Maitreya's Question about Prahlada

Verse 1 (vishnu.1.16.1)

श्रीमैत्रेय उवाच । कथितो भवता वंशो मानवानां महामुने । कारणं चास्य जगतो विष्णुर् एव सनातनः

śrīmaitreya uvāca kathito bhavatā vaṁśo mānavānāṁ mahāmune kāraṇaṁ cāsya jagato viṣṇur eva sanātanaḥ

Shri Maitreya said: You have told me, O great sage, the lineage of Manu's descendants, and that Vishnu, eternal, is the cause of this universe.

Verse 2 (vishnu.1.16.2)

यत् त्व् एतद् भगवान् आह प्रह्लादं दैत्यसत्तमम् । ददाह नाग्निर् नास्त्रैश् च क्षुण्णस् तत्याज जीवितम्

yat tv etad bhagavān āha prahlādaṁ daityasattamam dadāha nāgnir nāstraiś ca kṣuṇṇas tatyāja jīvitam

As for what the blessed lord has said of Prahlada, foremost of the Daityas — that fire could not burn him, nor weapons wound him, that, crushed, he did not give up his life;

Verse 3 (vishnu.1.16.3)

जगाम वसुधा क्षोभं यत्राब्धिसलिले स्थिते । बन्धबद्धोऽपि चलति विक्षिप्ताङ्गैः समाहता

jagāma vasudhā kṣobhaṁ yatrābdhisalile sthite bandhabaddho 'pi calati vikṣiptāṅgaiḥ samāhatā

that the earth was thrown into turmoil when, bound, he was placed in the waters of the ocean, and that, even as his limbs were scattered, he did not waver;

Verse 4 (vishnu.1.16.4)

शैलैर् आक्रान्तदेहोऽपि न ममार च यः पुरा । त्वयैवातीव माहात्म्यं कथितं यस्य धीमतः

śailair ākrāntadeho 'pi na mamāra ca yaḥ purā tvayaivātīva māhātmyaṁ kathitaṁ yasya dhīmataḥ

that even when his body was crushed beneath mountains he did not die before his time — you have told me the exceeding greatness of that wise one.

Verse 5 (vishnu.1.16.5)

तस्य प्रभावम् अतुलं विष्णोर् भक्तिमतो मुने । श्रोतुम् इच्छामि यस्यैतच् चरितं त्व् अमितौजसः

tasya prabhāvam atulaṁ viṣṇor bhaktimato mune śrotum icchāmi yasyaitac caritaṁ tv amitaujasaḥ

O sage, I wish to hear of the incomparable glory of that devotee of Vishnu, whose deeds are of measureless splendor.

Verse 6 (vishnu.1.16.6)

किंनिमित्तम् असौ शस्त्रैर् विक्षतो दितिजैर् मुने । किमर्थं चाब्धिसलिले निक्षिप्तो धर्मतत्परः

kiṁnimittam asau śastrair vikṣato ditijair mune kimarthaṁ cābdhisalile nikṣipto dharmatatparaḥ

For what reason, O sage, was that man devoted to dharma wounded with weapons by the Daityas? For what reason was he cast into the waters of the ocean?

Verse 7 (vishnu.1.16.7)

आक्रान्तः पर्वतैः कस्मात् कस्माद् दष्टो महोरगैः । क्षिप्तः किम् अद्रिशिखरात् किं वा पावकसंचये

ākrāntaḥ parvataiḥ kasmāt kasmād daṣṭo mahoragaiḥ kṣiptaḥ kim adriśikharāt kiṁ vā pāvakasaṁcaye

Why was he crushed beneath mountains? Why was he bitten by great serpents? Why was he thrown from a mountain peak? Why cast into a mass of fire?

Verse 8 (vishnu.1.16.8)

दिग्दन्तिनां दन्तभूमिः स च कस्मान् निरूपितः । संशोषकोऽनिलश् चास्य प्रयुक्तः किं महासुरैः

digdantināṁ dantabhūmiḥ sa ca kasmān nirūpitaḥ saṁśoṣako 'nilaś cāsya prayuktaḥ kiṁ mahāsuraiḥ

Why was he made the ground for the tusks of the elephants of the quarters? Why did the great Asuras direct a drying wind upon him?

Verse 9 (vishnu.1.16.9)

कृत्यां च दैत्यगुरवो युयुजुस् ते तु किं मुने । शम्बरश् चापि मायानां सहस्रं किं प्रयुक्तवान्

kṛtyāṁ ca daityaguravo yuyujus te tu kiṁ mune śambaraś cāpi māyānāṁ sahasraṁ kiṁ prayuktavān

And why, O sage, did the preceptors of the Daityas conjure up a sorceress against him? And why did Shambara employ his thousand illusions?

Verse 10 (vishnu.1.16.10)

हालाहलं विषं घोरं दैत्यसूदैर् महात्मनः । कस्माद् दत्तं विनाशाय यज् जीर्णं तेन धीमता

hālāhalaṁ viṣaṁ ghoraṁ daityasūdair mahātmanaḥ kasmād dattaṁ vināśāya yaj jīrṇaṁ tena dhīmatā

Why was the terrible Halahala poison given to that wise, great soul by the cooks of the Daityas, for his destruction — which he digested unharmed?

Verse 11 (vishnu.1.16.11)

एतत् सर्वं महाभाग प्रह्लादस्य महात्मनः । चरितं श्रोतुम् इच्छामि महामाहात्म्यसूचकम्

etat sarvaṁ mahābhāga prahlādasya mahātmanaḥ caritaṁ śrotum icchāmi mahāmāhātmyasūcakam

All this, O greatly blessed one, the story of that great-souled Prahlada, indicating his great glory, I wish to hear.

Verse 12 (vishnu.1.16.12)

न हि कौतूहलं तत्र यद् दैत्यैर् न हतो हि सः । अनन्यमनसो विष्णौ कः समर्थो निपातने

na hi kautūhalaṁ tatra yad daityair na hato hi saḥ ananyamanaso viṣṇau kaḥ samartho nipātane

There is indeed no wonder in this — that he was not slain by the Daityas; for who is capable of striking down one whose mind is set on nothing but Vishnu?

Verse 13 (vishnu.1.16.13)

तस्मिन् धर्मपरे नित्यं केशवाराधनोद्यते । स्ववंशप्रभवैर् दैत्यैः कर्तुं द्वेषोऽतिदुष्करः

tasmin dharmapare nityaṁ keśavārādhanodyate svavaṁśaprabhavair daityaiḥ kartuṁ dveṣo 'tiduṣkaraḥ

Against one ever devoted to dharma, ever intent upon the worship of Keshava, hostility by Daityas born of his own lineage is exceedingly difficult to accomplish.

Verse 14 (vishnu.1.16.14)

धर्मात्मनि महाभागे विष्णुभक्ते विमत्सरे । दैतेयैः प्रहृतं कस्मात् तन् ममाख्यातुम् अर्हसि

dharmātmani mahābhāge viṣṇubhakte vimatsare daiteyaiḥ prahṛtaṁ kasmāt tan mamākhyātum arhasi

Why was violence done by the Daityas against that righteous soul, that greatly blessed, devoted, and envy-free worshipper of Vishnu? This you should relate to me.

Verse 15 (vishnu.1.16.15)

प्रहरन्ति महात्मानो विपक्षे चापि नेदृशे । गुणैः समन्विते साधौ किं पुनर् यः स्वपक्षजः

praharanti mahātmāno vipakṣe cāpi nedṛśe guṇaiḥ samanvite sādhau kiṁ punar yaḥ svapakṣajaḥ

Great souls do not do violence even to an opponent who is not of this kind — how much less, then, to one endowed with virtues, virtuous, and born of one's own side?

Verse 16 (vishnu.1.16.16)

तद् एतत् कथ्यतां सर्वं विस्तरान् मुनिसत्तम । दैत्येश्वरस्य चरितं श्रोतुम् इच्छाम्य् अशेषतः

tad etat kathyatāṁ sarvaṁ vistarān munisattama daityeśvarasya caritaṁ śrotum icchāmy aśeṣataḥ

Tell me all of this in full, O foremost of sages; I wish to hear the entire story of that lord of the Daityas, without omission.