“Shanda and Amarka, the priests of the demons, were eager to know from Prahlada Maharaja who the Vaishnavas were that came to instruct him in Krishna consciousness. Their purpose was to discover the names of these Vaishnavas. In the beginning they did not threaten the boy because when threatened he might not identify the real culprits.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.8 Purport)

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It was an innocent enough question. Prahlada was young, after all. Just starting school, the father inquired as to the interests of the boy. What subjects grabbed his attention? What did Prahlada consider to be the most valuable knowledge?

In his reply, the boy was thoroughly honest. Too innocent to try to intentionally arouse the hostilities in the father, Prahlada revealed what he considered to be the most important. His words were based on the science of self-realization. The son was…

“Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s special mission is the deliverance of all fallen souls in Kali-yuga. Devotees of Krishna must persistently seek the favor and mercy of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to become fit to return home, back to Godhead.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya 14.16 Purport)

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Kali-yuga is like an ocean of faults. No one has a complete understanding of just how deep the difficulties stretch. There is one problem after another, with forces impeding genuine progress on all sides. The material world itself is like a vast ocean of suffering that is difficult to cross, and in the age of quarrel and hypocrisy the degree of difficulty increases significantly.

Thankfully, someone special once arrived on a full moon night in the month of Phalguna. Soon to be known as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, He induced others to chant the holy names right from the beginning. Penetrating…

“In one who has unflinching devotional faith in Krishna, all the good qualities of Krishna and the demigods are consistently manifest.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 5.18.12)

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यस्यास्ति भक्तिर् भगवत्य् अकिञ्चना
सर्वैर् गुणैस् तत्र समासते सुराः
हराव् अभक्तस्य कुतो महद्-गुणा
मनोरथेनासति धावतो बहिः

yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā
sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ
harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā
manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ

How could such a bad person rise to power? It is said in Shrimad Bhagavatam that a person who has unflinching faith in the Supreme Lord, the personal God, automatically acquires the qualities of the demigods. Typically, the requirement is to first behave in the mode of goodness, sattva-guna. Something like the, “If you’re good you go to heaven,” model, there are delineated acts of charity, sacrifice, and austerity that accumulate pious credits, like in a bank account, to be redeemed at a later date.

Hiranyakashipu…

“Narada Muni continued: When Prahlada Maharaja spoke about the path of self-realization in devotional service, thus being faithful to the camp of his father’s enemies, Hiranyakashipu, the King of the demons, heard Prahlada’s words and he laughingly said, ‘Thus is the intelligence of children spoiled by the words of the enemy.’” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.6)

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श्री-नारद उवाच
श्रुत्वा पुत्र-गिरो दैत्यः
पर-पक्ष-समाहिताः
जहास बुद्धिर् बालानां
भिद्यते पर-बुद्धिभिः

śrī-nārada uvāca
śrutvā putra-giro daityaḥ
para-pakṣa-samāhitāḥ
jahāsa buddhir bālānāṁ
bhidyate para-buddhibhiḥ

Friend1: Do you follow any of the drama involving a new supreme court pick?

Friend2: For the United States overall or under like a state jurisdiction?

Friend1: For the highest court in the land, where there are only nine seats at present.

Friend2: Oh. Not really. Granted, there only seems to be drama when the person making the pick has a specific political affiliation.

Friend1: Right; I…

“Hiranyakashipu naturally became increasingly angry that his son Prahlada was being influenced by the camp of the enemies. He therefore asked that saintly persons like Narada not be allowed within the residential quarters of his son, for otherwise Prahlada would be further spoiled by Vaishnava instructions.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.6 Purport)

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It was an innocent enough question. The father was pleased that the critical stage of life had begun for his son. Prahlada would now go to school. Whatever play occurred before is nice and endearing, likely fondly remembered, but without an education the adulthood will be spoiled. What kind of father would Hiranyakashipu be if his son turned out to be illiterate in the ways of statecraft, of maintaining the kingdom won after so much effort?

The father asked the son what was the best subject learned in school. This is…

“Hiranyakashipu thought that Prahlada, being nothing but a small boy with no actual experience, might reply with something pleasing but nothing practical. Prahlada Maharaja, however, being an exalted devotee, had acquired all the qualities of education.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.5 Purport)

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Friend1: I know of the important verse from the Shrimad Bhagavatam where it says that a devotee doesn’t have to acquire good qualities on their own. They come automatically, as a result of the devotion.

Friend2: Specifically, they acquire gunas up to the point of the suras, the demigods residing in heaven. Think about that for a second. The automatically derived principle is that bhakti accounts for behavior in sattva-guna. Everything that a person might do to win elevation to the heavenly planets, which is not easy, already arrives when they simply engage in repeatable and consistent worshipable acts…

“Hiranyakashipu did not ask his young son anything that would be very difficult for him to answer; instead, he gave the boy a chance to speak plainly about whatever he thought might be best. Prahlada Maharaja, of course, being a perfect devotee, knew everything and could say what the best part of life is.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.4 Purport)

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It was a tough day at the office. One problem after another. It would be nice to have some predictability once in a while, but this world being temporary and miserable negates that opportunity.

A saving grace, if you will, is the prospect of returning home at night and meeting with the family. Sure, the wife might have a list of demands. Instead of understanding the difficulties involved with your occupation, she only complains about everything she had to do all day. You…

“Politics involves accepting one group of men as enemies and another group as friends. Everything in politics is based on this philosophy, and the entire world, especially at the present, is engrossed in it. The public is concerned with friendly countries and friendly groups or enemy countries and enemy groups, but as stated in Bhagavad-gita, a learned person does not make distinctions between enemies and friends. Devotees, especially, do not create friends and enemies.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.3 Purport)

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Prahlada Maharaja patiently heard. He recited, when necessary. Though he did not agree with the philosophy being spoken, though his interests were elsewhere, he did not cause any disturbance. This was the edict of the crown, to teach the future generations in a certain way. Become versed in the intricacies of politics, which at its foundation involves drawing lines of distinctions, creating groups…

“Prahlada Maharaja was already educated in devotional life, but when his father sent him to those two sons of Shukracharya to be educated, they accepted him at their school along with the other sons of the asuras.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.2)

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तौ राज्ञा प्रापितं बालं
प्रह्लादं नय-कोविदम्
पाठयाम् आसतुः पाठ्यान्
अन्यांश् चासुर-बालकान्

tau rājñā prāpitaṁ bālaṁ
prahlādaṁ naya-kovidam
pāṭhayām āsatuḥ pāṭhyān
anyāṁś cāsura-bālakān

The Sanskrit term is sadhu-sanga. Maintain the association of saintly people. That is the recommendation for advancement. Not just earning a lot of money. Not just having more conveniences with respect to daily responsibilities. Create genuine progress along the path that will bring liberation.

On the other side is asat-sanga. The ideal situation is sat-sanga combined with asat-tyaga. Keep the association of those who are on the spiritual path, who wish to go beyond the dualities of…

“A father and mother are always affectionate to their children. When the children are disobedient the parents chastise them, not due to enmity but only for the child’s instruction and welfare. How did Hiranyakashipu, the father of Prahlada Maharaja, chastise such a noble son? This is what I am eager to know.” (Yudhishthira speaking to Narada Muni, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.4.45)

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पुत्रान् विप्रतिकूलान् स्वान्
पितरः पुत्र-वत्सलाः
उपालभन्ते शिक्षार्थं
नैवाघम् अपरो यथा

putrān vipratikūlān svān
pitaraḥ putra-vatsalāḥ
upālabhante śikṣārthaṁ
naivāgham aparo yathā

Even the most brutal dictator, the one who has killed scores of people in a quest for power, tends to have some sympathy and affection for their family. This is especially true with respect to the children. There is a closeness automatically established, through nature. No need for a shared interest. No need for reciprocation, either, as the parent tends to forgive all…