CHAPTER TEN
Prahlada, the Best
Among Exalted Devotees
This chapter describes how the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Nrsirnhadeva disappeared, after pleasing Prahlada Maharaja. It also de-
scribes a benediction given by Lord Siva.

Lord Nrsirmhadeva wanted to bestow benedictions upon Prahlada
Maharaja, one after another, but Prahlada Maharaja, thinking them im-
pediments on the path of spiritual progress, did not accept any of them.
Instead, he fully surrendered at the Lord’s lotus feet. He said: “If anyone
engaged in the devotional service of the Lord prays for personal sense
gratification, he cannot be called a pure devotee or even a devotee. He
may be called only a merchant engaged in the business of give and take.
Similarly, a master who wants to please his servant after taking service
from him is also not a real master.”” Prahlada Maharaja, therefore, did
not ask anything from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Rather, he
said that if the Lord wanted to give him a benediction, he wanted the
Lord to assure him that he would never be induced to take any benedic-
tions for the sake of material desires. Exchanges of devotional service for
lusty desires are always very prominent. As soon as lusty desires awaken,
one’s senses, mind, life, soul, religious principles, patience, intelligence,
shyness, beauty, strength, memory and truthfulness are all vanquished.
One can render unalloyed devotional service only when there are no ma-
terial desires in one’s mind.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead was greatly pleased with
Prahlada Maharaja for his unalloyed devotion, yet the Lord provided him
one material benediction —that he would be perfectly happy in this world
and live his next life in Vaikuntha. The Lord gave him the benediction
that he would be the king of this material world until the end of the
manvantara millennium and that although in this material world, he
would have the facility to hear the glories of the Lord and depend fully
on the Lord, performing service to Him in uncontaminated bhakti-yoga.

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