Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 6
Prahlāda Rejects Demonic Diplomacy and Proclaims Navadhā Bhakti
श्रीनारद उवाच श्रुत्वा पुत्रगिरो दैत्य: परपक्षसमाहिता: । जहास बुद्धिर्बालानां भिद्यते परबुद्धिभि: ॥ ६ ॥
śrī-nārada uvāca śrutvā putra-giro daityaḥ para-pakṣa-samāhitāḥ jahāsa buddhir bālānāṁ bhidyate para-buddhibhiḥ
圣那罗陀说：恶魔之王希兰尼亚卡希普听到普拉赫拉达谈论奉爱（bhakti）自证之道，仿佛站在其父之敌的一方，便大笑道：“孩童的智慧，常被敌对之言所败坏。”
Hiraṇyakaśipu, being a demon, would always consider Lord Viṣṇu and His devotees to be his enemies. Therefore the word para-pakṣa (“on the side of the enemy”) is used here. Hiraṇyakaśipu never agreed with the words of Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa. Rather, he was angered by the intelligence of a Vaiṣṇava. Lord Viṣṇu, Lord Kṛṣṇa, says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja — “Give up all other duties and surrender unto Me” — but demons like Hiraṇyakaśipu never agree to do this. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says:
FAQs
This verse shows that an asura like Hiraṇyakaśipu mocks devotion when he hears Prahlāda’s Viṣṇu-centered words, dismissing them as something a child can be talked out of by clever counter-arguments.
Prahlāda’s speech favored the ‘opposing side’—devotion to Viṣṇu—so Hiraṇyakaśipu derided it, assuming it was childish and could be overturned by persuasive reasoning and indoctrination.
Stay steady in bhakti and scriptural understanding, because faith can be shaken by social pressure and arguments; seek sādhus, śāstra, and consistent practice to keep intelligence anchored.