CHAPTER SEVEN
What Prahlada Learned in the Womb
In this chapter, to dissipate the doubts of his class friends, the sons of the
demons, Prahlada Maharaja states how, within the womb of his mother,
he had heard from the mouth of Narada Muni, who had instructed him
in bhagavata-dharma.

When Hiranyakasipu left his kingdom and went to the mountain
known as Mandaracala to execute severe austerities, all the demons scat-
tered. Hiranyakasipu’s wife, Kayadhu, 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 Kayadhu to the heavenly
planets, they met Narada Muni, who stopped them from taking her away
and took her to his asrama until Hiranyakasipu’s return. In Narada
Muni’s dsrama, Kayadhu prayed for the protection of the baby in her
womb, and Narada Muni reassured her and gave her instructions on
spiritual knowledge. Taking advantage of those instructions, Prahlada
Maharaja, 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 knowl-
edge. This transcendental knowledge is devotional service, and Prahlada
Maharaja, while living in the womb of his mother, received instructions
in devotional service from Narada Muni. Any person engaged in the ser-
vice of the Lord through the instructions of a bona fide spiritual master is
immediately liberated, and being free from the clutches of maya, 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 with-
out such assets, one can achieve devotional service through the mercy of
a pure devotee.

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