Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Victory through Bhakti, Shloka 67
Prahlada’s Defeat in Battle and Victory through Bhakti (Nara-Narayana Episode)
पुलस्त्य उवाच इत्युक्तो लोकनाथेन प्रह्लादो देवमब्रवीत् कथं राज्यं समादास्ये परित्यक्तं जगद्गुरो
pulastya uvāca ityukto lokanāthena prahlādo devamabravīt kathaṃ rājyaṃ samādāsye parityaktaṃ jagadguro
पुलस्त्य बोले: लोकनाथ (विष्णु) द्वारा ऐसा कहे जाने पर प्रह्लाद ने भगवान से कहा - 'हे जगद्गुरु! मेरे द्वारा त्यागे गए राज्य को मैं पुनः कैसे ग्रहण करूँ?'
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FAQs
Prahlada’s question stages a classic dharmic tension: personal renunciation versus responsibility. The verse frames true righteousness as not merely abandoning power, but discerning whether duty—especially for the welfare of subjects—requires re-engagement under divine command.
Vamśānucarita/Carita: it advances the character-arc of Prahlada (a paradigmatic devotee-king) and preserves the Purana’s layered narration (Pulastya reporting a prior dialogue).
Prahlada’s reluctance to reclaim rule symbolizes purified kingship: sovereignty is not seized for enjoyment but accepted, if at all, as service. Addressing the deity as ‘jagad-guru’ emphasizes that political authority is subordinate to transcendent moral authority.