Sages & Others
Prahlada
प्रह्लाद
The Righteous Daitya
Who was Prahlada?
Prahlada (प्रह्लाद): The Righteous Daitya, one of the sages and supporting figures in the Mahabharata. Chief of the Asuras and the one Daitya the epic holds up as a model of conduct, whose righteousness Indra came disguised as a Brahmana to learn and then asked for as a boon.
Quick Facts
| Sanskrit name | प्रह्लाद |
|---|---|
| Title / Epithet | The Righteous Daitya |
| Faction | Sages & Others |
| Key traits | Truthful, Unattached, Just, Serene |
| Notable relationships | Grandson: Bali, Pupil and Despoiler: Indra, Slayer of His Father: Vishnu, Fellow Daitya: Namuchi |
| Featured in | 11 stories |
About Prahlada
Chief of the Asuras and the one Daitya the epic holds up as a model of conduct, whose righteousness Indra came disguised as a Brahmana to learn and then asked for as a boon. When he granted it, Righteousness walked out of his body, and Truth, Good Deeds, Might and Prosperity followed after it into Indra. Bound and stripped of the three worlds, he told his conqueror that no person is the doer of anything, so grief had nothing in him to take hold of, and Indra worshipped him and went home.
In Their Words
I take no pride in my birth, and I never quarrel with those who are set over me.
Prahlada
Traits
- Truthful
- Unattached
- Just
- Serene
Story Appearances
Stories Featuring Prahlada
9 further tales on this site name Prahlada, in canonical reading order.
- The Lineages of Gods and DemonsVaishampayana recites the descent of every creature from Brahma and the daughters of Daksha
- When Forgiveness Is Not a VirtueAn angry queen quotes an asura grandfather at a patient king
- The Cat Who Played the HermitDuryodhana's last message to Yudhishthira is a fable about a holy man who ate his worshippers
- The Dice That Turned Into ArrowsDrona rebukes the fleeing Dushasana, and then wakes with a sword over his neck
- The King They Thought Was DeadBhima's mace crushes Duryodhana's chariot, and both armies believe the Kuru king killed
- Karna by Night Against the PanchalasThe armies throw down their torches, and the Suta's son scatters Dhrishtadyumna and all of Panchala in the dark
- Bali in the Nooses of VarunaThe prisoner who would not be mocked, and the god who let him be
- The Boy Who Would Not BowPrahlada and the Man-Lion
- The Three StepsVamana and the Generosity of Bali
Character Arc
- The VerdictRules for the Brahmana Sudhanwan against Virochana
- The DepartureRighteousness and all that follows her leave his body
- The Empty ChamberExplains to Indra why loss cannot reach him
Key Relationships
Places in Prahlada's Story
Drawn from the stories Prahlada appears in.
Related Characters
Others counted among the Sages & Others.