224 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 7, Ch. 9

PURPORT

Prahlada Maharaja was surprised at the causeless mercy of the
Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, for although Prahlada was
born in a demoniac family and although the Lord had never before
placed His lotus hand on the head of Brahm, Siva or the goddess of for-
tune, His constant companion, Lord Nrsirmhadeva kindly placed His hand
on the head of Prahlada. This is the meaning of causeless mercy. The
causeless mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead may be bestowed
upon anyone, regardless of his position in this material world. Everyone
is eligible to worship the Supreme Lord, irrespective of his material posi-

tion. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (14.26):

mam ca yo ‘vyabhicdrena
bhakti yogena sevate

sa gundn samatityaitan
brahma-bhiyaya kalpate

“One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in
any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and
thus comes to the level of Brahman.” Anyone who engages in continuous
devotional service to the Lord is situated in the spiritual world and has
nothing to do with the material qualities (sattva-guna, rajo-guna and
tamo-guna).

Because Prahlada Maharaja was situated on the spiritual platform, he
had nothing to do with his body, which had been born of the modes of
passion and ignorance. The symptoms of passion and ignorance are de-
scribed in Srimad- Bhagavatam (1.2.19) as lust and hankering (tada
rajas tamo-bhavah kéma-lobhddayaés ca ye). Prahlada Maharaja, being a
great devotee, thought the body born of his father to be born of passion
and ignorance, but because Prahlada was fully engaged in the service of
the Lord, his body did not belong to the material world. The pure
Vaisnava’s body is spiritualized even in this life. For example, when iron
is put into a fire it becomes red-hot and is no longer iron but fire.
Similarly, the so-called material bodies of devotees who fully engage in
the devotional service of the Lord, being constantly in the fire of spiritual
life, have nothing to do with matter, but are spiritualized.
