| Prahlada | |
|---|---|
King of the Asuras[1] | |
.jpg) 17th-century painting of Prahlada | |
| Devanagari | प्रह्लाद |
| Affiliation | Vaishnavism Asura |
| Predecessor | Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha |
| Successor | Virochana |
| Texts | Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Purana Yoga Vasistha Kurma Purana Vamana Purana Narasimha Purana |
| Gender | Male |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents |
|
| Siblings | Saṃhlāda, Anuhlāda, Śibi, and Bāṣkala (step brothers) |
| Spouse | Dhriti |
| Children | Virochana |
Prahlada (Sanskrit: प्रह्लाद, romanized: Prahlāda) is an asura prince in Hindu scriptures. He is known for his staunch devotion to the preserver deity Vishnu. He was rescued from his evil father, the asura king Hiranyakashipu by Narasimha, the lion avatar of god Vishnu.[2]
Prahlada is described as a saintly boy, known for his innocence and bhakti towards god Vishnu. Despite the abusive nature of his father, Hiranyakashipu, and his uncle and aunt, Hiranyaksha and Holika, he continued to worship Vishnu. Thus, in order to protect Prahlada, Vishnu took the form of Varaha to kill his paternal uncle Hiranyaksha by piercing and crushing him. Thereafter, Vishnu saved Prahlad from his paternal aunt Holika, by burning her to ashes alive. Following this, Vishnu took the form of Narasimha and disembowelled Hiranyakashipu to save Prahlada and the universe from destruction and chaos.[3]
He is considered a Mahajanas, or great devotee, in the Vaishnava tradition. A treatise is attributed to him in the Bhagavata Purana, in which Prahlada describes the process of his loving worship towards Vishnu.[citation needed]
The majority of stories in the Puranas regarding Prahlada are based on his activities as a young boy; he is usually depicted as such in paintings and illustrations.[citation needed]
Legend
Prahlada was born to Kayadhu and Hiranyakashipu, the ruler of the asuras, who had been granted a boon from Brahma that he could not be slain by anything born from a living womb, neither by a man nor an animal, neither during the day nor at night, neither indoors nor outdoors, neither on land nor in the air nor in water, and with no man-made weapon. However, after repeated attempts from Hiranyakashipu to slay Prahlada, he was finally saved by Narasimha, the fourth avatara of Vishnu. He had descended to demonstrate the quality of divine rage and redemption and killed Hiranyakashipu. The word "Narasimha" is derived from the Sanskrit words "Nara", meaning man, and "Simha", meaning lion. Thus, Vishnu took the form of a part-human, part-lion and killed Hiranyakashipu.[4]
After the death of his father, Prahlada ascended the asura throne and ruled peacefully and virtuously. He was known for his generosity and kindness, virtues that were inherited by his son, Virochana, and grandson, Mahabali.[citation needed]
Early life
When Hiraṇyakashipu was performing penance in the forest to gain a boon to destroy Vishnu, the devas attacked the asura realm. A great battle ensued, in which the devas were defeated. While fleeing, Indra abducted Kayadhu, the wife of Hiranyakashipu, who was pregnant at the time. Narada heard the wails of the poor asuri and decided to release her from Indra’s captivity. Thereafter, she stayed in the ashrama of the divine sage in gratitude. Prahlada, while inside his mother's womb, listened to Narada's chants of devotion towards Vishnu. He was taught by Narada during his early childhood. As a result, he grew up devoted to Vishnu.[citation needed]
However, his father despised Prahlada's spiritual inclination and tried to warn him against offending him, as he had a vendetta against Vishnu in particular. Despite several warnings from his father, Prahlada continued to worship Vishnu instead of the former. The child was successful in converting other students of the asura clan into Vaishnavism by teaching them the Narayana mantra.[5]
His father then decided to poison Prahlada, but he survived. Thereafter, when the daitya soldiers attacked their prince with weapons, Prahlada informed them that their efforts were futile since Vishnu resided within them. Hiranyakashipu then had the Prahlada trampled by the aṣṭadiggajas, the eight elephants who bear the weight of the earth, but their tusks were broken to bits upon contact with him and so, they retreated. Following this, Prahlada was placed in a room with venomous, dark snakes, but, they made a bed for him with their bodies.[6]
Prahalada was then thrown from a valley into a river but was saved by Bhumi, the companion of Vishnu and Lakshmi. Holika, the sister of Hiranyakashipu, was blessed with a boon of being invulnerable to fire. Hiranyakashipu put Prahlada on the lap of Holika as she sat on a pyre. Prahlada prayed to Vishnu to keep him safe. Holika was burned to ashes and killed, whilst Prahlada remained untouched. This event is celebrated as the Hindu festival of Holi.[7]
The asuras Shambara and Vayu were then tasked with slaying the prince, but both of them were driven away and were killed by Vishnu. The boy was entrusted to Shukra, who educated him regarding his duties, the sciences, and justice, and was returned to his father after he was deemed to have become humble. The asura king once again broached the topic of deities with his son, only to discover that the latter had never wavered in his faith. Finally, the wicked daitya commanded all the daityas and the danavas to collect all the mountains of the earth to construct a barrier over the boy in the ocean, so that his son would be submerged for a year. Even though they spread over him for a thousand kilometres, Prahlada, with bound hands and feet, prayed to Vishnu. Thus, Vishnu granted him a number of boons and moved all the mountains of the earth to their places from the seas. He then moved the asuras away and had Prahlada returned to prostrate before his father, who was left bewildered.[8]
After tolerating repeated abuse from Hiranyakashipu, Prahlada was eventually saved by Narasimha, who emerged from within a stone pillar in the palace. He then caught and placed Hiranyakashipu on his thighs, to then disembowel and kill him with his sharp nails. Notably, the death scene unfolded at the threshold to his home at dusk, where Hiranyakashipu was slain by the nails of a half man, half animal thus, nullifying all of Hiranyakashipu's boons of virtual immortality.[9]
Prahlada then became the king of the asuras and attains a place in the abode of Vishnu and Lakshmi (Vaikuntha) after his death.[10]
Literature
| Part of a series on |
| Vaishnavism |
|---|
 |
In the Bhagavad Gita (10.30) Krishna makes the following statement in regard to Prahlada, showing his favour towards him:
prahlādaścāsmi daityānāṁ kālaḥ kalayatāmaham .
mr̥gāṇāṁ ca mr̥gēndrō’haṁ vainatēyaśca pakṣiṇām .. 10-30..
— Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 10, Verse 30
Translation: "Among the Daityas, I am the great devotee Prahlada and of calculators, I am Time; among quadrupeds, I am the lion; and among birds, I am Garuda."
In the Vishnu Purana, the sage Parasara ends narrating the tale of Prahlada to Maitreya with the following proclamation:[11]
Such, Maitreya, was Prahlada, the wise and faithful worshipper of Vishnu, of whom you wished to hear; and such was his miraculous power. Whoever listens to the history of Prahlada is immediately cleansed from their sins: the iniquities that they commits, by night or by day, shall be expiated by once hearing, or once reading, the history of Prahlada. The perusal of this history on the day of full moon, of new moon, or on the eighth or twelfth day of the lunation, shall yield fruit equal to the donation of cattle. As Vishnu protected Prahlada in all the calamities to which he was exposed, so shall Vishnu protects them who listens constantly to the tale.
— Vishnu Purana, Book 1, Chapter 20
In Book 7 of the Bhagavata Purana, Prahlada describes bhakti as the only way to please God.[12]
Later life
Conquest of the three worlds
As the king of the asuras and asuris, Prahlada was even more powerful than his father Hiranyakashipu, because of his steadfast devotion to Vishnu, as well as the teachings of Shukra. He also enjoyed the love and respect of his subjects. Without lifting a single weapon and by virtue of his good behaviour, Prahlada conquered the three worlds easily, and Indra ran away from Svarga. In the disguise of a brahmin, Indra sought an audience with Prahlada and asked him to teach him his shila (good conduct and character) as a boon. Pleased with this, Prahalada offered Indra this boon but this meant that Prahlada was then robbed of his dharma.[13]
Duel against Nara-Narayana
Prahlada once commanded the asuras to accompany him to the holy tirtha of Naimiṣa, where he hoped to see a vision of Vishnu. They went hunting along the banks of the Sarasvati River. Prahlada observed two ascetics with matted hair, bearing the bows of Sharanga and Ajagava. The asura king asked them why they held weapons while performing a penance, and the two ascetics responded that all those who held power were righteous in their conduct. One of the rishis assured the king that none of the three worlds could conquer them in a duel. Prahlada rose to the challenge. Nara fired arrows at the king with his Ajagava, but the latter was able to defeat him with his own gold-plated arrows. Prahlada employed the divine Brahmastra against Nara's Narayanastra. Seeing them neutralised in a mid-air collision, Prahlada wielded his mace against Narayana. His mace broke, and Prahlada found himself growing helpless and sought Vishnu's assistance. Vishnu told his devotee that the Nara-Narayana brothers were invincible as they were the sons of Yama and could only be conquered in devotion rather than combat. The king left the regency to Andhaka and erected an ashrama to propitiate Nara-Narayana and apologise for his folly.[8]
War against Vishnu
According to the Kurma Purana, Prahlada always served thousands of Brahmanas daily. One day, Prahlada accidentally forgot to serve one Brahmanas. The latter cursed the asura, saying that he would forget Vishnu and become unrighteous. The curse soon came into fruition, with Prahlada ignoring the Vedas and the Brahmanas and soon deviating from the path of dharma. Determined to avenge his father's death, he waged war against Vishnu. When he was defeated, he realised his folly and ruled on the throne, making Andhaka also to reign as king.[14]
Other conflicts
According to the Devi Bhagavata Purana, Prahlada was compelled to wage war against Indra and the devas by the daityas. In the fierce devasura war that ensued, Prahlada emerged as the victor. Fearing that the asura king would destroy the devas, Indra prayed to Parvati, and Prahlada responded in kind. Pleased, the goddess pacified both of them, and they returned to their abodes.[8]
Prahlada, Virochana, Bali, and Banasura fought against Shiva and Parvati with the devas and devis when Andhaka attacked Kailasha. Prahlada had strongly advised Andhaka against the invasion of Kailasha, but Andhaka refused. Andhaka was eventually killed by Shiva and Parvati, and Prahlada once more became the King of the Asuras.[citation needed]
Prahlada's son was Virochana, who was the father of Bali. The devas had Virochana killed by taking advantage of his generosity.[15] Prahlada raised his grandson, Bali. Later on, Prahlada and Mahabali lived on Sutala Loka under the instructions of Lord Vishnu.
After a long life, Prahlada attained Vaikuntha. Prahlada's great-grandson was the thousand-armed Banasura, who was defeated in battle by Krishna in Mahabharata.[16]
Pilgrimage sites
- India
The following sites are associated with Prahlāda and Narasiṁha as places of pilgrimage:
- Bihar
- Narsimha Temple at Sikligarh Dharhara in Purnia district state of India has the 1411 long Manikya stambha (pillar) also known as Prahlad Stambh, from which the Lord Vishnu manifested Narsimha (half lion and half man) avatara. This temple complex has ruins which is said to be the fort of Hiranyakashipu and a cave where Lord Shiva is said to have meditated. The temple has a unique tradition, after Holika Dahan (Holi bonfire) at the temple the ashes are sprayed in the air as the sign of victory of good over evil, and people play Holi with the Holika Dahan bonfire ashes and this tradition is locally called the dhurkhel (hindi: धुरखेल).[17]
- Bihar
- Pakistan:
In dance
The Prahallada Nataka (also spelled Prahlada-Naṭaka), a folk dance-theatre from Ganjam, Odisha enacts the story of Narasimha and Hiranyakashipu. This art form dates back to the 18th century, when Rāmakruṣṇa Chhoṭarāya, the erstwhile king of the Jalantara state, wrote the text and the songs of the drama and started it.
In popular culture
The story of Prahlada has been the theme of various films.
| Year | Title | Language | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1917 | Bhakta Pralhad | Silent | [18] |
| 1932 | Bhakta Prahlada | Telugu | [19] |
| 1939 | Prahalada | Tamil | [20] |
| 1941 | Prahlada | Malayalam | [21] |
| 1942 | Bhaktha Prahlada | Telugu | [19] |
| 1942 | Bhakta Prahlada | Kannada | |
| 1946 | Bhakta Prahlad | Hindi | |
| 1958 | Bhakta Prahlad | Assamese | |
| 1958 | Bhakta Prahlada | Kannada | [22] |
| 1967 | Bhakta Prahlada | Telugu | [19] |
| 1972 | Hari Darshan | Hindi | [23] |
| 1983 | Bhakta Prahlada | Kannada | [24] |
| 2025 | Mahavatar Narsimha | Hindi | [25] |
See also
References
- ^ The Body of God: An Emperor's Palace for Krishna in Eighth-Century Kanchipuram. Oxford University Press. 25 September 2008. ISBN 978-0-19-045140-0.
- ^ www.wisdomlib.org (29 May 2013). "Prahlada, Prahlāda, Prāhlāda: 24 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
- ^ "The story of Prahlada". Ramakrishnavivekananda.info.
- ^ Dalal, Roshen (18 April 2014). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin UK. ISBN 978-81-8475-277-9.
- ^ Arunachala's Ramana: Boundless Ocean of Grace. Sri Ramanasramam. 2007. ISBN 978-81-8288-084-9.
- ^ Books, Kausiki (24 October 2021). Narasimha Purana: English Translation only without Slokas. Kausiki Books.
- ^ Varadaraja V. Raman – Variety in Religion And Science: Daily Reflections, iUniverse, 2005, ISBN 0-595-35840-3, p.259
- ^ a b c www.wisdomlib.org (28 January 2019). "Story of Prahlāda". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
- ^ Dimmitt, Cornelia; Johannes Adrianus Bernardus Buitenen (1978). Classical Hindu Mythology: A Reader in the Sanskrit Purāṇas. translated by J. A. Van Buitenen. Temple University Press. p. 312. ISBN 0-87722-122-7.
- ^ P. 452 The Hindu World: An Encyclopedic Survey of Hinduism By Benjamin Walker – Summary
- ^ www.wisdomlib.org (30 August 2014). "Visnu appears to Prahlada [Chapter XX]". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ Gupta, Gopal K. (2020). Māyā in the Bhāgavata Purāna: human suffering and divine play. Oxford theology and religion monographs. Oxford New York (N.Y.): Oxford university press. pp. 161–2. ISBN 978-0-19-885699-3.
- ^ Doniger, Wendy (30 September 2010). The Hindus: An Alternative History. OUP Oxford. p. 491. ISBN 978-0-19-959334-7.
- ^ Vinay, Dr. Koorma Purana. Diamond Pocket Books Pvt Ltd. ISBN 978-81-288-2802-7.
- ^ "Lord Vamana Resolves the Universal Conflict". btg.krishna.com. 2008. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
They begged for his crown. Even though Virochana recognized the demigods' plot, true to his word he parted with his crown and his life as well
- ^ Kumar, Anu (30 November 2012). Banasura: The Thousand-Armed Asura. Hachette India. ISBN 978-93-5009-537-9.
- ^ भारत कर रहा एक और युद्ध की तैयारी, हम बातचीत के लिए तैयार; पाकिस्तानी राष्ट्रपति बोले, MSN News, 3 March 2026.
- ^ Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul (1999). Encyclopaedia of Indian cinema. British Film Institute. ISBN 9780851706696. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
- ^ a b c Narasimham, M. L. (23 November 2018). "The story of a devotee". The Hindu. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
- ^ Guy, Randor (14 August 2011). "Prahalada 1939". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
- ^ Vijayakumar, B. (10 April 2011). "Prahlada (1941)". The Hindu. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
- ^ Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul, eds. (1998) [1994]. Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema (PDF). Oxford University Press. p. 353. ISBN 0-19-563579-5.
- ^ "Rajshri Films - Hari Darshan (1972)". rajshri.com. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
- ^ "On Rajkumar birthday, a Top 5 list by grandson". Deccan Herald. 24 April 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
- ^ "Mahavatar Narsimha director Ashwin Kumar". The Indian Express. 28 July 2025. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
Further reading
- Cole, W. Owen; Judith Evans-Lowndes; Judith Lowndes (1995). The Story of Prahlad. Heinemann Educational. ISBN 0-431-07756-8.
External links
Hindu deities and texts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Gods |  | |
| Goddesses | ||
| Deity groups | ||
| Texts (list) | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
