Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 4
Nṛsiṁhadeva Appears from the Pillar and Slays Hiraṇyakaśipu
कोपावेशचलद्गात्र: पुत्रं हन्तुं मनो दधे । क्षिप्त्वा परुषया वाचा प्रह्रादमतदर्हणम् । आहेक्षमाण: पापेन तिरश्चीनेन चक्षुषा ॥ ३ ॥ प्रश्रयावनतं दान्तं बद्धाञ्जलिमवस्थितम् । सर्प: पदाहत इव श्वसन्प्रकृतिदारुण: ॥ ४ ॥
kopāveśa-calad-gātraḥ putraṁ hantuṁ mano dadhe kṣiptvā paruṣayā vācā prahrādam atad-arhaṇam
Als Hiraṇyakaśipu die gesamte Situation verstand, wurde er extrem wütend, so sehr, dass sein Körper zitterte. So beschloss er schließlich, seinen Sohn Prahlāda zu töten. Hiraṇyakaśipu war von Natur aus sehr grausam, und da er sich beleidigt fühlte, begann er zu zischen wie eine Schlange, auf die jemand getreten ist. Sein Sohn Prahlāda war friedlich, sanft und freundlich, seine Sinne waren unter Kontrolle, und er stand mit gefalteten Händen vor Hiraṇyakaśipu. Gemäß Prahlādas Alter und Verhalten hätte er nicht bestraft werden dürfen. Doch mit starren, bösen Augen tadelte Hiraṇyakaśipu ihn mit harschen Worten.
When one is impudent toward a highly authorized devotee, one is punished by the laws of nature. The duration of his life is diminished, and he loses the blessings of superior persons and the results of pious activities. Hiraṇyakaśipu, for example, had achieved such great power in the material world that he could subdue practically all the planetary systems in the universe, including the heavenly planets (Svargaloka). Yet now, because of his mistreatment of such a Vaiṣṇava as Prahlāda Mahārāja, all the results of his tapasya diminished. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.4.46) :
FAQs
Because Prahlāda’s unwavering devotion to Viṣṇu threatened Hiraṇyakaśipu’s ego and atheistic rule, provoking intense envy and rage.
It shows how envy and anger distort judgment—so much that a father can become cruel toward an innocent, saintly child, glaring like a serpent.
Like Prahlāda, remain steady and humble, not retaliating, and keep faith in the Lord’s protection despite hostile words or intimidation.