1
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 16, Shloka 1:
Maitreyah -
Kathito bhavataa vamsho maanavaanaam mahaatmanaam |
Kaaranam cha asya jagato vishnuh eva sanaatanah || Maitreyar says - O Paraashara, you told me about the great people of the vamsha of Manu. You also told me about the procreation and generations. What I understood is that you also told me that the ultimate cause of this universe is Vishnu only - He is the creator of this entire world. ***
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Kathita iti | Maanavaanaam svayambhuva manu vamshayaanaam
uttaanapaadaadeenam | Kaaranam iti shaastra taatparya artha
prashnottara smaaranam |*** What is told here is the Svaayambhuva Manu’s vamsha, Uttaanapaada and others. The gist of this entire shaastra is the question and answer answered by Paraasharar, about who is the cause of this world, in the very beginning itself, this is being reminded here, *kaaranam cha asya jagatah *- He is the ultimate cause of this whole world. ***
2
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 16, Shloka 2:
Yattatvetat bhagavaan aaha prahlaadam daitya sattamam |
Dadaaha naagnih naastraih cha kshunnah tat tyaaja jeevitam ||*** You told me about Prahlaada, the great daitya, that even fire could not burn him, and that he could not be destroyed even by weapons, and so [[537]] nothing happened to him. Nothing could take away his life.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Taadrushah saadhuh sva bandhubhih kim nimittam jighaamsita iti
koutukacchalena vishnu bhakta charita shushrooshayaa prucchati
yattatvetat iti | ***Maitreyar is asking - he was such a great wise person, Prahlaada, why did his own relatives try to kill him? He was such a great devotee of Vishnu, I want to know about him. ***
3
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 16, Shloka 3:
Jagaama vasudhaa kshobham yatra abdhi salile sthite |
Paashaih baddhaih vichalati vikshipta angaih samaahataa ||*** You also told me that when he was tied with ropes and thrown into water, when he moved a little bit also, the entire world was disturbed and shook. ***
4
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 16, Shloka 4:
Shailaih aakraanta deho api na mamaara cha yah puraa |
Tvayaa cha ateeva maahaatmyam kathitam yasya dheematah ||*** Though he was thrown great rocks and stones, nothing happened to him. You told me the greatness of that intelligent one.
5
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 16, Shloka 5:
Tasya prabhaavam atulam vishnoh bhaktimato mune |
Shrotum icchaami yasya etat charitam deepta tejasah || He was a great devotee of Vishnu, I want to know about his greatness. That tejasvi Prahlaada, I want to know about his story. ***
6
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 16, Shloka 6:
Kim nimittam asou shastraih vikshipto ditijaih mune |
Kimartham cha abdhi salile vikshipto dharma tatparah ||*** Why was he hit with weapons, why was he thrown in waters, by the daityaas. He was such an embodiment of dharma itself. ***
7
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 16, Shloka 7:
Aakraantah parvataih kasmaat drashtah cha eva mahoragaih |*** [[538]] Kshiptah kim adri shikharaat kim vaa paavaka sanchaye || Why was he thrown from the mountains, why were the serpents thrown at him to bite him? Why was he thrown in fire?
8
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 16, Shloka 8:
Digdantinaam danta bhaagaih sa cha kasmaat nipeeditah |
Sanshoshiko anilascha asya prayuktah kim mahaasuraih || Why were the diggajaas made to pierce him with their tusks? Why was the great Vaayu, which dries up everything, why was he commanded to torture him and dry him up? ***
9
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 16, Shloka 9:
Krutyaam cha daitya guravo yuyujuh tatra kim mune |
Shambarah cha api maayaanaam sahasram kim prayuktavaan ||*** The daitya gurus, why did they do this aabhichaarika kriyaa, to cause harm to him? Why did Shambara use all his maaya to destroy him? ***
10
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 16, Shloka 10:
Haalaahalam visham ghoram daitya soodaih mahaatmanah |
Kasmaat dattam vinaashaaya yat jeernam tena dheemataa ||*** Why did all the servants of Hiranyakashipu give all poison, in order to destroy him? Which he digested, and nothing happened to him. ***
11
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 16, Shloka 11:
Etat sarvam mahaabhaaga prahlaadasya mahaatmanah |
Charitam shrotum icchaami mahaa maahaatmya soochakam ||*** His greatness was so much that I would like to hear his story. That excellent one, the devotee of Vishnu. Please do tell me about his story. ***
12
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 16, Shloka 12:
Na hi koutoohalam tatra yat daityena na hato hi sah |
Ananya manaso vishnou kah samartho nipaatane ||*** I am not surprised that the daityaas could not kill him. When one is so much deeply meditating on Vishnu, who can kill such a person. ***
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:*** [[539]] Na hi koutoohalam iti | Aascharya shravane hi koutoohalam | Idam tu
vishnu bhaktasya paraih avadhyatvam na aascharyam |
Mahaanubhaavasya bandhubhih peedane nimitta shushrooshaa vidyate
| When Maitreyar says that he was not surprised; when something is rare which is heard, there will be surprise. A Vishnu bhakta, someone not being able to destroy him, there is nothing surprising. ***
13
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 16, Shloka 13:
Tasmin dharmapare nityam keshava aaraadhanodyate |
Sva vamsha prabhavaih daityaih kruto dvesho ati dushkarah ||*** He was following dharma all the time. He was always engaged in the worship of Keshava. His own close relatives had great hatred towards him. ***
14
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 16, Shloka 14:
Dharmaatmani mahaabhaage vishnu bhakte vimatsare |
Daiteyaih prahrutam kasmaat tat mama aakhyaatum arhasi ||*** He was a dharmaatmaa, he was without any jealousy. He was a great devotee of Vishnu. Why were all the daityaas trying to kill him like that, please let me know. ***
15
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 16, Shloka 15:
Praharanti mahaatmaano vipakshe cha api nedrushe |
Gunaih samanvite saadhou kim punah yah sva pakshajah ||*** Great and wise people don’t do these kind of things even to their enemies. That being the case, his own relatives, when he was a very wise person, and he had all great qualities, why did they do like that to such a person?
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Praharanti iti | Yah sva pakshajah tasmin iti sheshah |
16
Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 16, Shloka 16:
Tat etat kathyataam sarvam vistaraat munipungava |
Daiyeshvarasya charitam shrotum icchaami asheshatah || Please do tell me in detail about his story. I would like to hear the complete story of Hiranyakashipu and Prahlaada. [[540]] ***
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Tat iti | Charitam vruttam |
This completes the Sixteenth Chapter. Maitreyar asks *Paraasharar *- you told me all these things about Prahlaada, why did such a thing happen? I want to know in great detail about this great devotee of Vishnu.
***|| Iti Sri Vishnu Puraane Prathame Amshe Shodhasho Adhyaayah ||
|| Iti Sri Vishnu Puraana Vyaakhyaane Sri Vishnu Chitteeye Prathame
Amshe Shodhasho Adhyaayah ||
|| Atha Saptadasha Adhyaayah ||