Shloka 47

प्रह्लादचरितम् (हिरण्यकशिपोः स्वर्गापहरणं, प्रह्लादस्य विष्णुभक्तिः, उपदेशः)

Devanagari script

तातैष वह्निः पवनेरितो ऽपि न मां दहत्य् अत्र समन्ततो ऽहम् पश्यामि पद्मास्तरणास्तृतानि शीतानि सर्वाणि दिशां मुखानि

Transliteration

tātaiṣa vahniḥ pavanerito 'pi na māṃ dahaty atra samantato 'ham paśyāmi padmāstaraṇāstṛtāni śītāni sarvāṇi diśāṃ mukhāni

Translation

Dear father, though this fire is fanned by the wind, it does not burn me. All around I behold the quarters grown cool, as if each direction were spread with beds of lotus.

Word by Word

• तात: O father!
• तात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (vocative)

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (pronoun)

• वह्निः: fire
• वह्निः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पवनेरितः: driven by the wind
• पवनेरितः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पवन (प्रातिपदिक) + ईरित (√ईर्/√इर् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त = ‘प्रेरित/impelled’

• अपि: even/though
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle) = ‘even/although’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दहति: burns
• दहति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• समन्ततः: on all sides
• समन्ततः: Adhikarana (Spatial extent/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण = ‘सर्वतः/on all sides’

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पश्यामि: see
• पश्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान/Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पद्मास्तरणास्तृतानि: covered with lotus-beddings
• पद्मास्तरणास्तृतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक) + आस्तरण (प्रातिपदिक) + स्तृत (√स्तृ धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त = ‘आस्तृत/covered’; ‘पद्म-आस्तरण’ = ‘lotus-bedding’

• शीतानि: cool
• शीतानि: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• दिशाम्: of the directions
• दिशाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• मुखानि: faces/quarters
• मुखानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

A devoted son addressing his father (as narrated by Sage Parāśara to Maitreya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: For one protected by Hari as indwelling ruler, external afflictions (even fire) lose their power, as grace transforms experience into peace.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: In adversity, steady japa/smaraṇa and surrender (prapatti) cultivate inner coolness rather than reactive fear.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s antaryāmitva is experiential—He governs the devotee’s body and circumstances while remaining the transcendent protector.

Prahlada Narrative

Phase: Divine-protection

Bhakti Quality: Untroubled remembrance of the Lord producing inner coolness and fearlessness

Persecution: Fire

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Fire (Agni)
• Wind (Vāyu)
• Lotuses (Padma)
• The directions (Diśas)

FAQs

What is the significance of fire not burning the devotee in this Vishnu Purana verse?

It signals that elemental forces act under higher sovereignty; when dharma and devotion are upheld, divine protection can render even fire harmless.

How does Sage Parāśara explain divine protection in the dynastic narratives?

Through royal and familial episodes where the righteous are preserved, Parāśara frames protection as the Lord’s governance of the cosmos—events in history mirror universal order.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when not named in the verse, the episode reflects Vaishnava theology: the Supreme Reality sustains and overrules natural law for the sake of bhakti and dharma.