Text 23
dṛṣṭā mayā divi vibho ’khila-dhiṣṇya-pānām
āyuḥ śriyo vibhava icchati yāñ jano ’yam
ye ’smat pituḥ kupita-hāsa-vijṛmbhita-bhrū-
visphūrjitena lulitāḥ sa tu te nirastaḥ
dṛṣṭāḥ — have been seen practically; mayā — by me; divi — in the higher planetary systems; vibho — O my Lord; akhila — all; dhiṣṇya-pānām — of the chiefs of different states or planets; āyuḥ — the duration of life; śriyaḥ — the opulences; vibhavaḥ — glories, influence; icchati — desire; yān — all of which; janaḥ ayam — these people in general; ye — all of which (duration of life, opulence, etc.); asmat pituḥ — of our father, Hiraṇyakaśipu; kupita-hāsa — by his critical laughing when angry; vijṛmbhita — being expanded; bhrū — of the eyebrows; visphūrjitena — simply by the feature; lulitāḥ — pulled down or finished; saḥ — he (my father); tu — but; te — by You; nirastaḥ — completely vanquished.
My dear Lord, people in general want to be elevated to the higher planetary systems for a long duration of life, opulence and enjoyment, but I have seen all of these through the activities of my father. When my father was angry and he laughed sarcastically at the demigods, they were immediately vanquished simply by seeing the movements of his eyebrows. Yet my father, who was so powerful, has now been vanquished by You within a moment.
Within this material world, one should understand by practical experience the value of material opulence, longevity and influence. We have actual experience that even on this planet there have been many great politicians and military commanders like Napoleon, Hitler, Shubhash Chandra Bose and Gandhi, but as soon as their lives were finished, their popularity, influence and everything else were finished also. Prahlāda Mahārāja formerly gathered the same experience by seeing the activities of Hiraṇyakaśipu, his great father. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja did not give any importance to anything in this material world. No one can maintain his body or material achievements forever. A Vaiṣṇava can understand that nothing within this material world, not even that which is powerful, opulent or influential, can endure. At any time such things may be vanquished. And who can vanquish them? The Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore one should conclusively understand that no one is greater than the Supreme Great. Since the Supreme Great demands, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, every intelligent man must agree to this proposal. One must surrender unto the Lord to be saved from the wheel of repeated birth, death, old age and disease.