Slokam 4

Hiranyakshipu is very happy with his accomplishments.  He has a son, Prahalada. Narada visits the abode of Prahalada’s parents,  and as a result of the early influence of this right hand of the Paramathma, Prahalada is inculcated with extreme devotion of the supreme  while still in the womb of his mother. 

Prahalada is born and grows up as an extreme devotee of the Paramathma,  Nothing can shake his dedication and faith. He grows up to  be an illustrious model of the Paramathma’s devotees. 

The emphasis here is on early inculcation.  Our duty to initiate our children into spiritualism at an early stage is cannot be compromised.  Once we allow our children to slip into worldly ways,  it will be very difficult to pull them back.  This is one of the greatest challenges faced by every family in modern times.  The pulls of this material world are not only tempting, they are also made to appear as the only “rational and sensible” thing to do. The world of the senses appears to be “real” and consequently, also fascinating and threatening.  It also appears to offer opportunities for “growth”.  Spiritualism on the other hand,  is beyond the senses,  the cause and effect of our actions cannot be perceived via the senses. The pursuit of spiritualism endows the effect of peace in the mind. In the mind of a child,  that is growing up,  the reliance is only on the sensations of pleasure experienced by the mind.  The children may not be interested in peace of mind, simply because they are at a stage of development when they are looking for excitement and they are fascinated by the material world.  So it may be very challenging to explain, rationally that what is perceived through the senses is transient and that it is the perceiver that is permanent.

So we generally try to teach a few slokas to the child and most importantly,  tell the child  of the Paramathma’s mischief and playfulness, when He was also a child.   This is why Srimad Bhagavatham covers all aspects of the life of the Paramathma’s Krishna avataram.  The slokams and the narratives are absorbed by the child’s mind like a sponge absorbing water.  This combination of stories and narratives are latched on to by the child’s mind, because the mind is at a nascent stage of development.  Intelligence,  memory,  an association of cause and effect,  the ability to communicate, are all in the development mode.  So when the child is initiated into the correct path early in life, the channels are clear and the absorption is immediate.  Although the challenges later in life, may dilute the conviction, the early inculcation stays steadfast and helps tideover the challenges and stay on the correct path.

Prahalada is fortunate that Narada appears when Prahalada is in his mother’s womb,  to impart the essence of Vedanta.

May we invoke the supreme, to inculcate the same level of devotion in our descendants.