(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 19 April 2013, Stockholm, Sweden, Bhagavad-gita 10.9)
Nothing could ever distract the mind of Prahlada. Prahlada always remained fixed on the Supreme Lord, even in difficulty. It is said that at one point, Hiraṇyakaśipu, his father, did not like that Prahlada was becoming a devotee and showing interest in Krsna and so on. Therefore, his father took action against him and decided that it was time to remove this ‘poisonous element’ from his family. Just as a rotten tooth has to be pulled out – it is a little painful but it must be done. Therefore, Hiraṇyakaśipu decided that Prahlada needed to be eliminated and tried various ways to do so. One of the ways was to throw Prahlada into a pit of snakes! Prahlada passed that test of being in the pit with snakes in an amazing way. Prahlada was never for a moment distracted. Never for a moment was Prahlada distracted from remembering the Supreme Lord!
Now, any of us also might also remember Krsna when we are in a pit of snakes but our mood might be different to that of Prahlada. We might also be chanting but probably out of total fear! Once I had that experience myself on a tiny little plane which had a nickname The cigar. I was on the cigar, flying, and we had bad weather. And that plane was thrown to the sky like anything! It was a one-hour flight and I chanted sixteen rounds in that hour. I never did that again but I did on that plane – sixteen rounds in one hour! I mean I was so scared!
But Prahlada was transcendental. Prahlada was not affected. And therefore, Prahlada left his destiny entirely on the Supreme Lord. If he was meant to die by snakebite then let it be so as that is the desire of the Lord!
