FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.5.22

हिरण्यकशिपुरुवाच प्रह्रादानूच्यतां तात स्वधीतं किञ्चिदुत्तमम् । कालेनैतावतायुष्मन् यदशिक्षद्गुरोर्भवान् ॥ २२ ॥
hiraṇyakaśipur uvāca
[hiranyakashipur uvaacha]
prahrādānūcyatāṁ tāta
[prahraadaanoochyataam taata]
svadhītaṁ kiñcid uttamam
[svadheetam kinchid uttamam]
kālenaitāvatāyuṣman
[kaalenaitaavataayushman]
yad aśikṣad guror bhavān
[yad ashikshad guror bhavaan]
hiraṇyakaśipuḥ uvāca — King Hiraṇyakaśipu said prahrāda — my dear Prahlāda anūcyatām — let it be told tāta — my dear son svadhītam — well learned kiñcit — something uttamam — very nice kālena etāvatā — for so much time āyuṣman — O long-lived one yat — which aśikṣat — has learned guroḥ — from your teachers bhavān — yourself.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
hiraṇyakaśipur uvāca
hiraṇyakaśipuḥ uvāca
King Hiraṇyakaśipu said
prahrādānūcyatāṁ tāta
prahrāda
my dear Prahlāda
anūcyatām
let it be told
tāta
my dear son
svadhītaṁ kiñcid uttamam
svadhītam
well learned
kiñcit
something
uttamam
very nice
kālenaitāvatāyuṣman
kālena etāvatā
for so much time
āyuṣman
O long-lived one
yad aśikṣad guror bhavān
yat
which
aśikṣat
has learned
guroḥ
from your teachers
bhavān
yourself.
Hiraṇyakaśipu said: My dear Prahlāda, my dear son, O long-lived one, for so much time you have heard many things from your teachers. Now please repeat to me whatever you think is the best of that knowledge.

In this verse, Hiraṇyakaśipu inquires from his son what he has learned from his guru. Prahlāda Mahārāja’s gurus were of two kinds — Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka, the sons of Śukrācārya in the seminal disciplic succession, were the gurus appointed by his father, but his other guru was the exalted Nārada Muni, who had instructed Prahlāda when Prahlāda was within the womb of his mother. Prahlāda Mahārāja responded to the inquiry of his father with the instructions he had received from his spiritual master, Nārada. Thus there was again a difference of opinion because Prahlāda Mahārāja wanted to relate the best thing he had learned from his spiritual master, whereas Hiraṇyakaśipu expected to hear about the politics and diplomacy Prahlāda had learned from Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka. Now the dissension between the father and son became increasingly intense as Prahlāda Mahārāja began to say what he had learned from his guru Nārada Muni.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Hiraṇyakaśipu said: My dear son Prahlāda with long life! You should favorably say the excellent knowledge that you have learned from your teacher. Svadhītam means “what you have studied without having doubts.” Anu means favorably, conforming to what they taught. The teacher refers to the son of Śukrācārya from Hiraṇyakaśipu’s point of view, but it refers to Nārada from Prahlāda’s point of view.
Hiraṇyakaśipu asks, 'tell me whatever you think is best of what you've learned.' Prahlāda will answer with the teachings of his real guru, Nārada, not those of Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka. When asked for the best, give what is best — not what is safe.
Reflection Questions
  • When asked 'what's the best of what you know?' do you give the safe answer or the true one?
  • Whose real teaching in your life would you cite if you had to choose one source?
📝 My note

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