“nyasta-kridanako balo jadavat tan-manastaya
krsna-graha-grhitatma na veda jagad idrsam” (S.B 7.4.37)


Translation and purport by Srila Prabhupada ki jai!

Translation: From the very beginning of his childhood, Prahlada Maharaja was uninterested in childish playthings. Indeed, he gave them up altogether and remained silent and dull, being fully absorbed in Krishna consciousness. Since his mind was always affected by Krishna consciousness, he could not understand how the world goes on being fully absorbed in the activities of sense gratification. Prahlada Maharaja is a big example of a great person fully absorbed in Krishna consciousness. In Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 8.274) it is said:

“sthavara-jangama dekhe, na dekhe tara murti sarvatra haya nija ista-deva-sphurti”.

A fully Krishna conscious person, although situated in this material world, does not see anything but Krishna, anywhere and everywhere. This is the sign of a Maha-bhagavata. The Maha-bhagavata sees Krishna everywhere because of his attitude of pure love for Krishna. As confirmed in the Brahma-samhita (5.38):

“premmnjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti
yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami”

“I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda, who is always seen by the devotee whose eyes are anointed with the pulp of love. He is seen in His eternal form of Syamasundara, situated within the heart of the devotee.” An exalted devotee, or mahatma, who is rarely to be seen, remains fully conscious of Krishna and constantly sees the Lord within the core of his heart. It is sometimes said that when one is influenced by evil stars like Saturn, Rahu or Ketu, he cannot make advancement in any prospective activity. In just the opposite way, Prahlada Maharaja was influenced by Krishna, the supreme planet, and thus he could not think of the material world and live without Krishna consciousness. That is the sign of a maha-bhagavata. Even if one is an enemy of Krishna, a maha-bhagavata sees him to be also engaged in Krishna’s service. Another crude example is that everything appears yellow to the jaundiced eye. Similarly, to a maha-bhagavata, everyone but himself appears to be engaged in Krishna’s service.

Prahlada Maharaja is the approved maha-bhagavata, the supreme devotee. In the previous verse it was stated that he had natural attachment (naisargiki ratih). The symptoms of such natural attachment for Krishna are described in this verse. Although Prahlada Maharaja was only a boy, he had no interest in playing. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.2.42), viraktir anyatra ca: the symptom of perfect Krishna consciousness is that one loses interest in all material activities. For a small boy to give up playing is impossible, but Prahlada Maharaja, being situated in first-class devotional service, was always absorbed in a trance of Krishna consciousness. Just as a materialistic person is always absorbed in thoughts of material gain, a maha-bhagavata like Prahlada Maharaja is always absorbed in thoughts of Krishna.

“nyasta-kridanako balo jadavat tan-manastaya
krsna-graha-grhitatma na veda jagad idrsam” (S.B. 7.4.37)

From the very beginning of his childhood, Prahlada Maharaja was uninterested in childish playthings. Indeed, he gave them up altogether and remained silent and dull, being fully absorbed in Krishna consciousness. Since his mind was always affected by Krishna consciousness, he could not understand how the world goes on being fully absorbed in the activities of sense gratification.

Big question, how world is going on? Why are people attracted to this or that? Because he was mad after Krishna, he was crazy after Krishna for Krishna, who is crazy, big question. They say we are crazy, we say they are crazy. So Prahlada Maharaja from the very beginning of his childhood, ‘nyasta-kridanako balo’ it’s a difficult thing. ‘bala avasta krida saktah yuva avasta taruni raktah vrudha avasta chinta magnah’, then where is your time. There are only three phases, stages of life; boyhood, youthful days and the old days and you have one activity that keeps you busy and that particular phase of your life Shankarachaya has made this observation ‘bala avasta krida’- you are a bala, you are a child balak and you are attached to the play, all that you could think of is play where are my toys and when would I get the holiday and I would run to the playground, meet my friends and have fun with them, this is during the childhood days.

And as soon as body grows young, young boys are looking for young girls and young girls are trying to find out where are the young boys. This is some kind of un-natural but natural in this world and then as you grow old, chinta-magna, you are totally absorbed in anxiety, you are taken away by anxiety about your future, when I leave my body, what will happen to my property and this and that. So, not to be affected by the play things, toys, when you are a child, not to be affected by young man or young woman when you are young and not to get into this anxiety business, free from anxiety, old age, that is Krishna consciousness.

And Prahlada Maharaja is just a little boy and he has no interest in playing. The children are playing all over the world; children are playing but he was not playing. One time I used to think only children in India must be playing, the western countries are so serious the scientific advancement and from childhood day they must be in the laboratories but then when I went to the west first time I saw children playing in the playground just like I played or other children, no difference whether India or over-seas. Then I joined, I was not a little boy, I joined Krishna consciousness and then my eldest brother brought me home back to the parents otherwise my mother would not survive, she had to see my face.

So as I was spending some days there, my friends would play and I would sit down there chanting my japa which I had learned from Giriraj Maharaj and my authorities in Bombay. I had spent only few weeks and my brother was there to get me. So by seeing that my friends were playing and I was there chanting Hare Krishna, my sister would be in tears crying what is happening, she couldn’t understand as Prahlada Maharaja couldn’t understand, how people are attracted to sense gratification. So my sister had hard time understanding what is this? Why is he not playing, why is he not playing? And he was jadavat as if dull, inert, not moving, he would just sit around just thinking of his Lord. tan-manastaya tat-manah, Krishna says mat-manah this says tat-manah, his mind in Him, om tat sat, tat tattvam asi- tat is Supreme Personality of Godhead. tanmaya – fully absorbed, mattah.

“mac-citta mad-gata-prana bodhayantah parasparam kathayantas ca mam nityam tusyanti ca ramanti ca” (Bg 10.9) with great pride Krishna is describing symptoms of His devotee, my devotee mac-citta – his citta is absorbed in Me, tan-manastaya – his mind was, Narada Muni describing the qualities of Prahlada Maharaja. Prahlada Maharaja’s mind was in Krishna into Krishna and this was because ‘krsna-graha-grhitatma’ – Krishna had become graha, Krishna had become a strong influence like a graha, a planetary influence. Prabhupada explains like a Saturn, Rahu, Ketu, specially people are afraid of Shani, they are specially afraid of Saturn, Shani that even in Braj mandal there’s a big Shani dev mandir and people come from Delhi, Agra, Jaipur everywhere big crowd, big crowd at Shani mandir, they come to Vrindavana, they go to Shani instead of making Krishna as their graha, Krishna the Supreme planet. Prabhupada in the purport says, Krishna the Supreme planet, Krishna ‘surya sam’ we say this, ‘maya hai andhakar, jaha Krishna taha nahe mahe adhikar’. Krishna surya sam, Krishna is what? Godhead is light, so that light, we get light from that Surya that graha that is Godhead, Supreme planet and the greatest influence Prahlada Maharaja has is of this planet, Krishna graham.

Wonderful selection of the word Krishna graha, Krishna has become, He is around, Krishna is around and He is influencing Prahlada Maharaja. grhitatma – he has taken Krishna inside him, grhitatma, he is absorbed in Krishna, Krishna is around him wherever he goes, that planet goes with him, planet is around him always influencing him doesn’t matter where he goes. Krishna graha is following him, he cannot be away from this Krishna graha. ‘krsna-graha-grhitatma’ – and as he is fully absorbed in Krishna, in Krishna consciousness, he is just a little boy and na veda – that is why he has difficulty understanding why other are attracted to something else rubbish jagad idrsam – this world is like this the way it is as he sees around, why is it like this? na veda – beyond his comprehension, why? Why is not everyone attracted to Krishna?

‘ya karsati sa krsna’- Krishna is that personality who attracts everybody but unfortunately some are attracted directly to Krishna, some are attracted to His external energy ‘mama maya duratyaya’ (Bg 7.14) they are attracted to maya, whose maya is it? Whose maya? Krishna’s maya they are attracted to. So they are attracted, good to be attracted, attracted by Krishna Himself directly not by His external energy. Such are the wonderful qualities of Prahlada Maharaja. I mean I should have said lot of qualities and then say such, we just said few but there are many more qualities we have missed, some of us we were not here just landed in Mayapur were deprived of those morning classes in Mayapur and devotees are listening to the good qualities, the best qualities of Prahlada Mharaja.

The devotee who asked me take class he said if I wanted to I could summarize the chapter. So I will not summarize the whole chapter just back into few verses where Narada Muni begins narrate the few qualities of Prahlada Maharaja. These are good morning hours, good morning and the mornings are to be spared to be reserved for remembering devotees like Prahlada Maharaja, remembering Personality of Godhead or His devotees. When there is a function, some seats are reserved there’s sign also ‘reserved’, so mornings are reserved, ‘pratah smarniya’ Prahlada Maharaja is pratah smarniya, worth remembering. As soon as you get up, you shouldn’t be thinking of some rascal, no keep those rascals out of your sight. Lord Krishna in Dwarka, He would go around seeing a cow, meeting a Brahmin, some gentleman like that. He would make sure while touring the wonderful auspicious objects He comes across a cow, better it is calf drinking milk, a person drinking water, person with full water-pot, not an empty water-pot. And make sure the cat doesn’t cross, when cat is running the ghosts are running behind him and they may capture us, catch up with us.

So the morning hours are very special hours, morning hour’s brahma muhurta these hours are foundation of the day. Foundation of day we build the day with the foundation of the morning. Morning is strong; yesterday we were talking also sadhana for the managers. Morning should be reserved by the managers fully absorbed sadhana, principles of sadhana that is remembering Prabhupada also. Ofcourse beginning with Prabhupada, ‘dhyayan stuvams tasya yasas tri-sandhyam vande guroh sri caranaravindam’ ‘dhyayan stuvams tasya yasas tri-sandhyam’- tri-sandhyam– pratah, madhyan and sandhya, three joints, thrice a day starting with the morning.

So we could spend little time remembering some other qualities that Narada Muni has mentioned, qualities of Prahlada Maharaja and when we say him Maharaj, he is Raja Maharaja not necessarily sannyasi maharaja, he was a king also he is prince now. He would be the king, so some of us assembled are administrators, managers so you could take some qualities, learn from the example or take these qualities inside us, imbibe these qualities that would help us to manage our little kingdoms, Pune kingdom or Calcutta kingdom, ISKCON this, ISKCON that these are all our kingdoms and presidents, managers, emperor, king, administrator.

Brahmanyah and also in few days time we will be celebrating because of such wonderful qualities of Prahlada Maharaja. Lord appeared to protect His devotee Prahlada Maharaja, just few days around the corners, more time we spend thinking of Prahlada then Narsimha would also protect us, very kind Narsimha dev ki Jai! He is very very kind. Radha Madhav becomes Narsimha and He is very very kind. Lot of things are revealed by mercy of Narsimha. “sridharah sakalam vetti sri nrsimha prasadatah” Oh! This Sridhar Swami he knows everything Lord said once when Sridhar Swami Maharaja, not our Sridhar Maharaja, the commentator Sridhar Maharaja he appeared even before Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Even Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had high regards for Sridhar Swami. So when he compiled his commentary on Bhagvad Gita, Sridhar Swami did, then he presented that to the Lord to the deity to review his commentary, I need some comments my dear Lord, please review my book.

So that time Lord made this statement, “Aham Vetti suko vetti” I know and Sukhdev Goswami also knows “vetti na vetti va” who’s that? Vyasadev ‘vetti na vetti va’- I am not sure whether Vyasadev knows everything or he doesn’t know as he compiled so many other scriptures also. Finally he came to final conclusion but for sure I know, Sukhdev Goswami knows, I don’t know about Srila Vyasadev but Srila Sridhar Swami knows ‘Sri nrsimha prasadtah’. Sridhar Swami was a great devotee of Narsimha that was his worshipable deity. Then our Sridhar Maharaja also became a worshiper of Narsimha and you know how fearless Sridhar Maharaja was during his last days, he had no fear of death, he was smiling in the face of the death.

“dehantara-praptir dhiras tatra na muhyati” (B.G 2.13) not bewildered but the change that was about to come Jai Narsimhadeva ki Jai! Narsimhadeva protects may all our managers be protected by Lord Narsimha but when we have qualities like Prahlada Maharaja then Lord has no choice but to protect us, we don’t even have to pray, He will do His duty, He knows Oh! here my devotee, He would be around you, around us wanting eagerly wanting to protect. So what are some of the qualities of..so we go back to the verse. “brahmanyah sila-sampannah” (SB 7.4.31) brahmanyah, Prahlada Maharaja was ‘brahmanyah’ – very cultured brahmin, ‘brahmanyah sila-sampannah’ – the best character, sila-sampannah, su-sila – money is lost -nothing is lost, health is lost- something is lost, character is lost- nothing is left, everything is lost. So he was the best character, sila-sampannah so much more could be said about each quality but we have to move on.

‘satya-sandho’ – always searching for the absolute truth, Prahlada Maharaja Haribol!! Always absorbed and looking looking looking where is where is He, satya-sandho, jitendriyah – jit-indriyah, conqueror of indriyas, he had conquered his senses, job becomes lot easier. it is a different life all together of those who are jitendriyas, sense controllers, lot of energy is invested in trying to control the senses and sometimes they go but those who have controlled their senses or even endeavoring to control, so we have succeeded to some extent and to that extent Lord is with us or reciprocating accordingly. ‘ye yatha mam prapadyante’ (Bg 4.11) sense controlled, “take control of your life, take control of your life” so that is jitendriyah- you have to become controlled and not something else is controlling, don’t push me around. You go to the west and they say ‘don’t push me around’, but his wine and girlfriend is always pushing him around senses are pushing him around, he must smoke now and he has to, he is pushed around he has to go buy a cigarette. Although he says don’t push me around but he is pushed around around all the time, don’t push me around, the way they say in the west. So jitendriyah, Krishna was pushing him around and nothing else was between him and Krishna, jitendriyah. ‘atmavat sarva-bhutanam eka-priya-suhrttamah’ (SB 7.4.31) ‘atmavat sarva-bhutanam’ like atmavat sarva bhutesu.

“matrvat para-daresu para-dravyesu lostravat
atmavat sarva-bhutesu yah pasyati sa panditah”

That person is a learned pandit person, ‘atmavat sarva bhutesu’ same thing
atmavat sarva-bhutanam – O! Others are like me; I would treat others as I would treat myself or others are me that’s me that person is me. The way I would like to be treated I would also treat that person like wise ‘atmavat’ or be concerned with his needs, his interest, and his concerns. Put yourself in that person’s shoes did I say it right? Put into other’s shoes and then you feel how you feel into that shoe. So Prahlada Maharaja this is his quality, as a manager we need this quality, understand others before we make a judgment about him. Be him, you be him ‘atmavat sarva bhutanam’, atmavat – I am him, it’s not a mayavad, we are all one but understand him, he is a individual, be personal not impersonal or neutral. Be personal each person is different and that goes on. ‘eka-priya-suhrttamah’ – the way Lord treats others he used to also treat them like Lord would treat them others, his treatment was not different from Lord’s treatment but he would understand how would Lord treat this person under such circumstances and then he would treat him accordingly. Lord would speak to him ‘dadami buddhi-yogam’ (Bg 10.10), taking advice from others, how should I tackle this one now, it’s beyond me now I can’t handle or I am bewildered like that.

So understanding and “dasavat sannataryanghrih” (SB 7.4.32) and if there were superior, so there are three things, three kinds of dealings of Prahlada Maharaja mentioned, if someone is superior then he would dasavat – like their servant respecting elders and being their servant. ‘pitrvad dina-vatsalah’ first it was atmavat then there was a dasavat, he made mental notes, very nice adjectives used qualities atmavat, dasavat, pitrvad dina-vatsalah there are some juniors, children, dependents then he would take the position of pitrvad like fatherly. He becomes elderly for them and treating them nicely like children are looked after, he is a father father figure, they are dependent on him. ‘bhratrvat sadrse snigdho’ and if they are equal then like a brother or a friend – sadrse, with the elders he become dasavat but the juniors he becomes pitrvad like a father and equals bhratrvat he takes the position of a brother or friend.

‘gurusv isvara-bhavanah’ and towards gurus isvara-bhavanah what is this isvara-bhavanah – saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair, isvara-bhavanah, saksad hari, well then at the same time, ‘saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya’ so he has good understanding, proper understanding of who is who and he deals differently, accordingly, appropriately with each person. ‘vidyartha-rupa-janmadhyo’ he is full of knowledge, he has lots of wealth also, he is beautiful and his birth he is a leader in that demoniac community, he is a leader. So inspite of all this he is equipped with so many qualities, he is free from pride. ‘mana-stambha-vivarjitah’ while Queen Kunti says ‘janmaisvarya-sruta-sribhir’ as soon as you have high birth, some learning, you have beauty then mana – you become full of pride and then you cannot chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. It’s very difficult for such person to utter Holy Name of Lord, I am from such and such family what do you know, I am wealthy person.

Sir take little Prasad! I approached once one gentleman he said just now going to hilton hotels just going to hilton hotel. So he refused prasad I am going to hilton hotel he thought this prasad is for poor people I am a rich person don’t you see my car I just got out of this car, don’t you see a dog here he showed I am not staying in some kind of hut. So with this you can’t take to Krishna consciousness, but that was not the case with Prahlada Maharaja, ‘nodvigna-citto vyasanesu nihsprhah’ (SB 7.4.33) and when there are difficult times, dangerous conditions, Prabhupada is translating ‘vyasanesu nodvigna varah’- not disturbed, undisturbed under the trying times difficult situations. “duhkhesv anudvigna-manah sukhesu vigata-sprhah” (Bg 2.56) Krishna in second chapter He says there’s every reason for you to get agitated, disturbed. But again there in second chapter Krishna is describing the qualities of munih, person fixed in Krishna consciousness, person in samadhi, what are the symptoms, please explain the symptoms ‘ka bhasa’ (Bg 2.54) – what kind of language does he speak? How does he sit? How does he eat? How does he walk? And then Krishna talks. Oh! whenever there are difficult times, such devotee absorbed in Krishna consciousness, ‘samadhi-sthasya kesava’ that’s one in samadhi absorbed in Krishna consciousness, ‘anudvigna-manah’ duhkhesv anudvigna-manah.

The same thing here Prahlada Maharaja also not disturbed by ‘vyasanesu dantendriya’ – he had complete control over his senses and intelligence, he had refined intelligence as a result he was ‘prasanta-kamo’ – prasanta – for him one who has controlled his senses, for him Lord is around the corner, Lord is not away. So ‘prasanta kamo’ – he has subdued all the lusty desires. Prahlada Maharaja had ‘rahitasuro ’surah’ he was born in asura family but he was free from asura qualities. Although born in demoniac family, he had no demoniac qualities and Prabhupada writes in purport – From this verse we discover that a man is not qualified or disqualified simply by birth. This gives us encouragement, we are also not necessarily born in a devotee family, born in less or more demoniac family and it seems possible even in such family we could have qualities like Prahlada Maharaja. Prabhupada is encouraging us, you don’t be discouraged, look example of Prahlada Maharaja, just have to take shelter of Narada Muni, listen to him or listen to Prabhupada, disciplic succession.

“yasmin mahad-guna rajan grhyante kavibhir muhuh” (SB 7.4.34) Prahlada Maharaja’s qualities are chanted, remembered by kavibhir, the poet, saintly devotees, they always remember his qualities. ‘yatha bhagavatisvare’ – and his qualities are like qualities of Supreme Personality of Godhead in minute quantity, his qualities are qualities of.., they exist forever in his devotee like Prahlada, Supreme Lord’s qualities exist in Prahlada like devotee forever. I am just running through this quickly, few more verses to go.

“sadhu-gatha-sadasi” (SB 7.4.35) whenever devotees get together and they want to make a list of great devotees, that place the name of Prahlada will appear, when devotees want to talk of great devotees so far, world has seen these great devotees, immediately Prahlada Maharaja’s name is there. Some of you were children, I remember also when I was child and I was immediately told story of Dhruva Maharaja, Prahlada Maharaja, who else heard these stories when you were just little children? Atleast from India side, not in Boston or New York, such stories were not going around but others born in Bharat varsha, immediately we hear the Dhruva Maharaja, Prahlada Maharaja, these are big names.

And “gunair alam asankhyeyair mahatmyam” (SB 7.4.36) So Narada Muni says what could I say his qualities are so many, innumerable qualities, you cannot make a list, big list, unlimited qualities, tasya sucyate – but one thing, one amongst those qualities that stands out is ‘vasudeve bhagavati yasya naisargiki ratih’ is naisargiki ratih- natural attraction for the Lord “vasudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogah prayojitah janayaty asu vairagyam jnanam ca yad ahaitukam” (SB 1.2.7) his attachment for Lord is so natural that I must tell, that I must say. Even if I don’t get to say all the qualities but I must point this out to you Narada Muni says, is he talking to Yudhistira Maharaja? Yes he is talking with Yudhistira Maharaja Rajan, my dear king, I won’t be able to say everything all the qualities but I must bring this to your attention, ‘vasudeve bhagavati yasya naisargiki ratih’ – natural attraction he had for his Lord.

Oh! Is your Lord everywhere? Ofcourse. In this pillar also? Why not? He didn’t even had to think; natural. Is your Lord everywhere? Yes Yes, in this pillar also? But this pillar is my pillar, this belongs to me, your Lord is residing here, not paying any rent nothing. And because Prahlada Maharaja had very spontaneously, yes my Lord is everywhere, in the pillar also and Bhagvatam says ‘bhasitum satya’ – to prove that words of Prahlada Maharaja were true, Lord appeared in the pillar. His devotee had said, Prahlada said my Lord is in the pillar, he has already said it, now I have no choice, Lord appeared on the pillar and He proved that His devotee’s words were true. Such a naisargiki ratih Prahlada Maharaja very natural. He was born with these qualities, this was his first nature.

As a result we come to the second verse: “nyasta-kridanako balo” (SB 7.4.37) even as a child, he would not play everyone else was playing. On the contrary he would stop other children from playing, hey friends come come and then he would get them to chant and dance during the school break when one teacher has left, another one is coming, he would become a teacher, he would go hey friends stand up stand up raise your hands Hare Krishna Hare Krishna.. and the others would chant. So he was stopping playing of others as Srila Prabhupada had stopped also our playing. We could have certainly done lots of other nonsense things like I could have, my parents wanted me to be an engineer by now I would have my own a motor bike and returned back to village with the bike to my parents.

But because Prabhupada also like a graha like a planet in our life he appeared and he changed everything, the whole direction changed. Whatever was due, the direction was set because of our karmas and Prabhupada appeared in our life and he also gave Krishna in our life, he gave us Radha Madhav, he gave us Narsimha, he gave us Prahlada Maharaja, his life, his teachings, his Bhagvatam all these are like a planet Krishna planets for us also. So more we expose ourselves to these sunrays of this Krishna graha then we will be purified as sunrays are purifying all the places where people pass stool, urine, sun is purifying sun is not contaminated from this, sun is purified.

So Krishna is there in the form of Radha Madhav, the deities, Krishna is there in the form of Holy Name for us, Krishna is as brilliant as sun “kalau nasta-drsam esa” (SB 1.3.43) people lost their eye sight in this age of Kali then Lord arranged this Bhagvatam- ‘puranarko adhunoditah’. Bhagavtam appeared which is brilliant as sun, it is another sun supreme planet Bhagvatam, prasadam is another Krishna, ‘swa-prasad anna dilo bhai’ Lord appears in the form of prasad. The dham is not different from Lord. So many of you are so fortunate that you could, we are just visitors, we are in and out but some of you have become permanent residents you are here, we come we go but you are always here, day after day year after year you get to be in the dham.

So by avoiding all the ten offenses at the lotus feet of the dham reside in the dham influence your life, our life, dham is another planet. So all these different features have been packet in package called International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Krishna is packed in different features and delivered unto us and in turn it is our duty to deliver this Krishna to others and others and others. So children will stop playing, young people will stop running after this or that one or there will no anxiety during old age. Nice time during old age till the last breath such is a life influenced by, if it is influenced by Krishna planet, Supreme planet.

Any questions or comments? Srila Prabhupada ki Jai!