Sant Prahlad Ji & God's Manifestation

The pure belongs to the ‘Wonderous Enlightener’. The victory belongs to the Wonderous Enlightener’.                                                                                                                                         

Prahlad Ji was then kept in a ‘Kota’ (a isolated room on the rooftop) and the door was locked. The fearless child was not afraid at all. He said, "My Guru who looks after the world is inside me”. Eventually, the group of evil rulers decided to send Prahlad Ji towards his end. Prahlad Ji was pushed off a mountain, thrown into water, and forced to sit into a blaze of fire but God saved him every time by changing the laws of nature. The hard ground where Prehlad Ji would fall became soft for his protection. The water could not drown him and the fire could not burn him. The gathering of the wicked people could not do anything against him. All the demon’s attempts kept failing.

On another occasion, Harnakhs went to Prahlad Ji’s school to see his son’s behaviour and was very shocked. When the king asked his son to show what he had learned, Prehlad Ji fearlessly began to repeat God’s name. Harnakhs became more furious and said, “Who else is there except for me that you are worshipping? O fool! why are you repeating the name of God? Only Harnakhs is the most powerful in the water and on the lands.” The king then commanded his soldiers to tie Prehlad Ji to a pillar. Harnakhs raised his ‘Gurj’ (mace) to scare Prahlaad Ji, and yelled “Where is your Lord of the Universe now?” Prehlad Ji replied "The life of the world, the great giver, is my help and support above all. I see him existing wherever I look."

Harnakhs finally decided that he should end Prehlad Ji himself. Harnakhs lit a pillar on fire and demanded his son to hug it to prove his faith in God. Prahlaad Ji answered, "The   Lord, the Master of the three worlds, exists in this pillar too." Prehlad Ji saw an insect walking on the hot pillar and understood it was a Divine sign that God will protect him. Prehlad Ji hugged the pillar with pure belief in God. Harnakhs thundered with rage and threatened to kill Prahlaad Ji: "Tell me, who can save you?" Harnakhs drew his sword and charged towards his son with great ego “Where is your Lord to save you now?"

In an instant, God split the pillar and appeared out of it in a very scary form. God appeared in the form of a half man and half lion who people soon referred to as Narsingh. The Lord came just in time to protect his devotee. Anybody who saw Narsingh was scared and trembled in fear. Narsingh had red eyes, a mouth filled with blood, and a dreadful roar. All of the soldiers ran away and only Harnakhs stood fearlessly holding a mace in his hand. After a fierce battle, Narsingh finally threw Harnaksh on the floor with a ground shaking thud (just as an old Palas tree falls down on the earth with a gust of wind). Harnakhs was then torn apart by Narsingh’s claws, and Prahlaad Ji was saved.

Nobody else could calm the form of Narsingh because he was very cross that his humble servant was being bullied. Even Lachmi was scared to go near Narsingh. So Prahlaad Ji came and fell at the Lord's Feet. Narsingh hugged Prehlad Ji and calmed his anger. A canopy was stretched over the head of Prahlad Ji and he was made the new king of Multan. After destroying the tyrants, Narsingh merged back in to the supreme light of God and his form disappeared. By killing the tyrants, evil was put to shame and this pillar still stands in Multan today as a memorial of this amazing history.

Overall, Bhagat Prahlad Ji is still remembered around the world today because big festivals like ‘Lohri’ and ‘Holi’ are both related to him. Bhai Gurdas Ji summarised this history beautifully in the following way:

"Prahlad the devotee was born in the house of the demon Haranakhas just like a lotus flower grows from barren land. When he was sent to school, the teacher’s minds were very happy (to teach a prince). Prahlad would remember the name of God in his heart and would play instruments continuously whilst singing hymns. All the other disciples became devotees of God too, which shocked the teachers. The teachers complained to the king and the malevolent demon started to quarrel. Prahlad was thrown into fire and water but with the grace of the Guru, neither did he burn nor did he drown. Harnakhs drew his sword and asked Prahlad who had given him the teachings of God’s name. God tore open the pillar and appeared out of it in the form of a beautiful half man half lion. The atheist was thrown down and killed as God has helped his devotees since the beginning of time. Seeing this, Brahma and other demi gods started to praise the Lord too."

(Bhai Gurdas Ji – Vaaran – Vaar 10, Pourri 2)

The pure belongs to the ‘Wonderous Enlightener’. The victory belongs to the Wonderous Enlightener’.

References:

1. Guru Granth Sahib Ji

2. Dasam Guru Granth Sahib Ji

3. Bhai Gurdas Ji’s Vaaran

4. Sant Gurbachan Singh Ji (Katha) from various Shabads in Gurbani

5. Jatha Randhawa - Gurbani

6. Bhai Kahan Singh - Mahan Kosh

7. S.H.A.R.E - Sikhi to the Max

8. Alphabet.Inc - Google