Bhagavata Condensed in the Poetʼs Own Words /166

RY OF CULTURE
 
ATA
 
समियालय
 
INTE
 
GOVERNMENT OR
 
भरत
 
THE STORY OF PRAHLADA
 
श्रुत्वा पुऋत्रगिरो दैत्यः परपक्षसमाहिताः ।

जहास 'बुद्धिर्बालानां भिद्यते परबुद्धिभिः ॥

सम्यग्विधार्यतां बालो गुरुगेद्देहे द्विजातिभिः ।

विष्णुपक्षैः प्रतिच्छन्नैर्न भिद्येतास्य धीर्यथा ॥
 
G₁
 

Having heard his son's words in praise

of his enemy, the demon laughed : The

minds of boys are liable to be changed

by those of others. Let the boy be well

watched over by Brahmins in our

preceptor's residence so that his mind is

not changed by the adherents of Vishnu,

who move concealed."
 

 
गृहमानीतमाहूय प्रह्लादं दैत्ययाजकाः ।
 

प्रशस्य इश्लक्ष्णया वाचा समपृच्छन्त सामभिः ॥
 

The priests of the demon called forth

Prahlada, who had been brought to their

residence, extolled him in fine words and

asked of him in conciliatory terms:
 

 
'वत्स प्रहह्लाद भद्रं ते सत्यं कथय मा मृषा ।

बालानति कुतस्तुभ्यमेष बुद्धिविपर्ययः ।

बुद्धिभेदः परकृत उताहो ते स्वतो भवेत् ॥'
 

"Dear Prahlada, welfare unto you;

speak truth and not falsehood: Where-