Shloka 39

प्रह्लादस्य विष्णुमयता, विष्णोः दर्शनं, वरदानं, तथा चरितश्रवण-फलम्

Devanagari script

प्रह्लादं सकलापत्सु यथा रक्षितवान् हरिः तथा रक्षति यस् तस्य शृणोति चरितं सदा

Transliteration

prahlādaṃ sakalāpatsu yathā rakṣitavān hariḥ tathā rakṣati yas tasya śṛṇoti caritaṃ sadā

Translation

Just as Hari preserved Prahlāda through every calamity, so too does He protect the one who continually listens to his sacred deeds.

Word by Word

• प्रह्लादम्: Prahlāda
• प्रह्लादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रह्लाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सकलापत्सु: in all calamities
• सकलापत्सु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक) + आपद्/आपत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रयोगार्थः (सकला आपदः = all calamities)

• यथा: as/just as
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (comparative manner)

• रक्षितवान्: protected (has protected)
• रक्षितवान्: Karta (Agent as participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रक्ष् (धातु) + क्तवत् (भूतपूर्व कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त (perfect participle active)

• हरिः: Hari (Vishnu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तथा: so/likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तुल्य-प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (correlative: so/likewise)

• रक्षति: protects
• रक्षति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• शृणोति: he hears
• शृणोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• चरितम्: the story/deeds
• चरितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √चर् + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Hari protects the continual listener of Prahlāda’s deeds just as He protected Prahlāda through every calamity.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: When facing adversity, return to regular kathā-śravaṇa and cultivate reliance on the Lord rather than anxiety-driven reactions.

Vishishtadvaita: Personal divine grace (rakṣaṇa) responds to ongoing devotional engagement; the jīva remains dependent (śeṣa) on the Lord’s guardianship.

Prahlada Narrative

Phase: Divine-protection

Bhakti Quality: Unbroken śaraṇāgati: trusting Hari’s protection in all āpats.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu (Hari)
• Prahlada

FAQs

What is the significance of Prahlāda’s protection in the Vishnu Purana?

Prahlāda becomes the archetype of unwavering devotion, showing that Hari’s sovereignty is not only cosmic but intimate—He actively preserves the devotee through every संकट (āpada).

How does Sage Parāśara explain the benefit of hearing (śravaṇa) in this verse?

Parāśara frames continual listening to Hari’s deeds as a direct cause of divine protection: the listener is guarded in the same manner that Prahlāda was guarded.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu (Hari) here?

Hari is presented as the supreme refuge and protector whose grace operates through devotion—especially through śravaṇa—affirming Vishnu’s role as the sustaining Supreme Reality.