• Prahlada, as the Bhagavatha text declares, was rooted in faith in Lord Narayana and His universal absolute reality. Hence he was in Bliss (Ananda) wherever he was and whatever the set of circumstances. The very name Prahlada has ananda soaked in it. ‘Halada’ means ananda and prefix ‘pra’ means that Ananda which is full. Prahlada means "Full Bliss" - a person who is full of ananda. How could he attain that state? He gave up attachment to his name and form and sought the atma as the only reality and identified that reality with Narayana.
• Once Prahlada told Hiranyakasipu, his father, when his father drew him near and fondly asked the boy to repeat what he had learnt from his teacher, and make him happy. "I have learnt the secret essence of all learning," said Prahlada. The father was glad. He asked him again, "Tell me that essential thing which you have mastered." Prahlada said, "Father! He who illumines everything, He who finally absorbs everything within Himself, is the One, the Narayana. Having Him always in the mind and experiencing the Bliss thereof awards fulfillment to all." The boy uttered the name Narayana, which the father abhorred! He did not stop with that. He said, "Father! you have conquered the entire world, but you have failed to conquer your senses. Therefore in trying to control and conquer our organs, it is very necessary to have confidence in ourselves and faith in God."
• Hiranyakasipu tried all methods to divert his son Prahlada from devotion to God. The child was subjected to every conceivable kind of torture and ordeal, trampling by elephants, biting by cobras and immersion in the sea. But, Prahlada’s devotion to Lord saved him. Disregarding his perverse father, Prahlada held fast to the Lord.

"No father can rejoice merely when a son is born. Only when the people praise the virtues of the son, will the father rejoice over his birth. Prahlada declared, "He alone is a father, who tells his son, to realise God"

Namasmarana saved Prahlada from the agony of torture. He was a rakshasa boy, but, somehow, he learnt the sacred name and came to know how sweet it was. He repeated it and imbibed its nectarine taste. Even when the enraged elephant rushed towards him, he did not cry out, "O father", or "O mother", to persuade his physical parents to rescue him; he had no consciousness of their existence at all; he called on Narayana and no one else. Narayana is the source of strength for the weak and the strong. He is the supreme power, so, elephants turned back from the boy, fire could not singe his hair; wind could not lift him; precipices could not fell him; poison could not affect him. The name was his armour, his shield, his breath, his life.

• Hiranyaaksha, the younger brother of Hiranyakasipu, was killed by Vishnu in his incarnation as Varaha (boar). In order to acquire invincible power, Hiranyakasipu left for Mount Manthara to perform a rigorous penance. While he was away doing penance his wife, Leelavathi, was taken by sage Narada to his ashram to protect her and the child she was carrying, from the onslaught of devas. He imparted to her the knowledge of the exploits of Narayana. Though she did not pay much attention to the teachings of Narada, the child in the womb absorbed them and started meditating on the Mahamantra, "OM NAMO NARAYANA," while still in the womb.

Brahma was pleased with the penance of Hiranyakasipu and granted him the boon that he would not meet with his death either during day or night, either on earth or sky, either from man or beast or from the Gods. With this boon, he became Lord of the universe and decreed that he alone should be worshipped. When Prahlada was five years old, he was entrusted to the care of two teachers, Chanda and Amarka, both sons of the sage Kripacharya, with strict instructions to impart all demonic traits to the child and banish Vishnu’s name from his mind. The teachers taught him about Artha (Wealth), and Kama (Desire) but abstained from teaching about the other two goals of human life, Dharma (Righteousness) and Moksha (Liberation). But in spite of their best efforts, the teachers could not create a single negative thought in Prahlada’s mind. He persisted in his own belief that Lord Narayana was the supreme Master of the world to be worshipped by nine modes of devotion beginning with listening to the glories of the Lord and culminating in total surrender of the self. Hiranyakasipu tried all means of gentle persuasion to coax Prahlada to accept him as the supreme master and forget Narayana. Prahlada told his father that though he had mastered the entire external would, he could not master his senses. Enraged at his son’s unshakable devotion to his arch enemy, Hiranyakasipu decided to put an end to Prahlada by all possible means.

Prahlada was totally devoid of body consciousness and was always in the state of bliss chanting the name of Hari. He survived all tortures inflicted on him and came out unscathed. In utter exasperation, Hiranyakasipu finally asked Prahlada, "Who is this God that protects you? Where is He?" Prahlada, who had realised the Omnipresence of God, told his father that God was everywhere in the cosmos, from the tiniest microcosm to the mighty macrocosm. He added, "One who is a slave to his senses cannot see Him. As long as you have ego and attachment you cannot see Hari, though He is within and outside every being." Hiranyakasipu then asked Prahlada, "Is he in this pillar?" When Prahlada said, "Yes He is!" Hiranyakasipu smote the pillar with his mace. The pillar split into two and there emerged from it the Lord in the dreadful form of Narasimha (Half-Lion and Half-Man). He seized the demon by the throat, placed him on his lap and tore his entrails with his nails.

Though everyone trembled at the sight of the awe-inspiring form of Narasimha, Prahlada stood beside the Lord cheerfully, in adoration. When he was asked by the Lord why he had no fear, Prahlada replied, "To me you are only the embodiment of Love. I believe in your Divine form of Love and not this physical form." Lord Narasimha then commanded Prahlada to take over the reigns of the kingdom, transform the demons into virtuous beings and then comeback to His Divine abode. Prahlada requested the Lord to pardon his father and take him to heaven. The Lord granted the boon. Prahlada ruled over the world for a long time with justice and righteousness.

• In your eyes, Hiranyakasipu and others may appear to be demons. But in the view of the Divine, they may appear as persons who help the devotees to affirm their faith in God. The Lord makes an example of the demons to teach the devotees the truth of the spirit. The good is wedged between two bad things. Pleasure is an interval between two pains. Indeed, if there had been no Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakasipu there would have been no occasion for the advent of the Narasimha Avatar to bless Prahlada. Without hatred on one side, the power of faith on the other cannot be demonstrated. Although Prahlada’s father Hiranyakasipu, subjected his son, a great devotee of God, to numerous ordeals, Prahlada emerged from them as an ideal lover of God, who acquired undying glory. Hiranyakasipu was the instrument for revealing the greatness of Prahlada. The Lord creates hostile forces to demonstrate the power of faith in the Divine and to confer peace and plenty on the believers.
• Who is responsible for the appearance of Lord Narasimha before Prahlada? Is it Prahlada or Hiranayakasipu? Both are responsible. Hiranyakasipu’s doubts and Prahlada’s faith came together. Hiranyakasipu asked, "Where is God?" Prahlada replied, "There is no need to entertain doubts as whether He is in one place and not in another. He is everywhere." Hiranyakasipu then asked, "Is He in this Pillar?" Prahlada replied "Yes". Hiranayakasipu hit the pillar. Then the Lord Narasimha emerged from it. It is the combination of the opposing elements, Hiranyakasipu and Prahlada which accounts for the emergence of Narasimha Avatar. God is present in one form in Hiranyakasipu and another form in Prahlada. God is the doubter and God is the believer. He is the one who adds and also the one who deducts. He is the giver and the recipient. When this omnipresence of the Divine is comprehended then the significance of the statement "Sarvam Vishnumayam Jagat"(The Cosmos is permeated by the Divine) will be understood.
• The kind of relation that exists between God and his devotees is always strengthened by the bonds of prema. Even Goddess Lakshmi could not bind Narayana to herself but Narayana was bound only the the prema of Prahlada. When we look at the Avatar of Narasimha, we have a feeling of terror.

God’s Divine vision and Divine beauty are such that only His devotees can appreciate. Hiranyakasipu went on saying that God does not exist anywhere. On the other hand when Prahlada said that God will be found wherever he is sought, and this is simply the result of "Yad Bhavam tad Bhavati" (Whatever you have in mind will be reflected back to you as a reality).

Prahlada knew the truth- "Sarvam Vishnu Mayam Jagath". This world is filled with the immanence of God. He knew it by study and by experience; he knew it as an ever present fact. So, when he was asked a boon to be granted by the Lord who manifested before him, he asked neither for the revival of his father nor the restoration of his kingdom, long life, wealth (or) fame; he asked for the chance of assuaging the pain and sorrow of all beings! God, he knew, was manifest in the beings and the best form of serving God was to serve those manifestations and give them relief and joy.

Unable to control his joy over the verdict, Sudharva embraced Prahlada and said, "Prahlada! it is because of unflinching upholders of Truth like you that the world shines in all its glory. If there were not meritorious people on earth, how can there be light in the world? Prahlada because of your adherence to truth, you gave the verdict against your own son." Prahalda knew that whoever lost the contest should forfeit his life. But that did not deter him from pronouncing the verdict against his son. "There is no greater Dharma than Truth" (Satyam naasti paro Dharmah). Prahlada was not swayed by any sense of paternal love. He shed no tears. He watched the outcome of his judgement with a sense of fulfilment.

Recognising the utter dedication of Prahlada to Truth and Righteousness, Sudharva declared, "Prahlada! Your devotion to Truth will restore the life of your son. I am not claiming his life as the reward of my victory. I am giving back your son’s life to you."

"Dharmarva Adharma hasthi. Dharmo Rakshathi Rakshithah" (Dharma destroys the one who harms it. Dharma protects the protector) "Prahlada! You have stood by Dharma. There by you have your son." In this manner Sudharva praised Prahlada.

Learn from the life history of Prahlada the lesson that Lord alone is to be loved; learn also the technique of that process. Do the work that has fallen to your lot, sincerely and efficiently. Give up every thing that is outside the service of the Lord. Follow the foot steps of Prahlada. Remember, the sweetness of that name, when repeated by Prahlada, overpowered the hearts of the asuras, (demons) who heard him. The children of the asuras repeated the name along with Prahlada and led by him, they began to sing and dance arming themselves with a desire to defend their leader.

• Prahlada’s love for the Divine was not understood by those who judged him from the worldly point of view. Would Prahlada have been able to bear with indifference, all the tortures to which he was subjected, if he was a worldly person? As a child he went through ordeals, which no man could have endured. When the king’s minions goaded him with spears, he prayed to the Lord and praised His glories without shedding a tear or showing any signs of anger. If his devotion had been concerned with worldly desires, should he not have shed tears? He did not do so as Lord Narayana was installed in his heart and the Lord’s name was ever on his tongue. The Narayana consciousness filled his entire being from head to foot, because of which none of the pains inflicted on him had any effect (by physical instruments). With his thought centered on God, the pains of the world did not affect him.

Consider the cases of Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakasipu. They were not ordinary men. They were incarnations of Jaya and Vijaya, the Divine guards at the gate of the Lord’s mansion (in Vaikunta). Hiranyakasipu developed bitter hatred towards Vishnu as the slayer of his brother, Hiranyaksha. He searched for Vishnu in every conceivable place, in the ocean, deep in the earth and in the sky, but could not find him. Had Vishnu run away from Hiranyakasipu out of fear? No. He was Omnipresent. But He could not proclaim it Himself. He made Hiranyakasipu’s son Prahlada declare it. He asked Prahlada, "You simpleton! You go on praising Hari. Where is that Hari? Show Him to me. I have explored every particle of the universe. I have not found Him. Hence I am the Lord whom you should worship". Prahlada replied, "How can I worship the enemy of Hari? Hari is everywhere. Can you show Him?" asked his father. "Certainly," replied Prahlada. "Is He in that pillar?" "Yes, he is," said Prahlada. The Lord came out of the pillar to confirm his devotees faith. Prahlada had affirmed the Omnipresence of the Lord and the Lord testified to the truth of his belief. The Lord is not visible to the non-believer.

There is a story relating to Prahlada. Once Indra secured from Prahlada the gift of his character (seelam). When character left Prahlada, the Goddesses of Fame, Royal Prosperity and Prowess left him one after the other. Prahlada allowed them to go. But when Truth (Sathya) started to leave, Prahlada prayed to the Goddess not to leave him. The moment Truth stayed with Prahlada, the deities representing Fame, Prosperity etc… also returned.