The Story of Prahlada
Vasishtha narrates to Rama the story of Prahlada, son of the demon king Hiranyakashipu, and of Vishnu (Narasimha, Hari, Madhava).
Vasishtha tells Rama how Prahlada, chief son of the demon king Hiranyakashipu, attained self-knowledge. Hiranyakashipu had conquered the gods and ruled the three worlds with overwhelming pride, scorching the worlds with his power while the gods, oppressed, prayed for relief. Vishnu took the form of Narasimha (man-lion) and killed Hiranyakashipu, burning the demon city and scattering the surviving demons.
Prahlada, protected during the destruction, performed funeral rites for the slain and then sat alone in grief, reflecting on the repeated destruction of the demon race. Turning his thoughts over the futility of enmity with Hari, he resolved that Narayana alone was the true refuge, and, meditating, realized himself as identical with Vishnu, describing Vishnu's form, weapons, and consorts as manifestations of his own inner vision. Vishnu then appeared before him in person; Prahlada, calm and unshaken, worshipped him, and Vishnu crowned him king of the netherworld, instructing him to rule with equanimity, free of attachment and fear, and departed.
Vasishtha explains that Prahlada's liberation, though it coincided with Vishnu's grace, was actually achieved through Prahlada's own sustained effort and self-inquiry, not by grace alone. Rama then questions this, and Vasishtha elaborates the doctrine that self-effort (purushartha), not divine intervention, is the primary cause of realization; devotion to a deity is only useful for those not yet able to master the mind directly.
श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच । अथेमं परमं राम विज्ञानाभिगमे क्रमम् । श्रृणु दैत्येश्वरः सिद्धः प्रह्रादः स्वात्मना यथा ॥ १ ॥
Sri Vasishtha said: Now, Rama, hear this highest way to reach true knowledge, and how Prahlada, king of the demons, became accomplished through his own effort.
श्री वसिष्ठ ने कहा: अब राम, यह सुनो कि सच्चे ज्ञान तक पहुँचने का सबसे बड़ा तरीका क्या है, और दैत्यों का राजा प्रह्लाद अपने ही प्रयास से कैसे सिद्ध हुआ।
नारसिंहं वपुः कृत्वा माधवोऽहन्महासुरम् । लसत्कटकटारावं तुरङ्गममिव द्विपः ॥ १९ ॥
Taking on the body of Narasimha, the man lion, Madhava killed the great demon, whose gnashing teeth clattered and roared, the way an elephant tramples a horse.
नरसिंह यानी नर-सिंह का रूप लेकर, माधव ने उस महान दैत्य को मार डाला, जिसके दाँत पीसने की आवाज़ गूँज रही थी, ठीक वैसे ही जैसे कोई हाथी घोड़े को रौंद देता है।
अविष्णुः पूजयन्विष्णुं न पूजाफलभाग्भवेत् । विष्णुर्भूत्वा यजेद्विष्णुमयं विष्णुरहं स्थितः ॥ ४० ॥
One who is not Vishnu gains no fruit from worshipping Vishnu. Only after becoming Vishnu should one worship him who is filled with Vishnu; I stand as Vishnu.
जो विष्णु नहीं है, वह विष्णु की पूजा करके भी उसका फल नहीं पाता। विष्णु बनकर ही विष्णु से भरे हुए विष्णु की पूजा करनी चाहिए; मैं विष्णु के रूप में स्थित हूँ।
एषा ते कथिता राम निःशेषमलनाशिनीप्राह्रादी बोधसंप्राप्तिरैन्दवद्रवशीतला ॥ ५ ॥
Rama, this is what I have told you: Prahlada's attainment of awakening, which destroys every impurity completely, is as cool as moonlight melted into liquid.
हे राम, मैंने तुम्हें यह बताया: प्रह्लाद की यह बोध-प्राप्ति हर मैल को पूरी तरह मिटा देती है, और यह चाँदनी के पिघलने जैसी ठंडी है।
श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच । यद्यद्राघव संप्राप्तं प्रह्लादेन महात्मना । तत्तदासादितं तेन पौरुषादेव नान्यतः ॥ ४ ॥
Sri Vasishtha said: Rama, whatever the great Prahlada attained, he attained it through his own effort alone, and nothing else.
श्री वसिष्ठ ने कहा: हे राम, महान प्रह्लाद ने जो कुछ भी पाया, वह अपनी मेहनत से ही पाया, और किसी और चीज़ से नहीं।
Read it in full
The story runs through chapters 30–43 of Book 5. Each chapter has the Sanskrit in Devanagari and IAST beside a plain English and Hindi translation of every verse. The number under each chapter is its verse count.