Shloka 24

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

Devanagari script

त्वयि भक्तिमतो द्वेषाद् अघं तत्संभवं च यत् त्वत्प्रसादात् प्रभो सद्यस् तेन मुच्येत मे पिता

Transliteration

tvayi bhaktimato dveṣād aghaṃ tatsaṃbhavaṃ ca yat tvatprasādāt prabho sadyas tena mucyeta me pitā

Translation

Qualquer pecado incorrido devido ao ódio contra o Teu devoto, juntamente com todas as consequências dele nascidas, que pela Tua graça, ó Senhor, meu pai seja libertado disso imediatamente.

Word by Word

त्वयिtowards/in you

भक्तिमतःof (me) who is devoted

द्वेषात्from hatred/because of hatred

अघम्sin/evil

तत्संभवम्arising from that

चand

यत्which/that which

त्वत्प्रसादात्from your grace

प्रभोO Lord

सद्यःimmediately

तेनby that/thereby

मुच्येतmay be freed

मेmy

पिताfather

Speaker

A devotee addressing Lord Vishnu (as Prabhu), within Parasara’s narration to Maitreya

Avatara Context

Avatara: Narasimha

Purpose: To demonstrate that the Lord’s grace can liberate even the gravely fallen when a pure devotee intercedes, while still upholding justice.

Leela: Moksha-dana

Dharma Restored: Supremacy of bhakti and the power of divine grace to remove sin and its consequences.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Hatred toward Bhagavān’s bhakta generates grave sin, yet the Lord’s prasāda—invoked by a pure devotee—can dissolve both sin and its karmic consequences.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Cultivate respect for devotees, avoid contempt, and when harmed, practice compassionate prayer rather than vengeance.

Vishishtadvaita: Mokṣa and purification occur by the Lord’s grace (prasāda) responding to bhakti, not by mere self-effort; the jīva remains a dependent subject of divine mercy.

Prahlada Narrative

Phase: Triumph

Bhakti Quality: Dayā (compassion) and kṣamā (forgiveness) expressed as intercessory prayer.

Narasimha: Prahlāda petitions Narasiṃha to free his father from sin incurred through hatred of the Lord’s devotee, emphasizing the devotee’s compassion.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

Vishnu

Vishnu’s devotee

Father (of the speaker)

FAQs

What is the significance of offending a devotee in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse treats hatred toward a Vishnu-bhakta as a serious moral fault whose consequences can be removed only by turning to Vishnu’s grace.

How does Sage Parasara explain liberation from sin in this context?

Through the narrative voice, the Purana emphasizes that karmic demerit and its results may be cut off ‘at once’ when Vishnu, the Supreme Lord, bestows prasada upon the supplicant.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is invoked as Prabhu—the sovereign over karma—whose grace can override the chain of sin and its fruits, underscoring bhakti-centered salvation.