The learned teachers, addressing Prahlāda, urged him to abandon his opposition and his devotion to what they saw as the enemy. They reminded him that his father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, stood as the greatest among all—supreme even among teachers of teachers. They implored Prahlāda to accept this truth, praising his noble lineage, and asked who in all the three worlds could possibly deny the glory of the line of Marīci. They acknowledged the excellent conduct of his father, recognized by all the world, and assured Prahlāda that there was no falsehood in this, only truth. They emphasized that among all teachers, the father is the highest and most revered, and that what they said was beyond error. The father, they insisted, must be worshipped with utmost care. Prahlāda himself affirmed that this teaching was firmly fixed in his mind, and that he would not transgress it. Yet, responding to their question—“Why this endlessness?”—Prahlāda gently remarked that such words lacked substance. Having spoken thus, he fell silent, restrained by their admonishments. Smiling, he then asked again, “What is good in this endlessness? Please, O Gurus, tell me, if you will not be troubled by a discussion about the endless.” He continued, “Dharma, wealth, desire, and liberation are declared as the four aims of human life. If that is so, what purpose does this endlessness serve? Marīci and others, Daksha and others, and countless more have attained dharma; others have pursued wealth or time. Some, through knowledge, meditation, and concentration, have become knowers of the truth and, freed from bondage, attained liberation. But the sole root of prosperity, sovereignty, greatness, knowledge, lineage, action, and liberation is the worship of Hari. Since even the fruits called dharma, wealth, desire, and liberation come from Him, O twice-born ones, what then is the use of this endlessness that you speak of?” Prahlāda concluded, “Moreover, what is the use of so many words here? You are my elders; let them decide what is proper or improper, for my own discrimination is slight.” The teachers, angered by his persistence, warned him, “We have protected you, a mere child, from the fire of our anger. But if you speak again, you will not know the depth of our wisdom. If you do not abandon your delusion because of our words, then, to destroy your wrongful mind, we will employ a magical being.” But Prahlāda replied, “Who kills whom, and who protects whom among creatures? The self alone kills and protects itself, acting rightly or wrongly.” Enraged by his words, the preceptors of the Daitya king created a magical being, blazing with a garland of flames. This terrible being approached Prahlāda with resounding steps and, in great fury, struck him in the chest with her trident. Yet as the blazing trident reached the boy’s heart, it shattered and fell to the ground in a hundred pieces. For where the imperishable Lord Hari, the Supreme Lord, abides in the heart, even the thunderbolt is broken—what then of a mere trident? As the evil ones sent forth by the priests were cast down, the very destructive force they invoked was quickly destroyed. Seeing the priests themselves burned by the destructive power they had unleashed, Prahlāda, full of compassion, cried out, “Save me, Krishna! Infinite One!” and took refuge in Him. He prayed, “O all-pervading One, form of the universe, destroyer of the world’s afflictions, protect these Brahmins from the unbearable fire of the mantra. Just as Vishnu, the all-pervading teacher of the world, dwells in all beings, so too do these priests live by Him. Just as I consider Vishnu to be present everywhere, and not the fire, so even among the enemy, I think these priests live by Him. Those who came to kill me, who gave me poison, who set fire to me, who crushed me with elephants, and who had me bitten by snakes—towards them I am equal, regarding them as friends. I do not consider myself sinful. Therefore, by this truth, may these priests of the demons live today.” Thus addressed and touched by Prahlāda, all those priests became free from illness and rose up again. Humbled, the Brahmins spoke to him, “May you, dear one, be long-lived, endowed with unimpeded strength and vigor, blessed with sons, grandsons, wealth, and prosperity.” Having spoken thus, they went and reported everything that had happened to the great sage, the king of the Daityas. Śrī Parāśara continued: When Hiraṇyakaśipu heard that the destructive force had been rendered ineffective, he summoned his son and questioned him about the source of his power. “Prahlāda, you are of great power—what is this that you have done? Is this produced by some mantra, or is it innate to you?” Prahlāda, the child of the Asuras, bowed at his father’s feet and replied, “It is not by mantra or such means, father, nor is it my own nature. This power is common to anyone in whose heart the Imperishable One dwells. For one who does not think of others’ sins as his own, there is no arrival of sin, since there is no cause. Whoever harms others by deed, mind, or speech, for him the seed of that action bears abundant evil fruit at birth. I neither desire sin, nor do I commit or speak it, for I contemplate Keśava, who dwells in all beings and in my own self. Physical, mental, divine, and elemental suffering—where could any of these arise for one whose mind is auspicious everywhere? Thus, unwavering devotion must be practiced by the wise toward all beings, knowing Hari to be present in all creatures.