Text 4] Prahlada, the Saintly Son of Hiranyakasipu 219

PURPORT

Politics involves accepting one group of men as enemies and another
group as friends. Everything in politics is based on this philosophy, and
the entire world, especially at the present, is engrossed in it. The public
is concerned with friendly countries and friendly groups or enemy coun-
tries and enemy groups, but as stated in Bhagavad-gita, a learned person
does not make distinctions between enemies and friends. Devotees, es-
pecially, do not create friends and enemies. A devotee sees that every liv-
ing being is part and parcel of Krsna (mamaivarnso jiva-bhitah).
Therefore a devotee treats friends and enemies equally by trying to edu-
cate them both in Krsna consciousness. Of course, atheistic men do not
follow the instructions of pure devotees, but instead consider a devotee
their enemy. A devotee, however, never creates a situation of friendship
and enmity. Although Prahlada Maharaja was obliged to hear the in-
structions of Sanda and Amarka, he did not like the philosophy of
friends and enemies, which forms the basis of politics. He was not in-
terested in this philosophy.

TEXT 4

CHIU, TAKA WET |
TIS RAT TH AAS MAY THAT | 8 I!

ekaddsura-rat putram
ankam Gropya pandava
papraccha kathyatam vatsa
manyate sddhu yad bhavan

ekada—once upon a time; asura-rat—the Emperor of the asuras;
putram—his son; arkam—on the lap; Gropya—placing; pandava—O
Maharaja Yudhisthira; papraccha—inquired; kathyatam—let it be told;
vatsa—my dear son; manyate—considers; sddhu—the best; yat—that

which; bhavan—your good self.

TRANSLATION

My dear King Yudhisthira, once upon a time the King of the
demons, Hiranyakasipu, took his son Prahlada on his lap and very
