Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 48
Nārāyaṇa’s Impartiality, Absorption in Kṛṣṇa, and the Jaya–Vijaya Descent
Prelude to Prahlāda’s History
श्रीयुधिष्ठिर उवाच विद्वेषो दयिते पुत्रे कथमासीन्महात्मनि । ब्रूहि मे भगवन्येन प्रह्लादस्याच्युतात्मता ॥ ४८ ॥
śrī-yudhiṣṭhira uvāca vidveṣo dayite putre katham āsīn mahātmani brūhi me bhagavan yena prahlādasyācyutātmatā
Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira asked: O my lord Nārada Muni, how did such enmity arise in Hiraṇyakaśipu toward his beloved son, the great soul Prahlāda? And how did Prahlāda become so devoted to Acyuta, Lord Kṛṣṇa? Kindly explain this to me.
All the devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa are called acyutātmā because they follow in the footsteps of Prahlāda Mahārāja. Acyuta refers to the infallible Lord Viṣṇu, whose heart is always infallible. Because the devotees are attached to the Infallible, they are called acyutātmā.
FAQs
This verse records Yudhiṣṭhira’s inquiry into how intense enmity could arise even toward one’s own beloved son, setting up the explanation that devotion to Viṣṇu provoked the demon’s hostility.
Yudhiṣṭhira wants to understand the cause of Prahlāda’s unwavering God-centered consciousness—how his heart became fixed in Acyuta despite living amid extreme opposition.
The shloka highlights steadiness in devotion and values even when misunderstood; it encourages maintaining spiritual integrity without hatred, trusting the Lord while responding with patience and faith.