Shanda and Amarka went to the palace of the demon king Hiranyakashipu and reported everything. This made Hiranyakashipu extremely angry, fearing that the dishonor brought by Prahlada would lead to the destruction of the demon clan. He then asked the priests, the sons of the guru, to devise a way to destroy Prahlada. Shanda and Amarka suggested, "O King of the Demons! If we create a magical curse and unleash it on Prahlada, it will surely kill the prince."
Hiranyakashipu: O priests of the demons, quickly create a magical curse to kill Prahlada! Do not delay.
Upon hearing Hiranyakashipu's words, Shanda and Amarka agreed to proceed as instructed and returned to their school. They attempted to teach Prahlada gently, but it was in vain! Frustrated, they warned, "O foolish boy! If you continue to refuse to abandon your obsession with Vishnu (devotion to Hari), despite our advice, we will have to create a curse to destroy you!" Hearing their threats, Prahlada fearlessly responded, "Teachers, who can kill or protect life? When the independent Lord Sri Hari exists, what can dependent beings do against His will?"
The royal priests, filled with anger and astonishment at Prahlada's words, created a magical curse to kill him. The curse, blazing like a fearsome fire, shook the earth with its force as it rushed to pierce Prahlada's chest with a trident. Astonishingly, the moment it touched the chest of young Prahlada, the trident shattered into pieces! Young Prahlada stood there, calmly smiling, absorbed in meditation on Sri Hari. Witnessing this, Shanda and Amarka were struck dumbfounded.
Truly, what danger can befall those in whose heart blooms the lotus of devotion to Sri Hari, where resides continuously Sri Vayudeva, the greatest of souls and protector of the world?
Where Lord Hari, the Supreme Lord, resides in the heart, even a diamond can shatter to pieces. What to speak then of a trident?
Upon the demon king's command, Shanda and Amarka heartlessly created a deadly magical curse to eliminate young Prahlada, a sinless devotee of the Lord. However, their attempt failed to harm Prahlada. Instead, the curse turned back on the priests Shanda and Amarka themselves. As they were being consumed by the flames of the curse they created, they found themselves unable to escape and began to cry out in despair. Seeing this, the compassionate heart of Prahlada melted. The devotee Prahlada, who always chanted the mantra "May all beings be happy," could not bear to see his teachers, who had attempted to destroy him, in distress. His heart urged him to save the priests. In utmost compassion, Prahlada prayed fervently, "O Krishna, O Infinite, O Sri Hari, save them, save them. I cannot bear to see them perish because of me, Lord. Protect them, Father."
Thus, with immense devotion, Prahlada prayed to the Lord and touched the priests. Ah, what a wonder! Merely by the touch of Prahlada, the priests, who were on the verge of death from the terrible torment of the fire, received a touch of nectar, making all their agony vanish and they became healthy and joyous as before.
Witnessing this miraculous event, the priests were astonished. Then, a sense of respect and special reverence for Prahlada arose in their hearts. Seeing Prahlada standing before them, filled with gratitude, they blessed him with these words from the Vishnu Purana:
"May you have a long life, overcome obstacles, and be endowed with strength and valor. May you, O child, be the best among those blessed with sons, grandsons, and wealth."
Then, they reported everything to Hiranyakashipu, saying, "Prahlada is a great soul, and it's impossible for anyone to harm him. He's a figure of compassion who even saved us."
