Learning is everything and putting our children through the right education is important. Our intentions in life have to be on point and principled. Hiranyakasipu was very fond of his son Prahlada, but wanted him raised in the manner of asuras, even though the boy showed great promise at a young age. When the instructors tutored him in a narrow vein, Prahlada continued to stay true to his early lessons, the ones he heard when he was still in the womb of his mother, as narrated by Narada, said Damal S. Perundevi. Therefore, when his father asked him about the best lessons he received from his teachers, the young boy promptly discoursed on how one should learn to develop bhakti.

“Hearing about Vishnu (shravanam), singing about Him (kirtanam), remembering Him (smaranam), serving Him (padasevanam), worshipping Him (archanam), saluting Him (vandanam), being His servant (dasyam), being His comrade (sakhyam), and surrendering oneself and everything that is one’s own to Him (atmanivedhanam) are the nine aspects of bhakti or god-love. If a man could be trained to practice devotion characterised by these nine features, that indeed would be the highest education he could have,” Prahlada said.

A furious Hiranyakasipu said there was no other god but himself, but Prahlada’s faith was unshakable. When Hiranyakasipu asks, “Where is that Lord of the world that you speak of, if there is any such other than me?”, an unruffled Prahlada says, “Everywhere.” Pointing to a pillar, the asura asks, “Is he in this pillar then?” and the son quietly replies, “I see him there too.” Prahlada constantly thought of God (smaranam) and this fetched him the desired result. Sri Hari, taking the avatar of Nrisimha, burst forth from the pillar, proving that He is ever ready to rush to the aid of his devotees.