catvāraḥ paramādbhutāḥ
catvāraḥ paramādbhutāḥ
prahrādo 'bhūn mahāṁs teṣāṁ
guṇair mahad-upāsakaḥ
Of Hiraṇyakaśipu’s four wonderful sons, Prahlāda, a devotee of the Lord, was the best in terms of qualities.
|| 7.4.31-32 ||
brahmaṇyaḥ śīla-sampannaḥ
satya-sandho jitendriyaḥ
ātmavat sarva-bhūtānām
eka-priya-suhṛttamaḥ
dāsavat sannatāryāṅghriḥ
pitṛvad dīna-vatsalaḥ
bhrātṛvat sadṛśe snigdho
guruṣv īśvara-bhāvanaḥ
vidyārtha-rūpa-janmāḍhyo
māna-stambha-vivarjitaḥ
He was devoted to spiritual knowledge, endowed with a good nature, true to his promise, in control of his senses, the friend of all beings like Paramātmā, surrendered to the feet of the wise like a servant, kind to the suffering like a father, affectionate to equals like a brother, respectful to guru as the Lord, endowed with knowledge, wealth, beauty, and good birth, and free of pride and unsubmissiveness.
Sannatāryāṅghriḥ means that he was completely submissive to the feet of the wise. Guru is the plural to show respect. It means that he treated the guru who gave Vaiṣṇava mantra as the Lord.
|| 7.4.33 ||
nodvigna-citto vyasaneṣu niḥspṛhaḥ
śruteṣu dṛṣṭeṣu guṇeṣv avastu-dṛk
dāntendriya-prāṇa-śarīra-dhīḥ sadā
praśānta-kāmo rahitāsuro 'suraḥ
His mind was not agitated by calamities. He was without desire on hearing or seeing sense objects. He saw the world as unsubstantial. He controlled his senses, life airs, body and intelligence. Desire was always subdued. Though born in a family of demons, he did not have the nature of a demon.
He has devoid of demonic qualities, such as envy.
|| 7.4.34 ||
yasmin mahad-guṇā rājan
gṛhyante kavibhir muhuḥ
na te 'dhunā pidhīyante
yathā bhagavatīśvare
O King! Prahlāda's good qualities are glorified by the wise. Just as all good qualities are always found in the Supreme Lord, they also exist even now without covering in Prahlāda.
The great qualities of Lord such as forbearance and inscrutability are spiritual, and situated in him naturally. Those qualities are glorified by persons with discrimination (kavibhiḥ). These qualities are not fixed in the jīva, but are found in persons related to the Lord. Those qualities are perceived by the wise man’s purified senses starting with the mind. That is the meaning of saying that the qualities are glorified by the wise. Those qualities are explained to be eternal: these qualities have not been covered even now. Till this time they exist, uncovered by time or karma. Though all this time has passed, Prahlāda remains with those qualities, in Sutala, Vaikuṇṭha or Mahāvaikuṇṭha. That is the meaning.
|| 7.4.35 ||
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