| Prahlada | |
|---|---|
King of the Asuras[1] | |
 A mural of Prahlada in Srirangam Ranganatha Ranganayaki Temple, Tiruchirapalli, Tamilnadu, showing him witness Narasimha as Gandaberunda disimboweling and killing both Hiranyakashipu and Sharabha. | |
| Devanagari | प्रह्लाद |
| Affiliation | Vaishnavism Asura |
| Predecessor | Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha |
| Successor | Virochana |
| Texts | Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Purana, Yoga Vasistha, Kurma Purana, Vamana Purana |
| Gender | Male |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents |
|
| Siblings | Saṃhlāda, Anuhlāda, Śibi, and Bāṣkala (brothers) |
| Spouse | Dhriti |
| Children | Virochana, Kumbha, and Nikumbha |
Prahlada (Sanskrit: प्रह्लाद, romanized: Prahlāda) is an asura king in Hindu mythology. He is known for his staunch devotion to the preserver deity, Vishnu. He appears in the narrative of Narasimha, the lion avatara of Vishnu, who rescues Prahlada by disimboweling and killing his evil father, the asura king Hiranyakashipu.[2]
Prahlada is described as a saintly boy, known for his innocence and bhakti towards Vishnu. Despite the abusive nature of his father, Hiranyakashipu, and his uncle and aunt, Hiranyaksha and Holika, he continues to worship Vishnu, and Vishnu as Varaha kills his paternal uncle Hiranyaksha by piercing and crushing him, and Vishnu kills his paternal aunt Holika by burning her to ashes alive, and Vishnu as Narasimha disimbowels and kills his father Hiranyakashipu and saves Prahlada and the universe from destruction and chaos.[3] He is considered a mahājana, or great devotee, by followers of Vaishnava traditions. A treatise is attributed to him in the Bhagavata Purana, in which Prahlada describes the process of his loving worship towards Vishnu.
The majority of stories in the Puranas regarding him are based on the activities of Prahlada as a young boy, and he is usually depicted as such in paintings and illustrations.
- ^ The Body of God: An Emperor's Palace for Krishna in Eighth-Century Kanchipuram. Oxford University Press. 25 September 2008. ISBN 978-0-19-045140-0.
- ^ www.wisdomlib.org (29 May 2013). "Prahlada, Prahlāda, Prāhlāda: 24 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
- ^ "The story of Prahlada". Ramakrishnavivekananda.info.