Dayānanda: (chants synonyms, with devotees repeating)
Translation: (01:39) "O King Yudhiṣṭhira, Prahlāda Mahārāja, the exalted devotee, although a little boy, accepted the words of Lord Brahmā and gradually proceeded towards Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva, and immediately fell down to offer his respectful obeisances with folded hands."
Prabhupāda:
- tatheti śanakai rājan
- mahā-bhāgavato 'rbhakaḥ
- upetya bhuvi kāyena
- nanāma vidhṛtāñjaliḥ
- (SB 7.9.4)
So Prahlāda Mahārāja, mahā-bhāgavata, uttama-adhikārī. There are three stages of devotional platform. First stage is called kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, second stage is called madhyama-adhikārī, and third stage, or topmost stage, is called uttama-adhikārī. So he was only five years old. How he became uttama-adhikārī, on the topmost stage? He had no training. Still, he is addressed here by Narada Muni—Narada Muni was his guru—and still, he is describing Prahlāda Mahārāja as mahā-bhāgavata. That means even one is mahā-bhāgavata, he has to accept a guru. Narada Muni, he is guru; he knows that "Prahlāda is my disciple, but he is mahā-bhāgavata." Not only that, before his birth, when he was within the womb of his mother... His mother was attacked by the demigods, headed by Indra, and they were dragging her to their palace. Narada Muni met, said, "What are you doing this? You are harassing one woman?" "No, sir, we are not harassing, only we are taking her in our place to wait for the deliverance of the child. Then we shall kill him. Because he is born of atheist father, so he is another demon." Narada Muni said, "No, no, no. You are mistaken. He is not demon, he is mahā-bhāgavata."
So in the beginning he was mahā-bhāgavata, since he was in within the womb of his mother. And later on he is mahā-bhāgavata. This is called nitya-siddha, eternally mahā-bhāgavata. Eternally mahā-bhāgavata never forgets Kṛṣṇa, in any circumstance. That is the sign of mahā-bhāgavata, nitya-siddha. Prahlāda Mahārāja was put into so many trials when he was only a child, still he never forgot Kṛṣṇa. That is the sign of mahā-bhāgavata. In any circumstances. It does not mean that because one is mahā-bhāgavata he should not be put into trials. He can be put into trials, because the material world is like that. The Western country, they, Lord Jesus Christ, he was put into trials but he never forgot Kṛṣṇa. This is sign of mahā-bhāgavata, nitya-siddha.
- gaurāṅgera saṅgi-gaṇe nitya-siddha kori 'māne
- se jāy brajenda-nandana pāś
- (Prārthanā 13)
"If one can understand nitya-siddha bhāgavata, then he immediately becomes eligible to go back to home, to back to Godhead. This is the privilege of associating with mahā-bhāgavata."
So our system is... (child crying) (aside:) Child may be taken... Evaṁ paramparā, to associate with the mahā-bhāgavata by words or by physical exposition. So mahā-bhāgavata, arbhakaḥ. One may argue, arbhakaḥ means foolish child who has no knowledge, he is called arbhakaḥ. How we can say mahā-bhāgavata, arbhakaḥ, he has no knowledge? No. It is possible. Ahaituky apratihatā. Bhakti does not depend on age or on advanced knowledge, or richness, or so many other things—janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26), to take birth in high family, aristocracy, and to become rich, to become beautiful, to become very learned scholar. These things are material assets, but spiritual life does not depend on these things. One can become spiritually very advanced even though he is poor, he is born in a low, low-grade family. Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. He was born in Muhammadan family, but mahā-bhāgavata. There are so many examples. Not that because he was born in a Muhammadan family, therefore he cannot. This Marchoism(?) is like that, but actually it is not. Ahaituky apratihatā. Bhakti is so purifying that any condition, any circumstances, one can become devotee.
- māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
- ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
- striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās
- te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim
- (BG 9.32)
Kṛṣṇa says.
So everyone has got the potency to become mahā-bhāgavata, provided he tries. Sādhana-siddha and nitya-siddha. So Prahlāda Mahārāja is nitya-siddha, and there are sādhana-siddhas, just like we are. We are trying to approach the topmost goal of life by bhajana, by sādhana. So anyone has got the potency to come to the stage of mahā-bhāgavata, provided he follows the mahājana. You can become mahā-bhāgavata if you follow mahājana. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). If you follow the mahājana's path then everyone can become. Of course, it is not possible everyone to become mahā-bhāgavata, but there is possibility. Simply we have to become serious to follow the path of mahājana. Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Tarko apratiṣṭhaḥ. Simply by argument, you cannot make advancement. Simply by neti neti, or there are many other processes, mystic yoga process to become very austere, remain silent, mauna-vrata, śruta-tapa, tapasya, education, austerity... None of them are the cause but becoming bhakta, only devotional service, if one is fixed up, dṛḍha-vratāḥ. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritaḥ bhajanty, dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.13). So we should be very much firmly fixed up, following the rules and regulation.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja, he is nitya-siddha. Nitya-siddha means there are living entities, every living entity is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. So one who does not fall down, he is called nitya-siddha. One who does not fall down. Just like in this material world there are millions and millions of living entities, but they have fallen down. But there are multi-millions and millions of living entities in the vaikuṇṭha-loka, they never fall down. They are called nitya-siddha. They never come here. So we have no information. This is only one-fourth manifestation of God's creation, and the three-fourths creation of God is there. Not creation; it is everlasting. Just like in the prison house, if you go to the prison house, it does not mean that the whole state is there. It is only insignificant part of the state, and only the criminals they are put together.