134 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 7, Ch. 8

devotion to God is but an opiate, a kind of illusion, like the illusions
derived from LSD and opium. Hiranyakasipu did not believe Prahlada
Maharaja when Prahlada asserted that his Lord is present everywhere.
Because Hiranyakasipu, as a typical demon, was convinced that there is
no God and that no one could protect Prahlada, he felt encouraged to kill
his son. He challenged the idea that the devotee is always protected by

the Supreme Lord.
TEXT 14

ud TERUG TET

Gd Wed «Aaa: |
aq Tata TWAT

wat ddtetare: Sgear ell

evam duruktair muhur ardayan rusd
sutam maha-bhagavatam mahasurah

khadgam pragrhyotpatito vardsanat
stambham tatddatibalah sva-mustina

evam—thus; duruktaih—by harsh words; muhuh—constantly;
ardayan—chastising; rusa—with unnecessary anger; sutam—his son;
maha-bhagavatam—who was a most exalted devotee; maha-asurah—
Hiranyakasipu, the great demon; khadgam—sword; pragrhya—taking
up; utpatitah—having gotten up; vara-dsandt—from his exalted
throne; stambham—the column; tatdda—struck; ati-balah—very
strong; sva-mustind—by his fist.

TRANSLATION

Being obsessed with anger, Hiranyakasipu, who was very great
in bodily strength, thus chastised his exalted devotee-son Prahlada
with harsh words. Cursing him again and again, Hiranyakasipu
took up his sword, got up from his royal throne, and with great
anger struck his fist against the column.

TEXT 15
Tea aay Pracistratrnt
Ct CM GIS TAS LT
