Text 55] Prahlāda, the Saintly Son of Hiraṇyakaśipu
291
his friends of the same age;  bālakaiḥ —boys;  tatra —there;  saḥ —he (Prahlāda Mahārāja);  apahūtaḥ —called;  kṛta-kṣaṇaiḥ —obtaining an opportune moment.
TRANSLATION
When the teachers went home to attend to their household affairs, the students of the same age as Prahlāda Mahārāja would call him to take the opportunity of leisure hours for play.
PURPORT
In tiffin hours, the hours when the teachers were absent from the classroom, the students called Prahlāda Mahārāja, wanting to play with him. As will be seen from the following verses, however, Prahlāda Mahārāja was not very much interested in playing. Instead, he wanted to utilize every moment for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore, as indicated in this verse by the word  kṛta-kṣaṇaiḥ , at the opportune moment when it was possible to preach about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Prahlāda Mahārāja used the time as follows.
TEXT 55
अथ ताञ् श्लक्ष्णया वाचा प्रत्याहूय महाबुधः । उवाच विद्वांस्तन्निष्ठां कृपया प्रहसन्निव ॥५५॥
atha tān ślakṣṇayā vācā pratyāhūya mahā-budhaḥ uvāca vidvāṁs tan-niṣṭhāṁ kṛpayā prahasann iva
atha —then;  tān —the class friends;  ślakṣṇayā —with very pleasing;  vācā —speech;  pratyāhūya —addressing;  mahā-budhaḥ —Prahlāda Mahārāja, who was highly learned and advanced in spiritual consciousness ( mahā  means “great,” and  budha  means “learned”);  uvāca —said;  vidvān —very learned;  tat-niṣṭhāṁ —the path of God realization;  kṛpayā —being merciful;  prahasan —smiling;  iva —like.
TRANSLATION
Prahlāda Mahārāja, who was truly the supreme learned person, then addressed his class friends in very sweet language. Smiling,