bowerbird cyberlibrary -- bhagap162.html

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----- bhagap162.html

THE PRAYER OF PRAHLADA.
SKANDHA VII. CHAP. 9.

Brahma and other Devas, Rishis and wise men, full of Satva,
have failed to adore Thee in suitable words. How can this Asura
boy please Thee, O Hari: But I think, it is not wealth, good birth,
beauty, asceticism, learning, power, intellect, or even Yoga that is so
much suited for the worship of Parama Purusha as Bhakti. It is by
Bhakti that the elephant king pleased Bhagavan. Even a Chanddla,
(an outcaste) is much superior to a Brahmana, who has all the 12
virtues, but has no devotion to Vishuu. For the Chandala who offers
his Manas, his words, his Karma, his wealth and even his Prana to
Vishnu, purifies not only himself, but his whole line, while, the proud
Brahmana does not even purify himself, (Without devotion, the vir-
tues only serve to increase pride. They do not purify the mind.
Sridhara.}

(The Almighty Vishnu does not want any offering from the
ignorant for himself. He is possessed of all things. But the man who
gives offerings to Him can alone keep them to himself, for verily
the paintings on the real face are to be seen in the image. The self
in man is only a reflection of Atma or Manas. Therefore if a man
does any thing that affects his Manas only, it does not concern his
real self. If an offering is made to Isvara, that reaches his real self).

Therefore though of low birth, I have no hesitation in reciting
thy glory as much as I can, for such a recital is sure to purify a
man.

With-draw, O Lord! this terrible form, and be cooled..?? Look!
the world trembles at Thee.

I am not afraid, however, even of this form, as I am afraid of
the wheel of births. Give shelter at thy feet, that I may gain
Moksha.

I have been scorched by the fire of misery in all births. The
only remedy is devotion to Thy service. For Thy servant by Thy
favor gets the company of Mahatmas. By their company, he gets rid
of all worldly attachments and sings the glory of Bhagavan. Then
the miseries of life cannot overpower him.

The parents are not the protectors of the child; medicine is not
the remedy for the diseased; the boat is not a shelter for the drown-
ing; for they cannot save from a recurrence of evils- And even the
little that others do is promoted by the Prompter of all.

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