SB 07.09.14 tad yaccha manyum asuras ca hatas tvayadya... cited

Expressions researched:
"lokas ca nirvrtim itah pratiyanti sarve" |"modeta sadhur api vrscika-sarpa-hatya" |"rupam nrsimha vibhayaya janah smaranti" |"tad yaccha manyum asuras ca hatas tvayadya"

SB Canto 7

SB 7.9.14, Translation and Purport:

My Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva, please, therefore, cease Your anger now that my father, the great demon Hiraṇyakaśipu, has been killed. Since even saintly persons take pleasure in the killing of a scorpion or a snake, all the worlds have achieved great satisfaction because of the death of this demon. Now they are confident of their happiness, and they will always remember Your auspicious incarnation in order to be free from fear.

The most important point in this verse is that although saintly persons never desire the killing of any living entity, they take pleasure in the killing of envious living entities like snakes and scorpions. Hiraṇyakaśipu was killed because he was worse than a snake or a scorpion, and therefore everyone was happy. Now there was no need for the Lord to be angry. The devotees can always remember the form of Nṛsiṁha-deva when they are in danger, and therefore the appearance of Nṛsiṁha-deva was not at all inauspicious. The Lord's appearance is always worshipable and auspicious for all sane persons and devotees.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.8.27 -- Los Angeles, April 19, 1973:

The nature is so kind that in whichever way you want to enjoy this material world, she will give you a suitable body under the direction of the Lord. Because Lord is situated everyone's heart. So He knows everything, that you still want something material. He will give you. "Yes, you take it." Kṛṣṇa wants that you get full experience that by material gain, you'll never be happy. This is Kṛṣṇa's business. It's full freedom. Although we have got minute quantity of freedom, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has got full freedom, but the freedom quality is there in me because I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. The chemical composition. The drop of sea water has got a drop of salt also. Although it is not comparable with the salt containing in the sea water. But the salt chemical is there. This is our understanding. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Whatever we have got in minute quantity, the same thing, in fullness is there in Kṛṣṇa. In fullness. Just like Kṛṣṇa says: mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś ca aham.

Now we have got a propensity to take other's thing. You can say it is stealing. We have got that propensity. Why? Now Kṛṣṇa has got. Kṛṣṇa is known as the Butter-thief. The beginning, thiefing, stealing. So unless that stealing propensity's there, how I can get? But Kṛṣṇa's stealing and my stealing is different. Because I am materially contaminated, therefore my stealing is abominable. Whereas the same stealing in the spiritual absolute platform is so nice that enjoyable. Mother Yaśodā enjoying the activities of stealing by Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference. Material and spiritual. Any activities spiritual, that is all good, and any activity, material, that is all bad. This is the difference. Here, the so-called morality, goodness, they're all bad. And in the spiritual world, so-called immorality is also good. That you have to understand.

Just like to dance with others' wives at dead of night, this is immoral. Everyone knows. At least in the Vedic civilization, it is not allowed. A young woman is going to another young man at dead of night to dance with him. This will never be allowed in India. Still it is prohibited. But we find that all the gopīs as soon as they heard the flute immediately they came. So from material conception it is immoral, but from the spiritual conception, it is the greatest morality. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says: ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇā yā kalpitā. "Oh, there is no better mode of worship than what was conceived by the vraja-vadhūs, the damsels of Vṛndāvana." Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very strict about women. In His family life also, He never played any joke with women. He was very joking. But all, all with men. He never played any joke with women. No. Perhaps only once He played joke with His wife, Viṣṇu-priya. When Śacīmātā was searching after something, she, He simply played a joking word: "Maybe your daughter-in-law has taken it." That is the only joking we find in His whole life. Otherwise, He was very strict. No woman could come, when He was sannyāsī, could come near Him to offer obeisances. They would offer obeisances from a distant place. But He says: ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇā yā kalpitā. He says that there is no conception of worshiping better than what was conceived by the vraja-vadhūs. And what was the vraja-vadhūs' conception? That they wanted to love Kṛṣṇa, at any risk. So this is not immoral. That we have to understand. Anything in relationship.

Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja is standing, and his father is being killed. Is it moral? Would you like to see your father being killed in your presence and you stand. You don't protest. Is that moral? Nobody will approve it, that this is moral. But actually it so happened that Hiraṇyakaśipu was being killed... The picture is here. And Prahlāda Mahārāja is trying to garland—the killer. "My dear Lord, Killer, You take this garland. You are killing my father. You are very good boy." You see. This is, this is spiritual understanding. Nobody will sanction that you, if you cannot protect your father, you must protest, you must cry that: "Here is my father is being killed. Come on, come on, come on. Help..." No. He's prepared with the garland. And when he was killed, he said to Nṛsiṁha-deva: "My dear Lord, now my father is killed. So everyone is happy. You now wind up Your angry mood." Nobody is unhappy. He said this very word. Modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā (SB 7.9.14). Modeta sādhur api. A sādhu, a saintly person never approves that one should be killed. Never. Even an animal. A sādhu does not approve. Why animal should be killed? That is sādhu's business. But Prahlāda Mahārāja says: modeta sādhur api. A sādhu, a saintly person, is also pleased... When? When a scorpion or a snake is killed. They're also living entity. A sādhu is never satisfied seeing another living entity being killed, but Prahlāda Mahārāja says "Even a sādhu is pleased when a snake is killed or a scorpion is killed. So my father is just like snake and scorpion. So he's killed. Therefore everyone is happy." Everyone was... Such demon, who simply troubles the devotees, such demon, a very dangerous demon. So when such demon is killed, even saintly persons are satisfied. Although saintly persons, they do not want anyone should be killed. So Kṛṣṇa is akiñcana-vitta. One who has lost everything materially, for him, Kṛṣṇa is the only solace.

So Kṛṣṇa is so kind that if anyone wants material prosperity, and, at the same time, wants to become a devotee... That is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta that: "Somebody wants Me. At the same time, he wants material prosperity. He's a fool. He's a fool." Therefore people are very much afraid, coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "Oh, my material prosperity will be finished." Because they want, don't, do not want that. They want to stick to... Generally, they go to church, go to temple for material prosperity. "God give us our daily bread." This is material prosperity. Or "Give me this, give me that." But they're also considered as pious because they have approached God.

Lecture on SB 1.14.43 -- New York, April 7, 1973 :

So, "Have you not taken care of old men and boys who deserve to dine with you?" So, this is Vedic culture. When there is foodstuff to be distributed, the first preference is given to the children. We remember, even now we are seventy-eight, when we were children, we were four, five years old, we remember. Some of you have seen that (indistinct), and if you, anyone here? You have seen. So, the first feasting is for children. So sometimes I was little obstinate, I'll not, sit down, "No, I'll take with you, (indistinct)." But that was system. First of all children should be sumptuously fed, then the brāhmaṇas, and children and old men. In the family, children and old men... Just see Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, how much he was anxious to take care of Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Although he played, played the part of an enemy throughout, still it is the duty of the family member to take care of the old men. When Dhṛtarāṣṭra left home after being accused by his younger brother Vidura, so, "My dear brother, you are still attached to family life, you have no shame. You are taking food whom you..., from whom you considered your enemies. You wanted to kill them from the very beginning. You set fire to their home. You banished them in the forest. You intrigued against their lives, and now everything is finished, all your sons, grandsons and son-in-laws and brothers, fathers, uncles...," I mean to say Bhīṣma was his uncle. So all the family. In the battlefield of Kurukṣetra everyone was killed except these five brothers: Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva. All male members were killed. So, only the remaining descendant was Mahārāja Parīkṣit. He was within the womb of his mother. And his father died, Arjuna's son, Abhimanyu. He was sixteen years old. Fortunately his wife was pregnant. Otherwise the Kuru dynasty was finished. So, he rebuked ,that "Still you are sitting here just for a morsel of food like dog. You have no shame, my dear brother."

So he took it very seriously, "Yes, yes my dear brother, you are saying all right. So what, what do you want me to do?"

"Be..., immediately come out. Immediately come out. And go to the forest." So he agreed, he went there.

So Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira used to come first of all in the morning, after taking bath, after worshiping, because first duty was to go and see the old men: "My dear uncle, you are all comfortable? Everything is all right?" And talk for some time just to please him. This is the duty for family member—take care of the children, take care of old men, take care of even a lizard in the house, a serpent in the house. This is the injunction we find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, gṛhasta, how much responsible he is. There it is said, even there is a serpent... Nobody wants to take care of serpent. Everyone wants to kill, and nobody is sorry to kill a serpent. Prahlāda Mahārāja said that, modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā (SB 7.9.14). He said that "My father was just like a serpent, vṛścika, scorpion. So killing of a serpent or scorpion nobody is unhappy. So my Lord, You don't be angry. Now everything is finished, my father is finished." So, that was. But still the śāstra says that even in your house there is a serpent, see that he is not fasting without food. This is the spiritual communism. They are now after communism, but they do not know what is communism. Everyone will be taken care of. That is communism, real communism. Nobody should starve. Nobody should have any want in the state. That is communism. So when we went to communist country, Moscow, I think everyone was in want, and they could not get even foodstuff to their own choice. Whatever government rules and all these thing will supply, they will have to accept. And actually there was no good foodstuff, for us. We were staying in that National Hotel, and Śyāmasundara had to spend at least two hours for getting things. That also not very nice thing. Rice could not be obtained. One Madrasi gentleman, he supplied us some rice, nice; otherwise only milk and butter is available, and meat, that's all. No fruit, no vegetables, no nice rice, and these things are not available. This is Kali-yuga. Things will be..., supply will be reduced. Actually the supply is made by Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Mayapur, February 28, 1977:

"There are two envious living entities. One is a snake, black snake, and one is a human being with the quality of black snake." He cannot see any good thing. Sarpaḥ krūraḥ. The snake is envious. Without any fault he bites. A snake is there on the street, and if you happen to pass by him he becomes so angry, immediately he bites. So this is the snake's nature. Similarly, there are persons like the snake. Without any fault they will accuse you. They are also snake. So Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that "This black snake is less harmful than the man snake." Why? "Now, this black snake, by chanting some mantra or by some herb can bring him under your control. But this man snake you cannot. It is not possible."

So there will be. This Hiraṇyakaśipu is also described by Prahlāda Mahārāja as a snake. When Nṛsiṁha-deva is so angry so he will say later on that modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā: (SB 7.9.14) "My Lord, You were very much angry on my father. Now he's finished, so there is no more reason for Your remaining angry. Be pacified. Nobody is unhappy for killing my father. Be sure. So there is no cause of anguish. These all these demigods, Lord Brahmā and others, they are all Your servants. I am also Your servant's servant. So now the envious snake is killed. Everyone is happy." So he gave this example that modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā. A sādhu, a saintly person, never likes killing of any living being. They are not happy... Even a small ant is killed, they are not happy: "Why ant should be killed?" What to speak of others, even a small ant. Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. It may be an ant, insignificant, but at the time of death he has suffered. A Vaiṣṇava is unhappy: "Why an ant should be killed?" This is para duḥkha-duhkhi. But such Vaiṣṇava is happy when a snake and a scorpion is killed. Modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatya. So everyone is happy when a snake or scorpion is killed because they are very, very dangerous. Without any fault they bite and create havoc.

So there are these snakelike persons. They are envious about our movement, and they are opposing. That is the nature. Prahlāda Mahārāja also was opposed by his father, what to speak of others. These things will happen, but we should not be disappointed, as Prahlāda Mahārāja never became disappointed although he was teased in so many ways. He was also served with poison, he was thrown amongst the serpents and he was thrown from the hill, he was put under the feet of elephant. In so many ways put... Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has instructed us that "Do not be disappointed. Kindly forbear." Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. Be tolerant more than the tree. I mean to say, one shall be meek and humble more than the grass. These things will happen. In one life if we execute our Kṛṣṇa consciousness attitude, even there is suffering little, don't mind. Go on with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't be disappointed or hopeless, even there is some trouble. That is encouraged by Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad-gītā: āgamāpāyino 'nityās tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata: "My dear Arjuna, even if you feel some pain, this bodily pain, it comes and goes. Nothing is permanent, so don't care for these things. Go on with your duty." This is the instruction of Kṛṣṇa. Prahlāda Mahārāja is the practical example, and our duty is to follow the footprints of such person like Prahlāda Mahārāja.

Lecture on SB 7.9.13-14 -- Montreal, August 22, 1968:

Persons who are ignorant of the Vedic principles, śruti, and smṛti, corollaries to the śruti, and Purāṇa... There are eighteen Purāṇas. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is called Maha-purāṇam. So śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi (Brs. 1.2.101) and pañcarātriki-vidhi, Nārada Pañcarātra. So one should be conversant with all these authoritative scriptures. Without knowing these, if there is an imitation of devotional service, Rūpa Gosvāmī says that is simply disturbance. Simply disturbance. Therefore we see that in India the original principle is Vedic principle, but due to so many reasons, there being no real king or government who can control the citizens, or India being for so many years under the control of foreigners, and at the present moment forgetting their own real culture... Not only India, everywhere the same thing. So they are creating disturbances. Disturbances. Asuric civilization, demonic civilization.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "My dear Lord, now the, my father who was atheist and always disturbing... These demigods, they are Your devotees. They are not disturbing elements." Brahmādayo vayam iveśa. Brahmādayo. "All these demigods standing here, headed by Brahmā, they are not like us, like demonic persons like my father and his associates. So You can now be peaceful. Don't show Your anger."

tad yaccha manyum asuraś ca hatas tvayādya

modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā

lokāś ca nirvṛtim itāḥ pratiyānti sarve

rūpaṁ nṛsiṁha vibhayāya janāḥ smaranti

(SB 7.9.14)

So there may be a question that "Then was Prahlāda Mahārāja very glad that his father was killed?" This question may be raised, that "What kind of devotee he is? He's such a great devotee of Lord, and before him his father was killed, and he is requesting the Lord, 'My dear Lord, the disturbing element is already finished.' That means he's glad that his father was killed." So from social conventional point of view, if a son is glad on the death of his father, do you think it is very nice? No. These points are to be considered. But Prahlāda Mahārāja gives very nice evidence. This is the peculiarity of Kṛṣṇa conscious persons, that whatever they will say, they will give full support. What is that? He says, tad yaccha manyum asuraś ca hatas tvayādya. Asura. "My father was asura. So because Your mission was to kill, so that, he is killed. And by this killing process, not only myself, but sādhu, all sādhus they are also pleased." Sādhur api. Just see.

So do you think that sādhu, those who are sādhu, they are pleased when a person is killed? Not ordinary person. He is giving very nice example. Modeta sādhur api vṛścika sarpa-hatyā (SB 7.9.14). Vṛścika means scorpion and sarpa means snake. Naturally, whenever a scorpion is found or a snake is out, every man is prepared to kill it. Every man. "Oh, here is a snake. Kill it." When I was in Allahabad, in my bed there was a snake. I do not know how it came, but I informed to the servants, and they came with all stick immediately. So when the bed seat was taken away, it was under the, I mean to say, quilt. So that snake was there, and from the face of the snake I could understand that she was, it was so afraid. He could understand that "Now I'm going to be killed by so many people. They have come." So I told them that "Don't kill this poor fellow. Better take it and send it to the forest." But they took it away, but I later on understood they killed it. So once I saw in our Māyāpur, Lord Caitanya's birthplace, so a snake was going, a black snake with... In Bengal there are many snakes. So my Guru Mahārāja was on the upstair and everyone asked the permission whether this should be killed. He said immediately, "Yes. He should be killed." So at that time I thought that "How Guru Mahārāja ordered for killing the snake?" Then, after so many years, when I began to read Bhāgavatam and came to this passage, Prahlāda Mahārāja assertion, modeta sādhur api vṛścika sarpa-hatyā, then I thought that "My Guru Mahārāja did right thing." Here also, modeta. Even a sādhu. Then why a sādhu is pleased when a sarpa, a scorpion, or snake is killed? The reason is that these two kinds of creatures, they bite innocent persons without any fault. Without any fault. Or for little fault. The venomous snake. Immediately. By nature they are so angry and so envious that they feel pleasure if somebody is bitten and immediately die. That is their nature. Therefore killing a snake and scorpion means to save it from so many sinful activities. Because it is nature. It will kill so many persons, so many animals, because its nature is innocent person, bite innocent person, kill him. So if there is seen by killing another, it will continue. Better to kill it to stop its sinful activities. That is the reason here it is said, modeta sādhur api.

So the asuras, the atheists, are just like vṛścika and sarpa, scorpion. Without any reason they occupy somebody's country, somebody's place, and kill somebody. This is going on. In the Manu-saṁhitā it is stated that when a king hangs some murderer it is a great favor to him. It is a great favor to him. In every country, in every civilization, the punishment is "Life for life." If you have killed somebody, then you shall be killed. And it is supported in Manu-saṁhitā that when the king orders that a murderer should be killed, that is a favor to him. Because if he is not killed, then the sinful activities, reaction, will continue, and the next birth he'll suffer. But if he's killed in this life, then all his sinful activities finished. He'll have no more to suffer the reaction. So it is friendly action. Similarly a vṛścika or a sarpa, a scorpion or a snake, if it is killed that means to save it from further, I mean to say, sinful activities. Therefore sādhu, it is said by Brahma, I mean to..., Prahlāda Mahārāja, that modeta sādhur api vṛścika sarpa-hatyā (SB 7.9.14). Yata artho 'yaṁ manuṣya ca asura sādhūnāṁ santoṣaṁ santoṣārtham arti hataḥ (?). Śrīdhāra Swami is annotating that this killing of Nṛsiṁha, here, uh, this killing by Nṛsiṁha-deva of Hiraṇyakaśipu was for the pleasure of the saintly persons. Was for the pleasure of the saintly persons. Nānu anyeṣāṁ vadhena sādhu kiṁ modeta.

Lecture on SB 7.9.13-14 -- Montreal, August 22, 1968:

Does it mean that those who are saintly persons, they take pleasure in other's killing? They try to stop killing. Even animal killing they want to stop. How it is that, they take pleasure in another's killing? Nānu anyeṣāṁ vadhena sādhu kiṁ modeta tatra ha vṛścikādeḥ. Not all. A... Persons, living creatures like the scorpion and serpents. Not all. Everything has got exception. So a sādhu, a saintly person, a righteous person, a religious person, will never be happy by other's killing. But killing of persons like scorpion and serpent... And the Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that a person who has envious nature, he's more dangerous than the serpent. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has enunciated that sarpaḥ krūraḥ khalaḥ krūraḥ. There are two envious creatures: one is the snake, and another, a man envious, unnecessarily envious of others. So sarpāt krūrataraḥ khalaḥ. That man, envious, he's dangerous, more dangerous than the snake. Why more dangerous? Mantrauśādhi-vaśaḥ sarpaḥ khalaḥ kena nivāryate. You can subdue a snake by herbs and by chanting particular type of mantra. There are many snake charmers in India, by mantra they can charm the snakes. But a person who is envious, you cannot pacify him in any way. Therefore sarpaḥ krūrataraḥ khalaḥ. Just like Jesus Christ was crucified by some envious persons. Even the Roman judge denied that "This man should not be... There is no such fault." But because they were envious, they were persistent, "Yes, he should be crucified." So this is the nature of envious person. Therefore killing of envious persons like Hiraṇyakaśipu... Unnecessarily... He was a child. Prahlāda Mahārāja was a child, innocent child. And his son, and youngest son. And his only fault was that he was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And this person was after him, giving him all kinds of trouble. Just see the nature of the envious person. He doesn't care even his son, a child, a devotee. "Oh, this boy must be tortured. This boy must be tortured because he is Kṛṣṇa conscious." "This man must be crucified because he is preaching God consciousness." This is the nature of envious persons. More dangerous. Therefore their killing is the pleasure for the saintly persons. Modeta sādhur api vṛścika sarpa-hatyā. So Prahlāda Mahārāja was glad that his father was killed. So tatrāha (reads commentary) vṛścikādeḥ parapadraka kariṇā anyathaiva jātinā kutra vadhena tasyaiva tad bhadraṁ jātam (?). It is good for it because he is stopped creating nuisance. Creating. If he's stopped, then it is a great benefit for him because his nature is to become envious and torture others. Therefore to kill such person is a great welfare act for him. Tad bhadraṁ yatram eti and sādhur api modeta. And sādhu, saintly persons are also glad. (reads commentary) Tarhi bahūnāṁ sukhāvahaṁ tam amuṁ krodhaṁ na tyajāmi ceti prāha lokāś ca nirmitteḥ prakta-śānti-pratinirjanti saṁhāra pratīkṣante (?).

So Prahlāda Mahārāja is requesting, "Now, my Lord, Your business is finished, and by Your, this action, all saintly persons are pleased. So You can become now peaceful." Lokāś ca nirvṛtim itāḥ pratiyānti sarve rūpaṁ nṛsiṁha vibhayāya janāḥ smaranti. "Now people are praying that Nṛsiṁha-deva, Nṛsiṁha-deva is to protect the devotees." Just like a lion. A lion is ferocious to other animals, but he is not ferocious to the cubs. He's very affectionate father, mother, although it is lion. So the cubs, they haven't got to be afraid of the lion. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "My dear Lord, I am not asking You to be peaceful. Don't think that I have become afraid of You." He's so confident. "He is my Lord." He has come in the appearance, in this ghastly appearance, half lion and so big, and He's groaning like anything. So he knows that "He is my Lord. He's same Kṛṣṇa." Nārāyaṇa-paraḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati (SB 6.17.28). One who is elevated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is not disturbed in the greatest, facing greatest danger.

Lecture on SB 7.9.14 -- Mayapur, February 21, 1976:

Prabhupāda: Ānanda. What you have written? Nirvṛti means pleasure.

Dayānanda: What is it?

Prabhupāda: Ānanda, pleasure. They are taking pleasure.

Dayānanda: Pleasure.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dayānanda: Nirvṛtim... (break) translation: "My Lordship Nṛsiṁha-deva, who can, therefore, stop Your anger? Now my father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, the great demon, being killed, as the saintly persons take pleasure in the killing of the scorpion and the snake..."

Prabhupāda: What is the beginning? Tad yaccha? Hm? Tad yaccha. "Give up that anger." What you have written?

Dayānanda: It says, "Who can, therefore, stop Your anger?"

Prabhupāda: No, no. "Please, therefore, give up Your anger."

Hṛdayānanda: "Please, therefore, give up your anger."

Dayānanda: Oh. "Please, therefore, stop your anger. Now my father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, the great demon, being killed, as the saintly persons who take pleasure in the killing of the scorpion and the snake, similarly, all the saintly persons have achieved great satisfaction on account of the demon's death. Now they are confident of their happiness. They shall always remember about Your auspicious incarnation."

Prabhupāda: "Of Nṛsiṁha-deva."

tad yaccha manyum asuraś ca hatas tvayādya

modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā

lokāś ca nirvṛtim itāḥ pratiyanti sarve

rūpaṁ nṛsiṁha vibhayāya janāḥ smaranti

(SB 7.9.14)

So Prahlāda Mahārāja is requesting Nṛsiṁha-deva, "Now the business is finished. My father, the great demon, Hiraṇyakaśipu..." He said, asuraś ca hatas. He... Such a great Vaiṣṇava, he is not calling Hiraṇyakaśipu his father. And in other place also he addressed his father, na sādhu manye asura-varya. He never said, "My father." He said, "The greatest of the asuras." He was so bold. The father was such a great demon, and he was not addressing him as father, and the father was becoming more and more angry upon him. This indicates that a person who is a demon, not devotee, he's not worth calling a father. That sort of father should be avoided. Pitā na sa syāt. People are affectionate to father and mother, and they hesitate how to give up... Especially boys give up the company of family, father and mother, take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But here, in the śāstra, it is said, if the father is demon or a mother is demon or a friend is demon or a family member is demon, they should not be accepted as relative. Pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syād gurur na sa syāt. Even guru. If you have accepted somebody as guru but he's a demon, he should be rejected immediately, immediately. Just like in India there is a system of jāta-guru, the guru by caste. By familywise, they become guru. One family is attached to another guru family by hereditary rules, the sons after sons accepting guru, the other party, and there is regular business. So such kind of guru is not wanted.

Lecture on SB 7.9.14 -- Mayapur, February 21, 1976:

So because this Hiraṇyakaśipu was not a Vaiṣṇava, so Prahlāda Mahārāja declined to call him, address him, as father. No. This is pitā na syāt... "He is not my father." So he is addressing that tad yaccha manyum: "Now my Lord, Nṛsiṁha-deva, You have not cause to become angry, because the person upon whom You are so angry, that asura, my father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, is now killed. So business is finished." So the question may be that... Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva may ask that "I have killed your father, so your relative may be unhappy? Therefore I'm angry. Why they are angry upon...? They're unhappy. I have killed a demon." So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "No, no, no. That is not the case. Nobody is unhappy. Nobody is unhappy. By killing my father Hiraṇyakaśipu, I am not unhappy and nobody is unhappy." Tad yaccha manyum asuraś ca hatas tvayā dayā: "By You, by Your grace..." "So if you are not happy, why?" Now, modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā: "Why they should be unhappy? Because the sādhu, a saintly person does not like that anyone should be killed, even an ant." That is sādhu. A sādhu does not want to kill even an ant. But in the case of vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā, they are happy. They are happy. Vṛścika, scorpion, and sarpa...

So long, long ago, sometimes in the year 1933 in this Caitanya Math, there was a big snake came out in my front. I was taking bath. So everyone was looking what to do. So Guru Mahārāja was on the upstair. He immediately ordered, "Kill him." So it was killed. So at that time, 1933, I was newcomer. So I thought, "How that? Guru Mahārāja ordered this snake to be killed?" I was little surprised. But later on, when I saw this verse, I was very glad. Modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā (SB 7.9.14). It remained a doubt, "How Guru Mahārāja ordered a snake to be killed?" But when I read this verse I was very much pleased, that these creatures, or creatures like the snake, they should not be shown any mercy. No. And Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said there are two kinds of cruel creatures. One kind is a sarpaḥ krūraḥ. The snake is very cruel. Sarpaḥ krūraḥ, khalaḥ krūraḥ. And khala, a person who has awakened the quality like snake... Then there is no fault. Why a snake is called so cruel? Because unnecessarily they bite. If somebody commits some offense unto you, if you bite me, that is reasonable. But I have no fault, but you are biting me. The vṛścika, scorpion, and snake, they do that, without any offense. A man is passing, an animal is passing—unnecessarily it bites, without offense. A man is sleeping—it bites. Therefore they are very dangerous. Similarly, there are men also like the snake—without any fault, they bite, without any fault. If I do something faulty, you can punish me, bite. But without any fault, if you bite me... So therefore Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says, sarpaḥ krūraḥ-khalaḥ krūraḥ sarpāt krūrataraḥ khalaḥ. Such person is called khala, envious, jealous.

Lecture on SB 7.9.14 -- Mayapur, February 21, 1976:

So there are two living creatures. One is snake, and one is jealous or envious person. So Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said, sarpāt krūrataraḥ khalaḥ: "This man, envious man, is more dangerous than the snake. Than the snake." Why? He's a human being. Yes, because he's human being and he has got developed consciousness and he has practiced to use the developed consciousness for becoming jealous, He's more dangerous than the snake. So therefore he concludes, mantrauśādhi-vaśaḥ sarpaḥ khalaḥ kena nivāryate. The snake, although by nature he is so..., still, he can be controlled by mantra and some herbs. In India they still do that. But this khalaḥ, the person jealous, he cannot be pacified any means. Therefore he's more dangerous than the snake. A person who has become jealous and envious, he cannot be controlled either by mantra or by bribe or this or that. No. Sarpāt krūrataraḥ khalaḥ. So Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "My Lord, nobody is unhappy, even the saintly person. Saintly person, we common man, we may be unhappy—'Oh, my father is killed'—or my mother may be unhappy that 'My husband is killed.' But be sure, my father was a khalaḥ. Unnecessarily he was envious of Your Lordship, so he was more dangerous than the snake and the scorpion. Therefore by killing him You have satisfied everyone, even one is saintly person. So there is no question of becoming angry still. By this action everyone is happy, so don't consider any other. You become now pacified." Tad yaccha manyum asuraś ca hatas tvayādya modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā (SB 7.9.14).

Lecture on SB 7.9.23 -- Mayapur, March 1, 1976:

So in the higher planetary system, the time, everything is relative. This is relative world. So these demigods, their one day equal to our six months. Our six months equal to their one day. Such one day, then thirty days, one month; then twelve months, one year. Such ten thousand years, their duration of life. Such ten thousand years. So just imagine what is their duration of... Āyuḥ. And so far strength is concerned, that, the Indra is in charge of thunderbolt, so when Indra throws the the thunderbolts to scatter the cloud, we have experience how terrible sound it is. So they have got so long duration of life, strength, administrative power and so many things. Still, they were afraid of Hiraṇyakaśipu, still... In spite of possessing so much big, big possessions. Akhila-dhiṣṇya-pānām āyuḥ śriyo vibhava. And everyone, icchati, everyone desires. "If I could live so many years like Brahmā"—everyone is aspiring. Therefore they want to be promoted to the higher planetary system for which they perform yajña to be promoted. In this life they struggle, the karmīs. They struggle to become prime minister and Birla and this and that. And again, for the next life, they make provision. Therefore they want to give some charity, yajña-dāna-ta... Yajña, performing yajña. Yajña-dāna-ta... Tapasya. Hiraṇyakaśipu also underwent severe type of austerity, and he got benediction from Brahmā that "You'll not be killed by any man, any demigod, any animal. You'll not be killed in the sky or the water or the land," so many ways. But Brahmā did not give him the benediction of becoming immortal. He first of all wanted, "Make me immortal." So "That is not possible because I am... Myself is not immortal. How can I give you?" So he took indirectly how to become immortal. And by austerity he got all these powers so that even the demigods were afraid of him.

But Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "Such a big powerful demon as my father, he is also finished in one minute. One minute. And therefore..." Ye asmat pituḥ. The demigods were afraid of, very much afraid. Therefore when he was killed everyone became very pleased. There(fore) Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "Nobody is unhappy on account of death of my father." He said, modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā: (SB 7.9.14) "My father was exactly like scorpion and snake, so killing of such animal, living entity, is pleasing to everyone, even sādhu. Even bhaktas, they also become pleased." They do not want anyone is killed or anyone is done something harmful. Bhakta never desires. But they also take pleasure when the vṛścika, the scorpion, and the snake is killed. You have got experience. There was a snake in my bathroom. So you all sādhus became very alert to kill it, (laughter) although you are sādhu. So that is natural. When there is snake, there is no question of sādhu or asādhu. Kill him. Sādhur api, very nice. Modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- September 18, 1973, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: By air. So somebody killed, but he did not cut or burn. So he again, into life. So a wood-cutter, what is called? Who cuts trees and wood? He felt sympathetic. He took away the snake and kept at home and gave him some milk. So one day, when he was strong. (makes hissing sound) So he thought, "Oh, I gave you life, I gave you milk, and now you are trying to attack me?" He cut into pieces. Therefore in the śāstra it is said, modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā (SB 7.9.14). When Prahlāda Mahārāja's father was killed by Hiraṇya, I mean to say, Nṛsiṁha-deva, Prahlāda Mahārāja prayed, "Sir, You reduce Your anger now. Nobody is displeased with You because my father was just like a scorpion and snake, and when a scorpion and snake is killed, nobody's unhappy. So nobody is unhappy. Your action is not decried by anyone. Please now become in Your sense." So in the whole living entities, kingdom of living entities, the vṛścika, vṛścika and sarpa...

Guest (1): Scorpion.

Prabhupāda: They are very dangerous. So if vṛścika and sarpa is killed, nobody's unhappy. (break) ...in Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, sarpaḥ krūraḥ khalaḥ krūraḥ, sarpāt krūrataraḥ khalaḥ. A jealous, envious man, he's also crooked, and the snake, it is also crooked. But the man practiced to jealousy is more dangerous than the snake. Why? "He's human being. He's still more dangerous?" "Yes." "Why?" Mantrauṣadhi-vaśaḥ sarpaḥ. You can bring under control the snake by mantra and drugs. Khalaḥ kena nivāryate. And the jealous man cannot be subdued. Therefore he's more dangerous than the snake.

Guest (2): Than the snake. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...here is a very nice, educated man. He's very nice. But we say, "No. Because he has no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's as dangerous as if he is ordinary man." We don't give any credit. (break)

Acyutānanda: Which is more important, to go back to Godhead or spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

Prabhupāda: Well, one who is preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's already back to Godhead. (break) ...īhā yasya harer dāsye karmaṇā manasā girā. Preacher means he has engaged his body, his mind, his speeches only to glorify the Lord. That is preacher. So anybody who's engaged that business, he's jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate. He's liberated even in this life. (break) ...even if he's liberated. So why he should seek for liberation? He's already liberated. He's already back to Godhead. He's already with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is talking with him. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi... One who is actually preacher, engaged in Kṛṣṇa's glorification, service, he's already in Vaikuṇṭha. That is stated in Bhāgavata. Etad īśanam... It's just like Kṛṣṇa. If He comes within this material world, does it mean that he's in the material world? Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's pure devotee, he's not in the material world. In the spiritual world.

Morning Walk -- December 16, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Devotees must pray that "This great demon Hiraṇyakaśipu may be killed by You, my Lord." Therefore He comes. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja passively... (break) ...father was being killed. He could have stopped it, but he did not. He did not. If Prahlāda Mahārāja would have requested, immediately it would have been stopped, but he did not. He said, rather, in his prayer, that "Nobody is sorry when a serpent or a scorpion is killed." He said like that. So he said, "My father was just like a serpent and scorpion. Now he is killed. So now You become pacified. No more need of becoming angry." Modeta sādhur api. Actually, I have seen. There was a snake in our Māyāpur temple. So Guru Mahārāja was standing on the..., while some devotees were waiting. "Yes, kill it." So at that time I could not understand that "Such a saintly person why he is ordering to kill a snake?" Then when I found in Bhāgavata, modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā: (SB 7.9.14) "A saintly person also becomes engladdened when a snake is killed." Because it is very harmful. He said that "He will do so many harmful activities. Better kill him." Because his business is to create harm. That's all.

Rūpānuga: A snake attacks without discrimination.

Prabhupāda: Oh yes.

Rūpānuga: He is mean.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Simply if you are passing by... Just like dog. Without any fault, bark, "Wowf! Wowf! Wowf! Worf!" This is the animal nature. Without any fault, I am passing, I am not entering his gate. Still, the dog will bark. Similarly, the snake... You simply pass through. He will feel pleasure, biting you. That is snake's business. Therefore nobody is merciful upon snake.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Garden Conversation -- June 28, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is, means they are rascal. When there is argument between you and me, if one becomes angry, that means he's a rascal. That is the proof. He cannot reply anymore. He has become angry. That is his defeat. Upadeśo hi mūrkhāṇāṁ prakopāya na śāntaye. Mūrkha, a rascal is given good instruction, he'll be angry. So that is the proof that he's rascal. That is the proof. The example is given, payaḥ-pānaṁ bhujaṅgānāṁ kevalaṁ viṣa-vardhanam. Just like if you give milk, very nourishing food, to a human being, he'll get strength, but if you give to a snake, it will increase poison. So that is the proof that here is a snake. So payaḥ-pānaṁ bhujaṅgānāṁ kevalaṁ viṣa-vardhanam. If you give milk to a human child he'll grow healthy, and the same milk you give to a serpent child, it will grow poison. One day he'll: "Ohnn!" He'll ready to bite you. You have given milk, it has increased poison, and it will show his fangs, hood. That is asura. So therefore they become snakes, scorpion, so low-grade life. Snake life is so degraded that at once you see a snake, immediately every one of us will be ready to kill it. Everyone, without any mercy. Nobody will say, "No, no, let this go." So he is put into that life that he cannot come in the light. As soon as he comes in the vision of somebody, everyone is ready to kill. And nobody is sorry. Nobody is sorry. Prahlāda Mahārāja said that. Modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā (SB 7.9.14). Even one is saintly person, he'll be satisfied if a snake is killed. Saintly person doesn't want that anyone should be killed, but if a snake is killed, he's happy: "Oh, you have done right." Modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā. So Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "My father is killed; nobody is unhappy. (laughter) Nobody is unhappy. But he was just like a snake and scorpion. Now You be satisfied. There is no cause of becoming angry. Everyone is satisfied." That was Prahlāda Mahārāja's prayer. Find out this verse. Where is Seventh Canto?

Rādhāvallabha: Seventh Canto? (break) (discussion as devotees try—and fail—to find line)

Prabhupāda: There is no "modeta"?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: No, it might be the second or fourth line.

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is fourth line. Give it to me. Where is spectacle? Oh, you have gone so far. Here it is. (laughter) Modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā.

Rādhāvallabha: It appeared, and you didn't even look. Remarkable.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa:

tad yaccha manyum asuraś ca hatas tvayādya

modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā

lokāś ca nirvṛtim itāḥ pratiyanti sarve

rūpaṁ nṛsiṁha vibhayāya janāḥ smaranti

(SB 7.9.14)

"My Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva, please, therefore, cease Your anger now that my father, the great demon Hiraṇyakaśipu, has been killed. Since even saintly persons take pleasure in the killing of a scorpion or snake, all the worlds have achieved great satisfaction because of the death of this demon. Now they are confident of their happiness, and they will always remember Your auspicious incarnation in order to be free from fear."

Prabhupāda: Purport.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Purport. "The most important point in this verse is that although saintly persons never desire the killing of any living entity, they take pleasure in the killing of envious living entities like snakes and scorpions. Hiraṇyakaśipu was killed because he was worse than a snake or a scorpion, and therefore everyone was happy."

Prabhupāda: Snake or scorpion... Of course, sometimes snakes, they eat their own children. They do it. But he has... He has tried to kill his own child. Modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā. Very good example. Saintly persons, they also want killing living entities like snake.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "Hiraṇyakaśipu was killed because he was worse than a snake or a scorpion, and therefore everyone was happy. Now there was no need for the Lord to be angry. The devotees can always remember the form of Nṛsiṁha-deva when they are in danger, and therefore the appearance of Nṛsiṁha-deva was not at all inauspicious. The Lord's appearance is always worshipable and auspicious for all sane persons and devotees."