Devanagari
श्रीदैत्यपुत्रा ऊचु:
प्रह्राद त्वं वयं चापि नर्तेऽन्यं विद्महे गुरुम् ।
एताभ्यां गुरुपुत्राभ्यां बालानामपि हीश्वरौ ॥ २९ ॥
बालस्यान्त:पुरस्थस्य महत्सङ्गो दुरन्वय: ।
छिन्धि न: संशयं सौम्य स्याच्चेद्विस्रम्भकारणम् ॥ ३० ॥
Verse text
śrī-daitya-putrā ūcuḥ
prahrāda tvaṁ vayaṁ cāpi
narte ’nyaṁ vidmahe gurum
etābhyāṁ guru-putrābhyāṁ
bālānām api hīśvarau
bālasyāntaḥpura-sthasya
mahat-saṅgo duranvayaḥ
chindhi naḥ saṁśayaṁ saumya
syāc ced visrambha-kāraṇam
Synonyms
śrī
—
daitya — putrāḥ ūcuḥ — the sons of the demons said
;
prahrāda
—
O dear friend Prahlāda
;
tvam
—
you
;
vayam
—
we
;
ca
—
and
;
api
—
also
;
na
—
not
;
ṛte
—
except
;
anyam
—
any other
;
vidmahe
—
know
;
gurum
—
spiritual master
;
etābhyām
—
these two
;
guru
—
putrābhyām — the sons of Śukrācārya
;
bālānām
—
of little children
;
api
—
although
;
hi
—
indeed
;
īśvarau
—
the two controllers
;
bālasya
—
of a child
;
antaḥpura
—
sthasya — remaining inside the house or palace
;
mahat
—
saṅgaḥ — the association of a great person like Nārada
;
duranvayaḥ
—
very difficult
;
chindhi
—
please dispel
;
naḥ
—
our
;
saṁśayam
—
doubt
;
saumya
—
O gentle one
;
syāt
—
there may be
;
cet
—
if
;
visrambha
—
kāraṇam — cause of faith (in your words) .
Translation
The sons of the demons replied: Dear Prahlāda, neither you nor we know any teacher or spiritual master other than Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka, the sons of Śukrācārya. After all, we are children and they our controllers. For you especially, who always remain within the palace, it is very difficult to associate with a great personality. Dear friend, most gentle one, would you kindly explain how it was possible for you to hear Nārada? Kindly dispel our doubts in this regard.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The sons of the demons said: O Prahlāda! We and you do not know any teacher other than Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka, the sons of Śukrācārya. They control us children. Therefore you cannot see Nārada. Since you remain within the palace, it is very difficult for Nārada to come to see you. Dear friend, if we are to believe you, please destroy our doubt.
They ask concerning this subject. We do not know any teacher except these two. They are the controllers of children. You cannot free yourself from their hands and go to Nārada. And it is also impossible for you to go to see Nārada, since you remain within the palace.
Thus ends the commentary on the Sixth Chapter of the Seventh Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.
Chapter Seven
Prahlāda Teaches Bhakti
7.7: What Prahlāda Learned in the Womb
7. What Prahlāda Learned in the Womb
7.7 Summary
In this chapter, to dissipate the doubts of his class friends, the sons of the demons, Prahlāda Mahārāja states how, within the womb of his mother, he had heard from the mouth of Nārada Muni, who had instructed him in bhāgavata-dharma.
When Hiraṇyakaśipu left his kingdom and went to the mountain known as Mandarācala to execute severe austerities, all the demons scattered. Hiraṇyakaśipu's wife, Kayādhu, was pregnant at that time, and the demigods, mistakenly thinking that she carried another demon in her womb, arrested her. Their plan was that as soon as the child took birth they would kill him. While they were taking Kayādhu to the heavenly planets, they met Nārada Muni, who stopped them from taking her away and took her to his āśrama until Hiraṇyakaśipu's return. In Nārada Muni's āśrama, Kayādhu prayed for the protection of the baby in her womb, and Nārada Muni reassured her and gave her instructions on spiritual knowledge. Taking advantage of those instructions, Prahlāda Mahārāja, although a small baby within the womb, listened very carefully. The spirit soul is always apart from the material body. There is no change in the spiritual form of the living entity. Any person above the bodily conception of life is pure and can receive transcendental knowledge. This transcendental knowledge is devotional service, and Prahlāda Mahārāja, while living in the womb of his mother, received instructions in devotional service from Nārada Muni. Any person engaged in the service of the Lord through the instructions of a bona fide spiritual master is immediately liberated, and being free from the clutches of māyā, he is relieved of all ignorance and material desires. The duty of everyone is to take shelter of the Supreme Lord and thus become free from all material desires. Regardless of the material condition in which one is situated, one can achieve this perfection. Devotional service is not dependent on the material activities of austerity, penance, mystic yoga or piety. Even without such assets, one can achieve devotional service through the mercy of a pure devotee.
Purport
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Seventh Canto, Sixth Chapter, of the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,
entitled “Prahlāda Instructs His Demoniac Schoolmates.”