Passage 2

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In plain words

As the night-prowlers stabbed him, the son of the Daitya, again and again, "O You who rest on the serpent! O Destroyer of the demons! O Lord of the world! O Refuge of those in great distress! O Purifier of all!" so he praised; but he shed no tears from his eyes, nor did he tremble with fear, O King!

Prahlāda was a supreme devotee. His father was a hater of Viṣṇu. Even so, this Prahlāda was one who held God dear. Prahlāda was dear to Hari. The Mahābhārata has proclaimed the nature of Prahlāda well. This Prahlāda, a supreme devotee, taught the world that thinking of the Name alone is the way to fulfilment.

Pādasevanaṃ. Lakṣmī: she who has every kind of wealth, who is the home of all enjoyment and good fortune, who is the very form of all riches. Riches are not what matters. Proclaiming to the world that serving the feet of Hari is what matters, she gave herself up for ever to serving Hari's feet. The devotees of today are turning into devotees of riches; they are not growing into devotees of Hari. They cannot see the truth that by serving the feet of Hari, riches too come. So, foolish men! To take refuge in riches, forget Hari and go far from Divinity is not natural to humanness. "Give your life up to serving Hari's feet," Lakṣmī proclaimed.

Akrūra too taught that namaskāra is the way to everything. Namaskāra means to give up Ahaṅkāra, merge wholly in Divinity and offer oneself into the All: that is the inner meaning of namaskāra. To join the two, the five organs of knowledge and the five organs of action, and through these ten senses to be given up to God: that is the inner meaning of namaskāra.

Looking with the outer eye, we say namaskāra to everything. No. No. When we enquire well into its inner meaning, the divine Ātma-tattva is offered up in it. Namaskāra is putting these five together, making them one and touching them to the heart; so they called it namaskāra. Akrūra developed the vision that says, "With all my heart I offer up my ten senses and take refuge in You."

Arcanaṃ. Emperor Pṛthu was the one who won the favour of Divinity with the sixteen services of worship and fulfilled the wish of his heart. In this arcana, Emperor Pṛthu proclaimed to the world above all the worship of the limbs. Netrakamalaṃ samarpayāmi. Hṛdayakamalaṃ samarpayāmi. Likening the heart and all the senses to lotuses, they offered them up to God.