Canto 7: The Science of GodChapter 4: Hiraṇyakaśipu Terrorizes the Universe

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.4.36

guṇair alam asańkhyeyair

māhātmyaḿ tasya sūcyate

vāsudeve bhagavati

yasya naisargikī ratiḥ

SYNONYMS

guṇaiḥ — with spiritual qualities; alam — what need; asańkhyeyaiḥ — which are innumerable; māhātmyam — the greatness; tasya — of him (Prahlāda Mahārāja); sūcyate — is indicated; vāsudeve — to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva; bhagavati — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; yasya — of whom; naisargikī — natural; ratiḥ — attachment.

TRANSLATION

Who could list the innumerable transcendental qualities of Prahlāda Mahārāja? He had unflinching faith in Vāsudeva, Lord Kṛṣṇa [the son of Vasudeva], and unalloyed devotion to Him. His attachment to Lord Kṛṣṇa was natural because of his previous devotional service. Although his good qualities cannot be enumerated, they prove that he was a great soul [mahātmā].

PURPORT

In his prayers to the ten incarnations, Jayadeva Gosvāmī says, keśava dhṛta-narahari-rūpa jaya jagad-īśa hare. Prahlāda Mahārāja was a devotee of Lord Nṛsiḿha, who is Keśava, Kṛṣṇa Himself. Therefore when this verse says vāsudeve bhagavati, one should understand that Prahlāda Mahārāja's attachment for Nṛsiḿhadeva was attachment for Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, the son of Vasudeva. Prahlāda Mahārāja, therefore, is described as a great mahātmā. As the Lord Himself confirms in Bhagavad-gītā (7.19):

bahūnāḿ janmanām ante

jñānavān māḿ prapadyate

vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti

sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ

"After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare." A great devotee of Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva, is a great soul very rarely to be found. Prahlāda Mahārāja's attachment for Kṛṣṇa will be explained in the next verse. Kṛṣṇa-graha-gṛhītātmā. Prahlāda Mahārāja's heart was always filled with thoughts of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja is the ideal devotee in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness