Prahlada

Indian mythology · devotee · fearless faith

Son of the demon emperor Hiranyakashipu and devotee of Vishnu from the womb. Thrown from cliffs, trampled, poisoned, and burned for his faith, he emerged serene from every attempt, the archetype of the devotee whom God protects.

Stories

Prahlada and the Man-Lion

The demon emperor Hiranyakashipu, unkillable by man or beast, indoors or out, by day or night, tortures his own son for worshipping Vishnu. When he demands to know if this god lives even in a palace pillar, the pillar bursts: Narasimha, neither man nor beast, kills him at twilight on the threshold with claws that are no weapon.