SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM - Prabhupada

CHAPTER FIVEPrahlada Maharaja,the Saintly Son of Hir81}yaka8ipuPrahlada Maharaja did not carry out the orders of his teachers, for hewas always engaged in worshiping Lord Vif?QU. As described in thischapter, HiraQyakasipu tried to kill Prahlada Maharaja, even by having asnake bite him and by putting him under the feet of elephants, yet hewas unsuccessful.HiraQyakasipu's spiritual master, Sukracarya, had two sons namedSaQ9a and Amarka, to whom Prahlada Maharaja was entrusted foreducation. Although the teachers tried to educate the boy Prahlada inpolitics, economics and other material activities, he did not care for theirinstructions. Instead, he continued to be a pure devotee. PrahladaMaharaja never liked the idea of discriminating between one's friendsand enemies. Because he was spiritually inclined, he was equal towardeveryone.Once upon a time, HiraQyakasipu inquired from his son what the bestthing was that he had learned from his teachers. Prahlada Maharajareplied that a man engrossed in the material consciousness of duality,thinking, "This is mine, and that belongs to my enemy," should give uphis householder life and go to the forest to worship the Supreme Lord.When HiraQyaka8ipu heard from his son about devotional service, hedecided that this small boy had been polluted by some friend in school.Thus he advised the teachers to take care of the boy so that he would notbecome a Krf?Qa conscious devotee. However, when the teachers inquiredfrom Prahlada Maharaja why he was going against their teachings,Prahlada Maharaja taught the teachers that the mentality of ownership isfalse and that he was therefore trying to become an unalloyed devotee ofLord Vif?QU. The teachers, being very angry at this answer, chastised andthreatened the boy with many fearful conditions. They taught him to thebest of their ability and then brought him before his father.HiraQyakasipu affectionately took his son Prahlada on his lap and theninquired from him what the best thing was that he had learned from his215