17 Apr 2025
[Shri PVNM Sarma asked:- Swami, Hiranyakashipu is a devotee of God Shiva. Prahlaada is a devotee of God Vishnu. You said that Vishnu and Shiva are one and the same God Datta. In such a case, Hiranyakashipu is also a devotee of God Vishnu only. In such a case, why God Vishnu killed Hiranyakashipu and protected Prahlaada?]
Swami replied:- God Vishnu killed Hiranyakashipu not because Hiranyakashipu is not His devotee and moreover, a hater of God Vishnu. Since Hiranyakashipu tortured Prahlaada, God Vishnu reacted and killed Hiranyakashipu to protect Prahlaada. God does not mind the enmity of a soul with Him, but, is very much bothered about the enmity of one devotee to another devotee. Hiranyakashipu went to Vaikuntha (Abode of God Vishnu) and scolded God Vishnu with a very loud voice since God Vishnu disappeared before Hiranyakashipu visited His abode. But, God Vishnu came to the house of Hiranyakashipu with climax anger in the form of Lord Narasimha when Hiranyakashipu tortured Prahlaada. Harming God (Bhagavadapacaara) is neglected by God whereas harming another devotee (Bhaagavataapacaara) is taken very seriously by God. God Shiva did not interfere and save Hiranyakashipu because both God Shiva and God Vishnu are one and the same God Datta (Shivashca Naaraayanah - Veda). Ravana and Rama are devotees of one form, which is God Shiva only. In fact, Ravana sacrificed his heads to God Shiva and Ravana is a greater devotee of Shiva than Rama. Even then, God Shiva favoured Rama in giving protection to Him and punished Ravana. The reason is that Ravana harmed Rama and not vice versa. God Shiva is famous for protecting the longevity from untimely death (Akaala maranam) and He is called as the winner of death (Mrutyunjaya). God Shiva gave untimely death to Raavana and long longevity to Shri Raama.
I want this answer to be read by all our devotees. You are all the devotees of God Datta, who is God Brahma, God Vishnu and God Shiva. All of you belong to one family of God Datta, so be friendly with each other cooperating among yourselves. God is impartial to any soul and becomes partial based on not only the intensity of devotion of the devotee, but also is based on the good attitude of His devotee to the other devotee. You should not misunderstand God at any cost. More important point than this is that one devotee of God of any form shall not misunderstand another devotee even if he/she is the devotee of another form of God. Such devotee with jealousy is not excused by God even though He may excuse an atheist. A knowledgeable devotee doing mistakes is worse than an ignorant atheist!
The above topic is concerned with world peace also because different devotees linked to different forms of God of various religions in this world have no unity and this case is just like the case of Hiranyakashipu and Prahlaada worshipping different forms of God (God Shiva and God Vishnu respectively). In such cases, God will punish the devotee, who is wrong harming another devotee even if the wrong devotee is most intensive in his/her devotion.
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