FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.4.36

गुणैरलमसङ्ख्येयैर्माहात्म्यं तस्य सूच्यते । वासुदेवे भगवति यस्य नैसर्गिकी रति: ॥ ३६ ॥
guṇair alam asaṅkhyeyair
[gunair alam asankhyeyair]
māhātmyaṁ tasya sūcyate
[maahaatmyam tasya soochyate]
vāsudeve bhagavati
[vaasudeve bhagavati]
yasya naisargikī ratiḥ
[yasya naisargikee ratih]
Word-for-word
guṇaiḥ — with spiritual qualities alam — what need asaṅkhyeyaiḥ — which are innumerable māhātmyam — the greatness tasya — of him (Prahlāda Mahārāja) sūcyate — is indicated vāsudeve — to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva bhagavati — the Supreme Personality of Godhead yasya — of whom naisargikī — natural ratiḥ — attachment.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
guṇair alam asaṅkhyeyair
guṇaiḥ
with spiritual qualities
alam
what need
asaṅkhyeyaiḥ
which are innumerable
māhātmyaṁ tasya sūcyate
māhātmyam
the greatness
tasya
of him (Prahlāda Mahārāja)
sūcyate
is indicated
vāsudeve bhagavati
vāsudeve
to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva
bhagavati
the Supreme Personality of Godhead
yasya naisargikī ratiḥ
yasya
of whom
naisargikī
natural
ratiḥ
attachment.
Who could list the innumerable transcendental qualities of Prahlāda Mahārāja? He had unflinching faith in Vāsudeva, Lord Kṛṣṇa [the son of Vasudeva], and unalloyed devotion to Him. His attachment to Lord Kṛṣṇa was natural because of his previous devotional service. Although his good qualities cannot be enumerated, they prove that he was a great soul [mahātmā].
Purport

In his prayers to the ten incarnations, Jayadeva Gosvāmī says, keśava dhṛta-narahari-rūpa jaya jagad-īśa hare. Prahlāda Mahārāja was a devotee of Lord Nṛsiṁha, who is Keśava, Kṛṣṇa Himself. Therefore when this verse says vāsudeve bhagavati, one should understand that Prahlāda Mahārāja’s attachment for Nṛsiṁhadeva was attachment for Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, the son of Vasudeva. Prahlāda Mahārāja, therefore, is described as a great mahātmā. As the Lord Himself confirms in Bhagavad-gītā (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.” A great devotee of Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva, is a great soul very rarely to be found. Prahlāda Mahārāja’s attachment for Kṛṣṇa will be explained in the next verse. Kṛṣṇa-graha-gṛhītātmā . Prahlāda Mahārāja’s heart was always filled with thoughts of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja is the ideal devotee in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Who can list the innumerable qualities of Prahlāda Mahārāja! It is accurately said that his greatness was his natural attraction for Vāsudeva. The number of qualities cannot be counted. Thus who can say enough? Who else could be so excellent? Let others have good qualities, but the cause of Prahlāda’s qualities was something else. What was that? They speak well of his greatness. What was that greatness? He had natural attraction for Vāsudeva. Or another meaning is “The greatness of Prahlāda who had natural attraction for Vāsudeva can only be slightly indicated since it is impossible to define fully.” The next verse says kṛṣṇa-graha-gṛhītātmā: he was as if haunted by Kṛṣṇa. Some say Vāsudeva means Nṛsiṁḥa. Others say Vāsudeva refers to Kṛṣṇa because in Prahlāda’s prayers in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is said āvirbabhūva bhagavān pītāmbaradharo hariḥ: the Lord wearing yellow cloth appeared. The next verse mentions Kṛṣṇa also: kṛṣṇa-graha-gṛhītātma. And also it is said later govinda-parirambhitaḥ: Prahlāda was embraced by Govinda. (SB 7.4.38) Others say that Prahlāda first had attraction for Vāsudeva and then later for Nṛsiṁha (when he appeared). It is mentioned in this verse that he had a natural attraction for Vāsudeva. His attraction did not develop by sādhana over many births as is the case with others.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Prahlada had unflinching faith in Vasudeva and unalloyed attachment, natural because of previous devotional service. The Gita calls such a soul a rare mahatma arriving after many births. Some devotion you carry today was begun in lives you do not remember.
Reflection Questions
  • What attachments in your life feel rooted in something older than this lifetime?
  • How does it change your effort to suspect your devotion has been many lives in the making?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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