God has no partiality between celestials, ogres, demons, devils, or human beings. He does not stipulate that only some groups will be granted moksha and not others. He will be pleased with those who are sincerely devoted to Him irrespective of who they are and what race they belong to.
Sri Damodara Dikshitar said in a discourse that submitting oneself to God is a kind of devotion known as “Atma Nivedanam”. Growing a good plant takes time, energy, and effort, while weeds and grass grow by themselves without any effort. The path that people choose should be righteous so that they may derive the blessings of God and reach Him. If people pray to fulfil a desire, it may be called the beginning stage or the first step of devotion. The ultimate goal should be to leave everything at His feet as He knows better.
However dexterous or intelligent a thief may be, he will still leave a trail of evidence, which is sufficient for the probing authorities. Though the demon Hiranyakasipu had all types of boons so as not to be killed, the Lord superseded them to don the manifestation of Narasimha fit enough to be out of the ambit of the conditional demands of the demon.
Even after slaying Prahlada’s father, Hiranyakasipu, the Lord’s fury did not subside. Brahma, the God of creation, asked the child devotee Prahlada that he alone could calm down the Lord. Prahlada pleaded and prayed for the welfare of all.
Published – September 28, 2024 05:09 am IST
