The demon king Hiranyakashipu, having won a boon that made him all but immortal, forbade the worship of Vishnu and demanded that all bow to him alone. Yet his own young son, Prahlad, was a pure and fearless devotee of the Lord, and no threat could turn his heart.

Enraged, the king tried again and again to kill the boy, by poison, by fire, by trampling elephants and by hurling him from heights, yet each time Prahlad emerged unharmed, protected by his unshakable faith. At last the king demanded to know where his Vishnu was, and struck a pillar, asking if the Lord was within it.

The pillar burst open, and the Lord appeared as Narasimha, neither man nor beast. At twilight, neither day nor night, upon the threshold, neither inside nor out, he placed the king upon his lap, neither earth nor sky, and so ended the tyrant without breaking the boon, then turned with infinite love to bless the child Prahlad.

The Moral

The story of Prahlad teaches that no power on earth can harm one whom the Lord protects, and that devotion needs neither age nor strength, only sincerity. It shows that the divine is present everywhere, even within a pillar, and that he will take any form to keep his word and shelter his devotee.