When his education had been completed, Prahlada was brought again before Hiranyakashipu. “Son,” said Hiranyakashipu, “show me what you have learnt. How will you deal with your enemies?”

“What enemies?”, asked Prahlada. “Vishnu is in me, Vishnu is in my friends and Vishnu is in my enemies. If Vishnu is everywhere, how can there be enemies? I see friends everywhere. Gods, humans, birds, animals, trees and snakes are all full of the same Vishnu. Therefore, one should look upon the whole world as one looks upon oneself.”

Hiranyakashipu became mad with anger. He got up from the throne and kicked his son on the chest. He told his soldiers to tie up Prahlada in nooses of snakes and throw him into the sea. They were then to throw down mountains on the sea so that Prahlada got crushed. This is precisely what the daityas did. But Prahlada kept on praying to Vishnu. He forgot all about himself and thought only of Vishnu. Prahlada became like Vishnu himself and the nooses of snakes fell away from his body. Prahlada removed the mountains that had been thrown down by the daityas and emerged from the water. He prayed to Vishnu and Vishnu appeared before him.