SB 7.9.26
kvaham rajah-prabhava isa tamo ’dhike ’smin
jatah suretara-kule kva tavanukampa
na brahmano na tu bhavasya na vai ramaya
yan me ’rpitah sirasi padma-karah prasadah
Translation by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
O my Lord, O Supreme, because I was born in a family full of the hellish material qualities of passion and ignorance, what is my position? And what is to be said of Your causeless mercy, which was never offered even to Lord Brahma, Lord Siva or the goddess of fortune, Laksmi? You never put Your lotus hand upon their heads, but You have put it upon mine.
Purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
Prahlada Maharaja was surprised at the causeless mercy of the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, for although Prahlada was born in a demoniac family and although the Lord had never before placed His lotus hand on the head of Brahma, Siva, or the goddess of fortune, His constant companion, Lord Nrsimhadeva kindly placed His hand on the head of Prahlada. This is the meaning of causeless mercy. The causeless mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead may be bestowed upon anyone, regardless of his position in this material world. Everyone is eligible to worship the Supreme Lord, irrespective of his material position. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (14.26):
mam ca yo ’vyabhicarena
bhakti yogena sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
“One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.” Anyone who engages in continuous devotional service to the Lord is situated in the spiritual world and has nothing to do with the material qualities (sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna).
Because Prahlada Maharaja was situated on the spiritual platform, he had nothing to do with his body, which had been born of the modes of passion and ignorance. The symptoms of passion and ignorance are described in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.19) as lust and hankering (tada rajas tamo-bhavah kama-lobhadayas ca ye). Prahlada Maharaja, being a great devotee, thought the body born of his father to be born of passion and ignorance, but because Prahlada was fully engaged in the service of the Lord, his body did not belong to the material world. The pure Vaisnava’s body is spiritualized even in this life. For example, when iron is put into a fire it becomes red-hot and is no longer iron but fire. Similarly, the so-called material bodies of devotees who fully engage in the devotional service of the Lord, being constantly in the fire of spiritual life, have nothing to do with matter, but are spiritualized.
Srila Madhvacarya remarks that the goddess of fortune, the mother of the universe, could not get mercy similar to that which was offered to Prahlada Maharaja, for although the goddess of fortune is always a constant companion of the Supreme Lord, the Lord is more inclined to His devotees. In other words, devotional service is so great that when it is offered even by those born in low families, the Lord accepts it as being more valuable than the service offered by the goddess of fortune. Lord Brahma, King Indra and the other demigods living in the upper planetary systems are situated in a different spirit of consciousness, and therefore they are sometimes troubled by demons, but a devotee, even if situated in the lower planets, enjoys life in Krsna consciousness under any circumstances. Paratah svatah karmatah: as he acts himself, as he is instructed by others or as he performs his material activities, he enjoys life in every respect. In this regard, Madhvacarya quotes the following verses, which are mentioned in the Brahma-tarka:
sri-brahma-brahmivindradi-
tri-katat stri-puru-stutah
tad anye ca kramadeva
sada muktau smrtav api
hari-bhaktau ca taj-jñane
sukhe ca niyamena tu
paratah svatah karmato va
na kathañcit tad anyatha