The Story of Prahlad and the Boon of Lord Vishnu
Long ago, in the kingdom of Hiranyakashipu, there was a mighty and cruel king named Hiranyakashipu.
He was a demon king who had performed intense penance to please Lord Brahma. After a long time, Lord Brahma appeared before him and granted him a powerful boon.
He asked for immortality, but Lord Brahma, being wise, told him that no living being could be granted eternal life.
Instead, Hiranyakashipu asked for a special boon: he could not be killed by a human or animal, neither inside nor outside his palace, neither during the day nor night, neither by any weapon nor by hand. He believed this would make him invincible and unstoppable.
Lord Brahma, impressed by Hiranyakashipu’s devotion and penance, granted him this boon. With this newfound power, Hiranyakashipu became arrogant and cruel.
He began to rule the world with an iron fist, tormenting both gods and humans. He even declared that he alone should be worshipped and forbade anyone from praying to Lord Vishnu, whom he hated deeply.
However, there was one person who remained faithful to Lord Vishnu: his own son, Prahlad. Prahlad was a kind-hearted and devoted child, who spent his days singing praises of Lord Vishnu.
Despite his father’s anger and strict orders, Prahlad continued to chant the name of Vishnu and refused to worship his father.
Hiranyakashipu, furious with his son’s devotion to Vishnu, tried to change Prahlad’s mind through punishment and threats.
He had Prahlad thrown into a pit of snakes, but the snakes did not harm him. He ordered his soldiers to burn him alive, but the flames did not touch him. He even tried to crush him with large boulders, but Prahlad was unharmed.
No matter what Hiranyakashipu did, Prahlad’s faith in Lord Vishnu only grew stronger. At one point, in a fit of rage, Hiranyakashipu shouted, “If Vishnu is everywhere, then tell me, where is he right now? Is he in this pillar?”
Prahlad, ever calm and devoted, replied, “Yes, Father, Vishnu is everywhere. He is in this pillar too.”
Hiranyakashipu, angered by his son’s words, struck the pillar with his mace.
To everyone’s shock, the pillar cracked open, and from within emerged Lord Vishnu in a new form—Narasimha, a half-man, half-lion creature.
This form of Lord Vishnu was neither man nor animal, neither day nor night, and no weapon could harm him.
Narasimha roared with fury, and in one swift movement, he caught the demon king Hiranyakashipu. He placed him on his lap, at the threshold of the palace, and tore apart his body with his claws.
It was neither the day nor night, and Hiranyakashipu was neither inside nor outside the palace. The lord had found the perfect way to fulfill the boon while destroying the cruel king.
With the death of Hiranyakashipu, peace was restored, and Prahlad became the ruler of the kingdom. He continued to worship Lord Vishnu, and his kingdom flourished with justice and compassion.
This story of Prahlad and his devotion to Lord Vishnu is a tale of unwavering faith, courage, and divine protection.
It teaches us that no matter how powerful or cruel a force may seem, faith in goodness and the divine will always prevail in the end.
Lord Vishnu’s form as Narasimha also reminds us that the divine can take any shape or form to restore balance in the universe.
