SB 7.8.7
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 7
- śrī-prahrāda uvāca
- na kevalaṁ me bhavataś ca rājan
- sa vai balaṁ balināṁ cāpareṣām
- pare 'vare 'mī sthira-jaṅgamā ye
- brahmādayo yena vaśaṁ praṇītāḥ
SYNONYMS
śrī-prahrādaḥ uvāca — Prahlāda Mahārāja replied; na — not; kevalam — only; me — of me; bhavataḥ — of yourself; ca — and; rājan — O great King; saḥ — he; vai — indeed; balam — strength; balinām — of the strong; ca — and; apareṣām — of others; pare — exalted; avare — subordinate; amī — those; sthira-jaṅgamāḥ — moving or nonmoving living entities; ye — who; brahma-ādayaḥ — beginning from Lord Brahmā; yena — by whom; vaśam — under control; praṇītāḥ — brought.
TRANSLATION
Prahlāda Mahārāja said: My dear King, the source of my strength, of which you are asking, is also the source of yours. Indeed, the original source of all kinds of strength is one. He is not only your strength or mine, but the only strength for everyone. Without Him, no one can get any strength. Whether moving or not moving, superior or inferior, everyone, including Lord Brahmā, is controlled by the strength of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
Lord Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (BG 10.41):
yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ
śrīmad ūrjitam eva vā
tat tad evāvagaccha tvaṁ
mama tejo-’ṁśa-sambhavam
"Know that all beautiful, glorious and mighty creations spring from but a spark of My splendor." This is confirmed by Prahlāda Mahārāja. If one sees extraordinary strength or power anywhere, it is derived from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. To give an example, there are different grades of fire, but all of them derive heat and light from the sun. Similarly, all living entities, big or small, are dependent on the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One's only duty is to surrender, for one is a servant and cannot independently attain the position of master. One can attain the position of master only by the mercy of the master, not independently. Unless one understands this philosophy, he is still a mūḍha; in other words, he is not very intelligent. The mūḍhas, the asses who do not have this intelligence, cannot surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Understanding the subordinate position of the living entity takes millions of births, but when one is actually wise he surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (BG 7.19):
bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ
"After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare." Prahlāda Mahārāja was a great soul, a mahātmā, and therefore he completely surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Lord. He was confident that Kṛṣṇa would give him protection under all circumstances.