Shloka 25
प्रह्लादचरितम् (हिरण्यकशिपोः स्वर्गापहरणं, प्रह्लादस्य विष्णुभक्तिः, उपदेशः)
प्रविष्टः को ऽस्य हृदयं दुर्बुद्धेर् अतिपापकृत् येनेदृशान्य् असाधूनि वदत्य् आविष्टमानसः
praviṣṭaḥ ko 'sya hṛdayaṃ durbuddher atipāpakṛt yenedṛśāny asādhūni vadaty āviṣṭamānasaḥ
Who has entered the heart of this evil-minded, grievously sinful man, that—his mind as though possessed—he speaks such wicked and unworthy words?
A righteous interlocutor within the dynastic narrative (courtly/ethical rebuke); framed by Sage Parāśara narrating to Maitreya
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Prahlāda’s conduct and the asuras’ reaction to his Viṣṇu-bhakti.
Teaching: Devotional
Quality: revealing
Phase: Persecution
Bhakti Quality: Unshaken devotion despite hostile scrutiny; purity of speech and mind contrasted with demonic anger.
FAQs
This verse treats harmful, unrighteous speech as a symptom of inner adharma—so grave that it is described as if an external force has “entered the heart,” warning that moral collapse begins in the mind and words.
Through exemplary episodes in Ansha 4, Parāśara frames ethical failure as durbuddhi and pāpa manifesting outwardly—here, the immediate sign is corrupt speech, prompting rebuke and narrative correction.
Even when Vishnu is not named, the Purana’s dharma-logic is Vaishnava: righteousness and self-mastery align with the sustaining cosmic sovereignty of Vishnu, while adharma appears as inner disorder that must be checked.