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Credit: DH Illustration
The innocence and purity of infancy and childhood bears testimony to how we were meant to be, by our creator. Age is no measure to what we are capable of achieving – on both extremes of the age bar. Some children set examples by what their sincerity and immense faith can attain. Dhruv and Prahlad were two such children. Prince Dhruv pined for paternal love as a kid. Rudely pulled away from his father’s lap and banished from the kingdom with his mother, he was deeply saddened.
Consoled by his mother with the assurance that Narayana is the universal father who loves all his children, he set out to seek Him. After walking miles, crossing mountains and meditating for years, he finally found the Lord. Overwhelmed on meeting his divine father, Dhruv was too tongue-tied to say or ask for anything. Dhruv’s unshakable faith landed him a permanent coveted place in the cosmos as Dhruvtara or the Pole Star. One who once wandered to find his destination now guides and navigates travellers and ships to theirs, to date.
Prahlad was the son of the Asura king Hiranyakashipu, who was granted a boon by Brahma. This boon secured him from dying under many conditions making him virtually indestructible. His supposed invincibility made him arrogant enough to believe he could be God. He instructed and forced all his subjects to stop worshipping Vishnu and pray to him instead. Fearing their life, all of them relented; all except his son. Prahlad was exposed to Vishnu bhakti since the time he was in his mother’s womb. He dared to disobey his father rather fearlessly and continued to stick to his beliefs.
Angered by a mere child’s insolence and stubbornness, Hiranyakashipu tried to kill his own son on several occasions through different means. However, the little devotee was protected by Vishnu, each time. He was then placed on his paternal aunt Holika’s lap and set ablaze. She had a boon that kept her unaffected by fire. However, by Vishnu’s grace, she perished in the flames and Prahlad was unscathed! Prahlad’s unflinching faith ushered in Vishnu’s fourth avatar – half lion-half man, Narasimha who managed to kill Hiranyakashipu within the limitations set by the conditions granted by Brahma’s boon. Prahlad was instrumental in redeeming many people of his father’s atrocities and also helped in paving the way for his father’s moksha.
These two small wonders proved that the impossible could be desired and attained with determination and power of faith, irrespective of age!