it in the service of the Lord. As Narasingha Dev advises, we must comprehend that the pleasant times in our lives are merely a reflection of our prior devout deeds, just as the sad times reflect the proportion of our prior impious deeds. We must be free from all pious and impious reactions if we are to depart from this world and return to the Spiritual World. Since of this, a devotee is balanced between enjoyment and sorrow because he is aware that both approaches will lessen the weight of his reactions. He also takes care to avoid having any similar impious reactions. It is possible to lessen karmic reactions (both pious and impious) in one's life through the process of Krishna Consciousness in combination with the observance of the four laws and consistent sadhana.

 

 

Lesson 11: The significance of a devotee in human society.

My dear Prahalad, O most pure, O magnificent saintly person, your father has been purified, along with twenty-one predecessors in your lineage, the Supreme Personality of Godhead declared. This family has been purified as a result of the fact that you were born into it. That area and the dynasties there, even if they are condemned, are purified whenever and wherever there are tranquil, balanced devotees who are well-behaved and ornamented with all good attributes. - Srimad Bhagavatam 7.10.18 – 19

Whose contribution to society are the devotees making, this is a question that many people ask. Therefore, we find answers to a lot of these issues and questions when we view the world through the lens of the scriptures. We must comprehend a critical aspect of Lord Narasingha's blessing.

The Lord names twenty-one ancestors, which suggests that the benediction extends to more families. One must have been born into different families before the one in which they are currently living. Therefore, by the favor of the Lord, a Vaiava who is born into a family purifies not only that family but also the families of his prior births.

Additionally, we can take away from Lord Narasingha's comments about how wonderful it is to be a devotee. The most intelligent person in all of humanity is the one who adopts Krishna Consciousness.

Prahalad, you are quite fortunate. Please understand that I am the only one who can grant everyone's wishes, thus people who are wise and highly exalted endeavor to please Me in all manners of mellows. - Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.54

 

The following is a summary of Prahlad Maharaj and Narasingha Dev's 11 key teachings:

1. Spirituality must be practiced from a very young age.

2. One should not sacrifice the ultimate purpose of life for momentary pleasure.

3. Nothing in this world—not even our loved ones—is ours. We merely serve as their stewards; they are Krishna's property. We will fulfill our obligations to them while avoiding becoming involved.

 4. A caste brahmana who is involved in rituals and karma kanda is far lower than a Vaishnava or a devotee.

5. One's material life can be made pure via sincere petitions to the Lord.

6. A Vaishnava or devotee has no desire for financial wealth.

7. Join the worshippers and recite the praises of the Lord as handed down via legitimate disciplic succession.

8. Receiving material blessings hinders devotional service.

9. A devotee only wants the chance to serve the Lord every single birth.

10. Live extremely skillfully in this world and use financial affluence for the glory of God.

11. A soul only has very little possibility of becoming a devotee, and a devotee purifies existence.

Therefore, everyone must engage in earnest and enthusiastic devotional service to the Supreme Personality of the Godhead.