SB 7.5.7

Srimad-Bhagavatam - Seventh Canto - Chapter 5: Prahlāda Mahārāja, the Saintly Son of Hiraṇyakaśipu

SB 7.5.6 - SB 7.5.8

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

TEXT 7

samyag vidhāryatāṁ bālo

guru-gehe dvi-jātibhiḥ

viṣṇu-pakṣaiḥ praticchannair

na bhidyetāsya dhīr yathā

SYNONYMS

samyak — completely; vidhāryatām — let him be protected; bālaḥ — this boy of tender age; guru-gehe — in the guru-kula, the place where children are sent to be instructed by the guru; dvi-jātibhiḥ — by brāhmaṇas; viṣṇu-pakṣaiḥ — who are on the side of Viṣṇu; praticchannaiḥ — disguised in different dresses; na bhidyeta — may not be influenced; asya — of him; dhīḥ — the intelligence; yathā — so that.

TRANSLATION

Hiraṇyakaśipu advised his assistants: My dear demons, give complete protection to this boy at the guru-kula where he is instructed, so that his intelligence will not be further influenced by Vaiṣṇavas who may go there in disguise.

PURPORT

In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, the tactic of dressing oneself like an ordinary karmī is necessary because everyone in the demoniac kingdom is against the Vaiṣṇava teachings. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not at all to the liking of the demons of the present age. As soon as they see a Vaiṣṇava dressed in saffron garments with beads on his neck and tilaka on his forehead, they are immediately irritated. They criticize the Vaiṣṇavas by sarcastically saying Hare Kṛṣṇa, and some people also chant Hare Kṛṣṇa sincerely. In either case, since Hare Kṛṣṇa is absolute, whether one chants it jokingly or sincerely, it will have its effect. The Vaiṣṇavas are pleased when the demons chant Hare Kṛṣṇa because this shows that the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is taking ground. The greater demons, like Hiraṇyakaśipu, are always prepared to chastise the Vaiṣṇavas, and they try to make arrangements so that Vaiṣṇavas will not come to sell their books and preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Thus what was done by Hiraṇyakaśipu long, long ago is still being done. That is the way of materialistic life. Demons or materialists do not at all like the advancement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and they try to hinder it in many ways. Yet the preachers of Kṛṣṇa consciousness must go forward—in their Vaiṣṇava dress or any other dress—for the purpose of preaching. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that if an honest person deals with a great cheater, it is necessary for him to become a cheater also, not for the purpose of cheating but to make his preaching successful.

SB 7.5.6 - SB 7.5.8