Chapter 18: Prahallada sent back to Ashram

News of Prahallada coming back to Palace upon completion of education. Prahallada mom overjoyed. The reunion with mom. HK’s invitation to Prahallada at the palace. The reunion with dad. Small talk. Prahallada says he was taught all wrong things. HK overjoyed at his son’s brilliance. But, pray, what wrong things, asks he. Prahallada informs that the real God is Vishnu and not HK. HK is stunned. He throws Prahallada away, unable to bear the shock. Conveniently he blames S&A for teaching Prahallada about Vishnu. He hears no excuses from them and gives them one more chance to make amends. The next time, they have to face death.

Lakshmi tensed over happenings to Prahallada. Vishnu pacifies that this is just the beginning. He asks her not to worry. The light which has to be spread will spread anyways.

HK’s dilemma as well. Informs his wife about his love for his son and his ire against his son for Prahallada’s love to Vishnu. Tells her that, worse comes worse, he might have to kill Prahallada. Prahallada mom’s nightmares start.

Prahallada is taken back to ashram. S&A tensed. Tells Prahallada what a student he is and what difficulties he has brought them. Prahallada promises no harm comes to S&A. He says he alone is responsible for his thoughts albeit his thoughts do not go hand-in-hand with their thoughts.

Prahallada does shavasan yoga (form of dead body). Disciples think he is dead. Informs S&A. Panic. Prahallada awakes. Tells them about how important it is to control one’s breath. Whereupon both the soul and the body can receive strength. Vishnu agrees. He says breath is the other name of life. If one can control Breath, one can control Life. In the future, pollution will rule the world. Then its necessary to control the breath. Yoga is the art of controlling one’s senses and strengthening one’s inner soul.

Everyone in ashram is fighting with swords. But not Prahallada. He is meditating. S&A enquire why not fighting. Prahallada says, learning to fight are fit for those who are afraid and do not have strength. He is not afraid and he has mental strength. Also, fighting encourages thoughts of violence, which he has no interest in. So he doesn’t want to learn. Other pupils are impressed by him, and want to follow his ways.

Panic for S&A as they are unable to control their disciples. So, at night, they approach Prahallada’s mom to request her to visit the ashram and tell Prahallada to behave. She does so. But Prahallada although surprised and happy to see her at his ashram at that time of the night, informs her of why to worry about the future. She asks him to follow what his teachers are teaching him since they are worried. P says they are not worried but they are scared because they know that the knowledge they are imparting is not based on truth; they themselves doubt the ideas they want their students to accept! They dont have faith in what they preach! She tells him of her midway position between hubby and sonny and she is worried whom she will lose. Prahallada just tells her to keep calm for He exists. When she has no control over Life, why worry? Life, death, problems, solutions are all the matter of Vishnu and why to worry when he is gonna do what is for best. When He is with you, there is neither fear nor worry.

HK wants to check the progress of his son. So he sends for him. Prahallada is teaching his friends about the magnificence of Vishnu when HK’s senapathi visits the ashram and asks for Prahallada’s and Prahallada’s teachers presence at the palace. Sensing ‘its guillotine time’, S&A panic. But Prahallada assures them and tells them again about his promise that he shall not bring harm to either of them. With that, the company proceed to palace.

Chapter 17: Prahallada and other disciples

The other disciples are puzzled by the strangeness in Prahallada. So they converse amongst themselves about who the actual God is. Prahallada says its Vishnu. All say HK.

So, a small experiment is carried out. Prahallada cuts a small plant into half & gives the broken stem to one of the disciples and tells him to ask his God (HK) to place the stem back onto the plant. So the pupil places the stem in front of HK idol and prays HK to do so. Nothing happens.

Then Prahallada prays Vishnu. ‘Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya Namaha.’ Vishnu hears it. Lakshmi asks him to help Prahallada. Vishnu does so. The broken stem magically gets itself planted on the plant. Other disciples are stunned. They change their opinion and accept that their God is indeed not HK, but Vishnu. So they all chant with Prahallada ‘Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya Namaha.’

Vishnu and Lakshmi are pleased that Prahallada has changed his fellow compatriots as well. Vishnu tells that he had to abide to P's ask since a lot depended on it. P's extreme faith in V made V do it. If V had not abide(d), then P's faith in V would have been broken. Those who lovingly ask V something, how can V turn them down? Also, how cannot Vishnu help when Lakshmi asks of him to abide?! Wink, wink!

Chapter 16: Prahallada with S&A

Soon the time comes to bid adieu to Kayadu. HK’s chieftain awaits for Kayadu at Narada’s. Prahallada invites Narada too, but he refuses. Narada says, the best place for a woman is at her husband’s place. Also, those living in hermitages wont find peace in a palace. The palace might have everything but hermitage has peace, which even people living in palaces crave for. And anyways, if Prahallad misses Narada, he (P) can use his (N) teachings in his (P) life and he (N) will be close to him (P)! P says that he will never forget N or N's teachings. N is only sad that he doesnt have anything to give to Kayadu upon her departure since he is an ascetic. Kayadu says her hands arent empty, it is filled with N's love.

Narada advises Prahallada about challenges in life and how he can face them if he has the confidence and Him with him. He tells P not to waver in faith. Smilingly bear all the problems. He will win in such cases. Prahallada agrees to follow as such.

Prahallada and mom enter HK’s palace. HK greets them suitably. He is much inspired by his son and his feelings for Father, Mother and Teacher. Throughout the night, as Prahallada sleeps, HK looks at him and fondles him. He thanks Kayadu for providing a son to him so that the Asura Loka could go on.

HK calls upon Shukracharya for providing education to Prahallada. Shukracharya is heading for tapas in Himalayas. So he has brought his sons Shand and Amarkh who will be tutors to Prahallada. Prahallada says he has learnt things in Devlok’s Narada. But Shukracharya says this education is different. It is about asura-shaasana (devil-based). So Prahallada agrees.

Shand and Amarkh take Prahallada to their ashram, where Prahallada is greeted with flowers, for he is the son of HK. So Prahallada says ‘Stop’ and that he is just like all disciples in the ashram and no distinction to be made at him. Co-pupils puzzled.

Before starting off, pray God, says Shand-Amarkh. So they go to the HK’s idol. Prahallada is shocked. He says that’s not God, that’s his pop. Your pop’s the God, says S&A. Prahallada refuses to believe this. He says God is someone who is there everywhere, in one’s mind, in non-living things, etc. But HK is just in the palace and so he is not the God. He can pray to HK as a father but not as a God. S&A tell Prahallada about the punishment of ashram if student disobeys.

Prahallada asks about the punishment. 5 thrashings. So Prahallada takes the stick and beats himself 5 times. Bloodlines come upon his palm.

Lakshmi is all distressed. Vishnu interprets this as 5 significant axioms to seek knowledge/education (control/restraint, endurance, following Guru's orders, not considering himself above his disciples even though he is a prince, making friends with his co-pupils). S&A repents the incident. They tell Prahallada to take rest so that they can start off from tomorrow.

Chapter 15: Child Prahallada

HK gives Narada a wish. For his help, he can have whatever he asks. Narada thinks over. For a sanyasi like him, he does not know what to ask. But he tells HK of the happiness that daughter Kayadu and her son has brought to his house. So he asks HK for the two’s extended stay in his house for some more time.

HK is ‘vachan-badh’ (promise-bound). Though he hates to be separated from his son, he lets Narada have his way for the help he had done him. Even Kayadu informs her wish to stay, as it was calm and peaceful and perfect for the upbringing of her child. So HK agrees.

But he asks Narada of one thing. Never to utter ‘Vishnu’. So Narada says, ‘For having the happiness of Kayadu and Prahallada, I can agree to anything. So, I promise, I will say everything except Vishnu.’ HK is satisfied, but easily duped.

Lakshmi is angered that Narada agreed. But Vishnu convinces her that by just not saying ‘Vishnu’ doesn’t necessarily mean that his name or the characteristics that one desires is not imparted. Also, Narada is brilliant in ‘Talking!’ So Lakshmi is impressed.

Prahallada has now become a boy. Narada has to tell him a story so that he can drink milk…

Narada starts - There exists a Creator called Vasudeva He has other names too, like Narayan, Trilokinath, Jagdishwar, Madhav, Kamalnayan, Lakshmipathi, etc. One day he decided to create the universe. From the navel and forehead came Brahma and Shiva respectively. Brahma is called the ‘Mukhya Adhipathi’ (chief). He was assigned the job of bearing families. Under him, there were many chieftains.

One such chieftain was Kashyap. Narada tells Prahallada that he, Prahallada, comes from Kashyap’s roots.

Likewise, there was one more chieftain called Daksh. He had a beautiful and wonderful daughter called Sati. Soon, a bond of love occurred between Sati (also called Parvathi) and Shiva. Daksh resented this. So Sati ‘pent’ herself up and ignited a fire within herself. So Prahallada asks how that could be done. Narada told that that could be achieved by doing tapas. Thus, Prahallada learns tapas.

Once his mom calls out his name, but he does not respond. So she comes out and nudges him only to see that his whole body has the temperature of fire. So, concerned, Kayadu asks Narada ‘Whats going on.’ He says, it’s the Tapas – supreme concentration of mind over body and that he taught him that.

Prahallada complains to Narada that even though Narada had taught him the Creator’s 999 names, he hadnt told 1 name. Narada, promise-bound, doesn’t say anything. So Prahallada guesses and says he has deduced the word himself and that is ‘Vishnu.’ Narada is impressed and is sure Prahallada will come up in life. But he states to Prahallada that he (Narada) never uttered that name!

Chapter 14: Prahallada takes birth

HK returns to palace. Total chaos. Shukracharya tells him about doings of Indra. Asuras Vs Devathas war ensues. Asuras win. Attack on Indra himself by HK. Indra accepts defeat. HK sits on his throne and calls himself ‘Bhagwan’. Tells Indra what a horrible crime he had committed by kidnapping a pregnant woman. Indra & Co are forced to run away from Devlok.

Narada brings HK to Kayadu placed in his house. The usual Embrace. HK once again is grateful to Narada for her safety. Kayadu refuses to go to palace for her child’s birth, for she is experiencing Heavenly peace here. Much to his chagrin, but respectful of Kayadu’s wishes, HK bestows upon a Vishnu-devotee Narada, the safe birth of his son. Narada is happy to oblige.

HK takes over Indra’s throne. He forces the apsaras there to dance and to give him happiness to forget the difficulties experienced in his tapas. Apsaras do so, under duress.

HK is joined by Rahu – the ‘head’ portion of Swarbhanu, ever alive because of his having drunk the amruth. He praises HK, degrades Kaalakethu and joins hands – rather heads! – with HK in war against Vishnu.

A couple of civilians are brought to HK’s palace for disobeying his orders of not mouthing ‘Vishnu’. So much so that they had named their son as ‘Vishnu!’ HK immediately orders kid’s guillotine. An innocent child gets killed.

Lakshmi’s usual concern. Vishnu’s pacifies some more. “A man shines more when he is about to die”, “All cruelty will definitely come to an end some time or the other,” etc. Also she says HK sat on Indra's throne. Now he is Superior. Vishnu laughs. Nobody is considered great just by achieving a great position. Man becomes great by doing great deeds. If an ordinary man ascends a worthy throne, then the throne will become great!! She also says that HK is crossing the boundary. Vishnu says the one who is crossing the boundary doesnt even know where the boundary is, and he is at dead-end! He indicates that the son whom HK wants to hate Vishnu will turn out to be Vishnu's greatest devotee and break his (HK's) pride. Story gets interesting - but when tyranny crosses the limit, the end is near too!!

Kayadu gets her labour pain. Narada is distressed. He calls upon Vishnu. “This is that time for a woman, when even her father is in no position to help her. So, help, me, oh, Vishnu.” Vishnu to the rescue. He sends a woman to help Kayadu out. Narada is grateful to her, who vanishes once her job is over.

Kayadu gives birth to a son. Narada tells him about the Road to Vishnu and the consequent successes in life - faith and trust in God, one who has this faith can move mountains, calm turbulent seas and make a slave of anyone and can control anything. Impossible can become possible. Lakshmi and Vishnu are enthralled about the proceedings, that of a Vishnu-devotee son to an unknowing Vishnu-hating pop! Vishnu is confident this son will be great like Dhruv. This child's unshakable faith will be proved only when he maintains his faith even under duress.

HK gets the info. He visits kayadu and kisses his son and thanks her for providing an heir to the Asuras. Once again, he is grateful to Narada. He says perhaps his son would become even more famous than himself. Narada, with a twinkle, says that it is indeed so. HK tells Narada to name the son. Since son has brought ‘Prasanna’ and ‘Ahlada’ (happiness) to HK, Narada names him as ‘Prahallada’.