at is supreme and what is not so among all things,
omniscient and of universal sight, as he was seated one day in a solitary
chamber with his senses under complete control, Sakra approached him, and
desirous of awakening him, said these words, 'O king, I behold all those
qualities permanently residing in thee by which a person wins the esteem
of all. Thy understanding seems to be like that of a child, free from
attachment and aversion. Thou knowest of the Soul. What, thinkest thou,
is the best means by which a knowledge of the Soul may be attained? Thou
art now bound in cords, fallen off from thy former position, brought
under the sway of thy foes, and divested of prosperity. Thy present
circumstances are such as may well inspire grief. Yet how is it, O
Prahlada, that thou dost not indulge in grief? Is this due, O son of
Diti, to the acquisition of wisdom or is it on account of thy fortitude?
Behold thy calamities, O Prahlada, and yet thou seemest like one that is
happy and tranquil.' Thus urged by Indra, the chief of the Daityas,
endued with determinate conclusions in respect of truth, replied unto the
former in these sweet words indicative of great wisdom.

"'"Prahlada said, 'He who is unacquainted with the origin and the
destruction of all created objects, is, in consequence of such ignorance,
stupefied. He, however, who is conversant with these two things, is never
stupefied. All kinds of entities and non-entities come into being or
cease in consequence of their own nature. No kind of personal exertion is
needed (for the production of such phenomena).[833] In the absence,
therefore, of personal exertion, it is evident that no personal agent
exists for the production of all this that we perceive. But though (in
reality) the person (or the chit) never does anything, yet (through the
influence of Ignorance) a consciousness in respect of angry overspreads
itself on it. He who regards himself as the doer of acts good or bad,
possesses a wisdom that is vitiated. Such a person is, according to my
judgment, unacquainted with the truth.[834] If, O Sakra, the being called
person were really the actor, then all acts undertaken for his own
benefit would certainly be crowned with success. None of those acts would
be defeated. Among even persons struggling their utmost the suspension of
what is not desired and the occurrence of what is desired are not to be
seen. What becomes then of personal exertion? In the case of some, we see