Vyasadev
Praneetha
Canto 8
Chapter 3
Gajendra's Prayers of Surrender
In this chapter, the prayers by Gajendra, the King of the elephants, are described. It appears that the King of the elephants was formerly a human being known as Indradyumna and that he learned a prayer to the Supreme Lord. Fortunately he remembered that prayer and began to chant it to himself. First he offered his respectful obeisances to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and because of his awkward position in having been attacked by the crocodile, he expressed his inability to recite prayers nicely. Nonetheless, he tried to chant the mantra and expressed himself in appropriate words as follows.
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the cause of all causes, the original person from whom everything has emanated. He is the root cause of this cosmic manifestation, and the entire cosmos rests in Him, yet He is transcendental, for He does everything in relation to the material world through His external energy. He is eternally situated in the spiritual world — in Vaikuṇṭha or Goloka Vṛndāvana — where He engages in His eternal pastimes. The material world is a product of His external energy, or material nature, which works under His direction. It is thus that creation, maintenance and annihilation take place. The Lord exists at all times. This is extremely difficult for a nondevotee to understand. Although the transcendental Supreme Personality of Godhead is perceivable by everyone, only the pure devotees perceive His presence and activities. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is completely free from material birth, death, old age and disease. Indeed, if anyone in this material world takes shelter of Him, he also becomes situated in that transcendental position. For the satisfaction of the devotee (paritrāṇāya sādhūnām), the Lord appears and exhibits His activities. His appearance, disappearance and other pastimes are not at all material. One who knows this secret can enter the kingdom of God. In the Lord, all opposing elements are adjusted. The Lord is situated in everyone's heart. He is the controller of everything, He is the witness of all activities, and He is the original source of all living entities. Indeed, all living entities are parts of Him, for He is the origin of Mahā-Viṣṇu, who is the source of the living entities within this material world. The Lord can observe the activities of our senses, which can work and achieve material results because of His mercy. Although He is the original source of everything, He is untouched by any of His by-products. In this way He is like a gold mine, which is the source of gold in ornaments and yet is different from the ornaments themselves. The Lord is worshiped by the method prescribed in the Pañcarātras. He is the source of our knowledge, and He can give us liberation. Therefore it is our duty to understand Him according to the instructions of devotees, in particular the spiritual master. Although for us the mode of goodness is covered, by following the instructions of saintly persons and the spiritual master we can be freed from material clutches.
"The self-effulgent material form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is adored by nondevotees, His impersonal form is adored by those advanced in spiritual knowledge, and His feature as the localized Supersoul is appreciated by yogīs. But His original form as a person is understood only by devotees. That Supreme Personality of Godhead is competent to dissipate the darkness of the conditioned soul through His instructions in Bhagavad-gītā. He is the ocean of transcendental qualities and can be understood only by liberated persons freed from the bodily concept of life. By His causeless mercy, the Lord can rescue the conditioned soul from the material clutches and enable him to return home, back to Godhead, to become His personal associate. Nonetheless, a pure devotee does not aspire to go back to Godhead; he is simply satisfied with executing his service in this material world. A pure devotee does not ask anything from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His only prayer is to be freed from the material conception of life and to be engaged in the Lord's transcendental loving service."
In this way the King of the elephants, Gajendra, offered prayers directly to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without mistaking Him for one of the demigods. None of the demigods came to see him, not even Brahmā or Śiva. Rather, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, seated on Garuḍa, personally appeared before him. Gajendra, by lifting his trunk, offered obeisances to the Lord, and the Lord immediately pulled him from the water along with the crocodile who had captured his leg. Then the Lord killed the crocodile and thus rescued Gajendra.
8.3.1
prāg-janmany anuśikṣitam
(1) The son of Vyâsa [S'uka] said: 'Thus in his intelligence determined to concentrate his mind on the heart, he [Gajendra] chanted a supreme prayer he had practiced in a previous birth [see also B.G. 6: 43-44].
Such remembrance is described in Bhagavad-gītā (6.43-44):
tatra taḿ buddhi-saḿyogaḿ
pūrvābhyāsena tenaiva
In these verses it is assured that even if a person engaged in devotional service falls down, he is not degraded, but is placed in a position in which he will in due course of time remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As explained later, Gajendra was formerly King Indradyumna, and somehow or other in his next life he became King of the elephants. Now Gajendra was in danger, and although he was in a body other than that of a human being, he remembered the stotra he had chanted in his previous life. Yatate ca tato bhūyaḥ saḿsiddhau kuru-nandana. To enable one to achieve perfection, Kṛṣṇa gives one the chance to remember Him again. This is proved here, for although the King of the elephants, Gajendra, was put in danger, this was a chance for him to remember his previous devotional activities so that he could immediately be rescued by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.It is imperative, therefore, that all devotees in Kṛṣṇa consciousness practice chanting some mantra. Certainly one should chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, which is the mahā-mantra, or great mantra, and also one should practice chanting cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu or the Nṛsiḿha strotra (ito nṛsiḿhaḥ parato nṛsiḿho yato yato yāmi tato nṛsiḿhaḥ). Every devotee should practice in order to chant some mantra perfectly so that even though he may be imperfect in spiritual consciousness in this life, in his next life he will not forget Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even if he becomes an animal. Of course, a devotee should try to perfect his Kṛṣṇa consciousness in this life, for simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa and His instructions, after giving up this body one can return home, back to Godhead. Even if there is some falldown, practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness never goes in vain. For example, Ajāmila, in his boyhood, practiced chanting the name of Nārāyaṇa under the direction of his father, but later, in his youth, he fell down and became a drunkard, woman-hunter, rogue and thief. Nonetheless, because of chanting the name of Nārāyaṇa for the purpose of calling his son, whom he had named Nārāyaṇa, he became advanced, even though he was involved in sinful activities. Therefore, we should not forget the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra under any circumstances. It will help us in the greatest danger, as we find in the life of Gajendra.
8.3.2
puruṣāyādi-bījāya
pareśāyābhidhīmahi
(2) S'rî Gajendra said: 'My obeisances unto the Original One, the Supreme Godhead from whom this material existence is moving in consciousness, let me meditate upon Him, that personality who is the root cause, the Supreme Controller.
In this verse the words etac cid-ātmakam are very important. The material body certainly consists only of material elements, but when one awakens to Kṛṣṇa conscious understanding, the body is no longer material but spiritual. The material body is meant for sense enjoyment, whereas the spiritual body engages in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Therefore, a devotee who engages in the service of the Supreme Lord and who constantly thinks of Him should never be considered to have a material body. It is therefore enjoined, guruṣu nara-matiḥ: one should stop thinking of the spiritual master as an ordinary human being with a material body. Arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīḥ: everyone knows that the Deity in the temple is made of stone, but to think that the Deity is merely stone is an offense. Similarly, to think that the body of the spiritual master consists of material ingredients is offensive. Atheists think that devotees foolishly worship a stone statue as God and an ordinary man as the guru. The fact is, however, that by the grace of Kṛṣṇa's omnipotence, the so-called stone statue of the Deity is directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the body of the spiritual master is directly spiritual. A pure devotee who is engaged in unalloyed devotional service should be understood to be situated on the transcendental platform (sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]). Let us therefore offer our obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by whose mercy so-called material things also become spiritual when they are engaged in spiritual activity.
Oḿkāra (praṇava) is the symbolic sound representation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Oḿ tat sad iti nirdeśo brahmaṇas tri-vidhaḥ smṛtaḥ: the three words oḿ tat sat immediately invoke the Supreme Person. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that He is oḿkāra in all the Vedic mantras (praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu). The Vedic mantras are pronounced beginning with oḿkāra to indicate immediately the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, for example, begins with the words oḿ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. There is no difference between the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva, and oḿkāra (praṇava). We should be careful to understand that oḿkāra does not indicate anything nirākāra, or formless. Indeed, this verse immediately says, oḿ namo bhagavate. Bhagavān is a person. Thus oḿkāra is the representation of the Supreme Person. Oḿkāra is not meant to be impersonal, as the Māyāvādī philosophers consider it to be. This is distinctly expressed here by the word puruṣāya. The supreme truth addressed by oḿkāra is puruṣa, the Supreme Person; He is not impersonal. Unless He is a person, how can He control the great, stalwart controllers of this universe? Lord Viṣṇu, Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva are the supreme controllers of this universe, but Lord Viṣṇu is offered obeisances even by Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā. Therefore this verse uses the word pareśāya, which indicates that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is worshiped by exalted demigods. Pareśāya means parameśvara. Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva are īśvaras, great controllers, but Lord Viṣṇu is parameśvara, the supreme controller.
8.3.3
yasminn idaḿ yataś cedaḿ
yo 'smāt parasmāc ca paras
(3) On Him the universe rests, from Him there are all its elements and by Him it is working, unto Him who Himself is the material world in effect as well as its transcendental cause, unto that Supreme Self-sufficient One I surrender myself.
In Bhagavad-gītā (9.4) the Lord says, mayā tatam idaḿ sarvaḿ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā: "I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but everything rests upon My energy, just as an earthen pot rests on the earth." The place where an earthen pot rests is also earth. Then again, the earthen pot is manufactured by a potter, whose body is a product of earth. The potter's wheel with which the pot is made is an expansion of earth, and the ingredients from which the pot are made are also earth. As confirmed in the śruti-mantra, yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante. yena jātāni jīvanti yat prayanty abhisaḿviśanti. The original cause of everything is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and after being annihilated, everything enters into Him (prakṛtiḿ yānti māmikām). Thus the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead — Lord Rāmacandra or Lord Kṛṣṇa — is the original cause of everything.
īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
"Kṛṣṇa, who is known as Govinda, is the supreme controller. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, for He is the prime cause of all causes." (Brahma-saḿhitā 5.1) The Lord is the cause for everything, but there is no cause for Him. Sarvaḿ khalv idaḿ brahma. Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni na cāhaḿ teṣv avasthitaḥ. Although He is everything, His personality is different from the cosmic manifestation.8.3.4
(4) He who from Himself, by His own energy, expanded this cosmic manifestation, that sometimes is manifest and sometimes is not visible, oversees in both cases as the witness all and everything; that Soul without a prior cause, that Supreme of all Transcendence, I beseech, please protect me!
The Supreme Personality of Godhead has multipotencies (parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate). Therefore, as soon as He likes, He uses one of His potencies, and by that expansion He creates this cosmic manifestation. Again, when the cosmic manifestation is annihilated, it rests in Him. Nonetheless, He is infallibly the supreme observer. Under any circumstances, the Supreme Lord is changeless. He is simply a witness and is aloof from all creation and annihilation.
8.3.5
(5) When in due course of time everything, all transformations, all that is done, all the worlds and all its maintainers and directors, comes to naught, is there a dense and deep darkness, above and beyond which is shining the Almighty One.
From the Vedic mantras we understand that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is above everything. He is supreme, above all the demigods, including Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva. He is the supreme controller. When everything disappears by the influence of His energy, the cosmic situation is one of dense darkness. The Supreme Lord, however, is the sunshine, as confirmed in the Vedic mantras: āditya-varṇaḿ tamasaḥ parastāt. In our daily experience, when we on earth are in the darkness of night, the sun is always luminous somewhere in the sky. Similarly, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme sun, always remains luminous, even when the entire cosmic manifestation is annihilated in due course of time.
8.3.6
yathā naṭasyākṛtibhir viceṣṭato
duratyayānukramaṇaḥ sa māvatu
(6) Like with the looks of a performing artist who then cannot be fathomed, can His movements neither by the gods, the sages or the common creatures be understood or expressed in words; He so hard to grasp, may He give me His protection.
A similar understanding was expressed by Kuntīdevī. The Supreme Lord exists everywhere, within and without. He even exists within the heart. Sarvasya cāhaḿ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo [Bg. 15.15]. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāḿ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. Thus it is indicated that one can find the Supreme Lord within one's heart. There are many, many yogīs trying to find Him. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaḿ yoginaḥ [SB 12.13.1]. Nonetheless, even great yogīs, demigods, saints and sages have been unable to understand the bodily features of that great artist, nor could they understand the meaning of His movements. What then is to be said of ordinary speculators like the so-called philosophers of this material world? For them He is impossible to understand. Therefore we must accept the statements given by the Supreme when He kindly incarnates to instruct us. We must simply accept the word of Lord Rāmacandra, Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and follow in Their footsteps. Then it may be possible for us to know the purpose of Their incarnations.
janma karma ca me divyam
evaḿ yo vetti tattvataḥ
(Bg. 4.9)If by the Lord's grace one can understand Him, one will immediately be delivered, even within his material body. The material body will no longer have any function, and whatever activities take place with the body will be activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In this way one may give up his body and return home, back to Godhead.
8.3.7
(7) The Lord of those desirous to see the all-auspicious lotus feet, of those freed from all attachment, of those great sages, faultless in the forest, highly elevated practicing vows to the different positions [the âs'ramas], the Lord of those who are equal and friendly to all, He is my destination.
This verse describes the qualifications for devotees or persons highly elevated in spiritual consciousness. Devotees are always equal to everyone, seeing no distinction between lower and higher classes. paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18]. They look upon everyone as a spirit soul who is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. Thus they are competent to search for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Understanding that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the friend of everyone (suhṛdaḿ sarva-bhūtānām), they act as friends of everyone on behalf of the Supreme Lord. Making no distinction between one nation and another or one community and another, they preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā, everywhere. Thus they are competent to see the lotus feet of the Lord. Such preachers in Kṛṣṇa consciousness are called paramahaḿsas. As indicated by the word vimukta-sańga, they have nothing to do with material conditions. One must take shelter of such a devotee in order to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
8.3.8-9
tathāpi lokāpyaya-sambhavāya yaḥ
arūpāyoru-rūpāya
(8-9) From Him there is no birth, no karma, no name or form, nor modes and faults certainly either; nevertheless does He, who is the destruction and the creation of this cosmic manifestation, by His own potency time and again come into action [as an avatâra]. Unto Him the transcendental One who is the Controller, the Supreme Brahman of unlimited potency, who without a form has assumed forms, who is of so many wonderful activities, I offer my respects.
In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is said, guṇāḿś ca doṣāḿś ca mune vyatīta samasta-kalyāṇa-guṇātmako hi. The Supreme Personality of Godhead has no material form, qualities or faults. He is spiritual and is the only reservoir of all spiritual qualities. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (4.8) by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāḿ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām. The Lord's activities of saving the devotees and annihilating the demons are transcendental. Anyone annihilated by the Supreme Personality of Godhead gets the same result as a devotee who is protected by the Lord; both of them are transcendentally promoted. The only difference is that a devotee goes directly to the spiritual planets and becomes an associate of the Supreme Lord, whereas demons are promoted to brahmaloka, the impersonal effulgence of the Lord. Both of them, however, are transcendentally promoted. The Lord's killing or annihilating of the demons is not exactly like the killing of this material world. Although He appears to act within the modes of material nature, He is nirguṇa, above the modes of nature. His name is not material; otherwise how could one get liberation by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma? The names of the Lord like Rāma and Kṛṣṇa are nondifferent from the person Rāma and Kṛṣṇa. Thus by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra one constantly associates with Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore becomes liberated. A practical example is Ajāmila, who always remained transcendental to his activities simply by chanting the name Nārāyaṇa. If this was true of Ajāmila, what is to be said of the Supreme Lord? When the Lord comes to this material world, He does not become a product of matter. This is confirmed throughout Bhagavad-gītā (janma-karma ca me divyam, avajānanti māḿ mūḍhāḥ mānuṣīḿ tanum āśritam [Bg. 4.9]). Therefore, when the Supreme Personality of Godhead — Rāma or Kṛṣṇa — descends to act transcendentally for our benefit, we should not consider Him an ordinary human being. When the Lord comes, He does so on the basis of His spiritual potency (sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā [Bg. 4.6]). Because He is not forced to come by the material energy, He is always transcendental. One should not consider the Supreme Lord an ordinary human being. Material names and forms are contaminated, but spiritual name and spiritual form are transcendental.
8.3.10
(10) My obeisances unto Him, the enlightenment of the soul, the witness in all, the Supreme of the Self; unto Him who defies description, the mind and even the consciousness my reverence.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, cannot be understood by the individual soul through mental, physical or intellectual exercises. It is by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead that the individual soul is enlightened. Therefore, the Lord is described here as ātma-pradīpa. The Lord is like the sun, which illuminates everything and cannot be illuminated by anyone. Therefore, if one is serious about understanding the Supreme, one must receive enlightenment from Him, as instructed in Bhagavad-gītā. One cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead by one's mental, physical or intellectual powers.
8.3.11
sattvena pratilabhyāya
(11) He, the object of devotion who by the ones of learning in transcendental activities is done justice, unto Him, the master of emancipation, the bestower of happiness, He who is completely free, my honorable reverence.
As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, the Supreme Personality of Godhead can be understood only by devotional service. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [Bg. 18.55]. If one wants to know the Supreme Personality of Godhead in truth, one must take to the activities of devotional service. These activities are called sattva or śuddha-sattva. In the material world, activities of goodness, which are symptomatic of a pure brāhmaṇa, are appreciated. But the activities of devotional service are śuddha-sattva; in other words, they are on the transcendental platform. Only by devotional service can one understand the Supreme.
Devotional service is called naiṣkarmya. Mere negation of material activity will not endure. Naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitam. Unless one performs activities with reference to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, cessation of material activities will not be helpful. In hopes of achieving naiṣkarmya, freedom from material action, many highly elevated sannyāsīs stopped their activities, yet they failed and returned to the material platform to act as materialistic persons. But once one is engaged in the spiritual activities of bhakti-yoga, one does not fall down. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is therefore an attempt to engage everyone always in spiritual activity, by which one becomes transcendental to material actions. The spiritual activities of bhakti-mārga — śravaṇaḿ kīrtanaḿ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaḿ pāda-sevanam [SB 7.5.23] — lead one to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, as stated here, sattvena pratilabhyāya naiṣkarmyeṇa vipaścitā: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead is realized by pure devotees who act in the transcendental existence of bhakti-yoga."
The Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad (15) says, bhaktir asya bhajanaḿ tad ihāmutropādhi-nairāsyenaivāmuṣmin manasaḥ kalpanam etad eva ca naiṣkarmyam. This is a definition of naiṣkarmya. One acts in naiṣkarmya when he fully engages in Kṛṣṇa conscious activities without material desires to enjoy, either here or in the upper planetary systems, in the present life or in a future life (iha-amutra). Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11]. When one is freed from all contamination and he acts in devotional service under the direction of the spiritual master, one is on the platform of naiṣkarma. By such transcendental devotional service, the Lord is served. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.
8.3.12
(12) All my obeisances to the One of Peace fully concentrated on the spiritual in forms fierce and animalistic [like Nrisimhma and Varâha] to the different qualities of nature; to Him who as well is the knowledge of Brahman, I do dedicate my prayer.
In the previous verses it has been described that although the Supreme Personality of Godhead has no material form, He accepts innumerable forms to favor His devotees and kill the demons. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, there are so many incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead that they are like the waves of a river. The waves of a river flow incessantly, and no one can count how many waves there are. Similarly, no one can calculate when and how the different incarnations of the Lord appear according to the necessities of time, place and candidates.
"Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion — at that time I descend Myself." In the material world there is always the possibility of deviation from Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and therefore Kṛṣṇa and His devotees always act in various forms to curb such godlessness.
Even impersonalists who stress the knowledge feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead want to merge in the effulgence of the Lord. Therefore, here the word jñāna-ghanāya indicates that for atheists who disbelieve in the form and existence of the Lord, all these various incarnations appear. Since the Lord comes to teach in so many forms, no one can say that there is no God. The word jñāna-ghanāya is especially used here to refer to those whose knowledge has become solidified by dint of their searching for the Lord through speculative philosophical understanding. Superficial knowledge is useless for understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but when one's knowledge becomes extremely intense and deep, one understands Vāsudeva (vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ [Bg. 7.19]). A jñānī attains this stage after many, many births. Therefore the word jñāna-ghanāya is used here. The word śantāya indicates that Lord Vāsudeva is situated in everyone's heart but does not act with the living entity. Impersonalist jñānīs realize Vāsudeva when they are fully mature in knowledge (vāsudevaḥ samam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ).
8.3.13
sarvādhyakṣāya sākṣiṇe
puruṣāyātma-mūlāya
(13) The knower of the field [see B.G. 13: 1-5] I respect, You the superintendent of all, the witness and the original person who art the original source, unto You, the doer of the material creation, You as the primal reality, I offer my obeisances.
In Bhagavad-gītā (13.3) the Lord says, kṣetra jñaḿ cāpi māḿ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata: "O scion of Bharata, you should understand that I am also the knower in all bodies." Every one of us is thinking, "I am this body" or "This is my body," but actually the truth is different. Our bodies are given to us by the supreme proprietor. The living entity, who is also kṣetra jña, or the knower of the body, is not the body's only proprietor; the actual proprietor of the body is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the supreme kṣetra jña. For example, we may rent and occupy a house, but actually the owner of the house is the landlord. Similarly, we may be allotted a certain type of body as a facility with which to enjoy this material world, but the actual proprietor of the body is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is called sarvādhyakṣa because everything in the material world works under His supervision. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (9.10), wherein the Lord says, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sacarācaram: "This material nature, working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, is producing all moving and unmoving beings." From prakṛti, or material nature, come so many varieties of living entities, including aquatics, plants, trees, insects, birds, animals, human beings and demigods. prakṛti is the mother, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the father (ahaḿ bīja-pradaḥ pitā).
Prakṛti can give us material bodies, but as spirit souls we are parts and parcels of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (15.7): mamaivāḿśo jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ. The living entity, being part and parcel of God, is not a product of this material world. Therefore the Lord is described in this verse as ātma-mūla, the original source of everything. He is the seed of all existences (bījaḿ māḿ sarva-bhūtānām). In Bhagavad-gītā (14.4) the Lord says:
sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya
"It should be understood that all living entities, in all species of life, O son of Kuntī, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father." Plants, trees, insects, aquatics, demigods, beasts, birds and all other living entities are sons or parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, but because they are struggling with different mentalities, they have been given different types of bodies (manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati [Bg. 15.7]). Thus they have become sons of prakṛti, or material nature, which is impregnated by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Every living entity in this material world is struggling for existence, and the only salvation or relief from the cycle of birth and death in the evolutionary process is full surrender. This is indicated by the word namaḥ, "I offer my respectful obeisances unto You."
8.3.14
asatā cchāyayoktāya
(14) You I respect, for You oversee the objectives of all the senses. You are the end of all doubts with the untrue that because of being Your mirror-image is called the reality. To that reflection, my reverence unto You.
To paraphrase this verse: "The objectives of sensual activities are actually observed by You. Without Your direction, the living entity cannot take even a step forward. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (15.15), sarvasya cāhaḿ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaḿ ca. You are situated in everyone's heart, and only from You come remembrance and forgetfulness. Chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā [Bs. 5.44]. The living entity under the clutches of māyā wants to enjoy this material world, but unless You give him directions and remind him, he cannot make progress in pursuing his shadowy objective in life. The conditioned soul wrongly progresses toward the wrong objective, life after life, and he is reminded of that objective by You. In one life the conditioned soul desires to progress toward a certain objective, but after his body changes, he forgets everything. Nonetheless, my Lord, because he wanted to enjoy something of this world, You remind him of this in his next birth. Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaḿ ca [Bg. 15.15]. Because the conditioned soul wants to forget You, by Your grace You give him opportunities, life after life, by which he can almost perpetually forget You. Therefore You are eternally the director of the conditioned souls. It is because You are the original cause of everything that everything appears real. The ultimate reality is Your Lordship, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You."
The word sarva-pratyaya-hetave is explained by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, who says that a result gives one a glimpse of its cause. For example, since an earthen pot is the result of the actions of a potter, by seeing the earthen pot one can guess at the existence of the potter. Similarly, this material world resembles the spiritual world, and any intelligent person can guess how it is acting. As explained in Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10]. The activities of the material world suggest that behind them is the superintendence of the Lord.
8.3.15
niṣkāraṇāyādbhuta-kāraṇāya
sarvāgamāmnāya-mahārṇavāya
namo 'pavargāya parāyaṇāya
(15) My obeisances again unto You, the causeless supreme cause of everything, the cause of all wonders, the source of what is learned in succession, the ocean receiving from all rivers of knowing; I honor You, the granter of liberation and the shelter of the transcendentalist.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is described herein as the wonderful cause. He is wonderful in the sense that although there may be unlimited emanations from the Supreme Personality of Godhead (janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]), He always remains complete (pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate). In our experience in the material world, if we have a bank balance of one million dollars, as we withdraw money from the bank the balance gradually diminishes until it becomes nil. However, the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, is so complete that although innumerable Personalities of Godhead expand from Him, He remains the same Supreme Personality of Godhead. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate. Therefore He is the wonderful cause. Govindam ādi-puruṣaḿ tam ahaḿ bhajāmi **.
īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
"Kṛṣṇa, who is known as Govinda, is the supreme controller. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, for He is the prime cause of all causes." (Brahma-saḿhitā 5.1)Even in this material world, we can understand that the sun has existed for millions of years and has given off heat and light since its creation, yet the sun still retains its power and never changes. What then is to be said of the supreme cause, paraḿ brahma, Kṛṣṇa? Everything emanates from Him perpetually, yet He maintains His original form (sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ). Kṛṣṇa personally says in Bhagavad-gītā (10.8), mattaḥ sarvaḿ pravartate: "Everything emanates from Me." Everything emanates from Kṛṣṇa eternally, yet He is the same Kṛṣṇa and does not change. Therefore He is the shelter of all transcendentalists who are eager to get free from material bondage.
Everyone must take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. It is therefore advised:
akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā
"Whether one desires everything or nothing or desires to merge into the existence of the Lord, he is intelligent only if he worships Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by rendering transcendental loving service." (Bhāg. 2.3.10) Paraḿ brahma, the Supreme Lord, and paraḿ dhāma, the supreme repose, is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore anyone who desires anything — whether he be a karmī, a jñānī or a yogī — should try to perceive the Supreme Personality of Godhead very seriously, and all of his desires will be fulfilled. The Lord says, ye yathā māḿ prapadyante tāḿs tathaiva bhajāmy aham: [Bg. 4.11] "As the living entities surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly." Even the karmī who wants everything for his enjoyment can get it from Kṛṣṇa. For Kṛṣṇa, supplying what he wants is not at all difficult. Actually, however, one should worship Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for the sake of getting liberation.
Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ [Bg. 15.15]. By studying the Vedic literature, one should understand Kṛṣṇa. As confirmed here, sarvāgamāmnāya-mahārṇavāya. He is the ocean, and all Vedic knowledge flows toward Him. Therefore, intelligent transcendentalists take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaḿ śaraṇaḿ vraja [Bg. 18.66]). This is the ultimate goal.
8.3.16
guṇāraṇi-cchanna-cid-uṣmapāya
naiṣkarmya-bhāvena vivarjitāgama-
(16) Unto Him whose fire of knowledge by the modes of nature is covered the way fire is covered in wood, unto Him outside of the, by the turmoil of nature agitated, mind, unto Him manifest personally for those who from their stage of spiritual understanding gave up on the formal approach, I do dedicate myself.
For a devotee who has taken the lotus feet of the Lord within his heart, the Lord gives spiritual enlightenment, known as jñāna-dīpa, by special mercy from within. This jñāna-dīpa is compared to the fire hidden within araṇi wood. To perform fire sacrifices, great sages previously did not ignite a fire directly; the fire would be invoked from araṇi wood. Similarly, all living entities are covered by the modes of material nature, and the fire of knowledge can be ignited only by the Supreme Personality of Godhead when one takes Him within one's heart. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ. If one takes seriously the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, who is seated within one's heart, the Lord eradicates all ignorance. By the torch of knowledge, one immediately understands everything properly by the special mercy of the Supreme Lord and becomes self-realized. In other words, although a devotee may externally not be very well educated, because of his devotional service the Supreme Personality of Godhead gives him enlightenment from within. If the Lord gives enlightenment from within, how can one be in ignorance? Therefore the allegation of the Māyāvādīs that the devotional path is for the unintelligent or uneducated is untrue.
yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā
If one becomes an unalloyed devotee of the Supreme Lord, he automatically manifests all good qualities. Such a devotee is above the instructions of the Vedas. He is a paramahaḿsa. Even without going through the Vedic literature, a devotee becomes pure and enlightened by the mercy of the Lord. "Therefore, my Lord," the devotee says, "I offer my respectful obeisances unto You."
8.3.17
(17) As an animal like me of surrender unto Him, the Immaculate of infinite mercy who releases from being entangled, I offer my respects; by a single part of Your self [the Paramâtmâ, see also B.G. 10: 42] are You ever attentive to all the ones embodied, unto the Supreme Lord of no limits, celebrated in the mind as the direct observer, I offer my obeisances.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa. There are many tattvas, such as viṣṇu-tattva, jīva-tattva and śakti-tattva, but above everything is the viṣṇu-tattva, which is all-pervading. This all-pervading feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is explained in Bhagavad-gītā (10.42), wherein the Lord says:
athavā bahunaitena
ekāḿśena sthito jagat
"But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe." Thus Kṛṣṇa says that the entire material world is maintained by His partial representation as Paramātmā. The Lord enters every universe as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and then expands Himself as Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu to enter the hearts of all living entities and even enter the atoms. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham. Every universe is full of atoms, and the Lord is not only within the universe but also within the atoms. Thus within every atom the Supreme Lord exists in His Viṣṇu feature as Paramātmā, but all the viṣṇu-tattvas emanate from Kṛṣṇa. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (10.2), aham ādir hi devānām: Kṛṣṇa is the ādi, or beginning, of the devas of this material world — Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara. Therefore He is described here as bhagavate bṛhate. Everyone is bhagavān — everyone possesses opulence — but Kṛṣṇa is bṛhān bhagavān, the possessor of unlimited opulence. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everyone. Ahaḿ sarvasya prabhavaḥ. Even Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara come from Kṛṣṇa. Mattaḥ parataraḿ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: [Bg. 7.7] there is no personality superior to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that bhagavate bṛhate means "unto Śrī Kṛṣṇa."In this material world, everyone is a paśu, an animal, because of the bodily conception of life.
yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke
janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ
"A human being who identifies the body made of three elements as the self, who considers the by-products of the body to be his kinsmen, who considers the land of his birth to be worshipable, and who goes to a place of pilgrimage simply to bathe rather than to meet men of transcendental knowledge there is to be considered like a cow or an ass." (Bhāg. 10.84.13) Practically everyone, therefore, is a paśu, an animal, and everyone is attacked by the crocodile of material existence. Not only the King of the elephants but every one of us is being attacked by the crocodile and is suffering the consequences.Only Kṛṣṇa can deliver us from this material existence. Indeed, He is always trying to deliver us. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāḿ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. He is within our hearts and is not at all inattentive. His only aim is to deliver us from material life. It is not that He becomes attentive to us only when we offer prayers to Him. Even before we offer our prayers, He incessantly tries to deliver us. He is never lazy in regard to our deliverance. Therefore this verse says, bhūri-karuṇāya namo 'layāya. It is the causeless mercy of the Supreme Lord that He always tries to bring us back home, back to Godhead. God is liberated, and He tries to make us liberated, but although He is constantly trying, we refuse to accept His instructions (sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaḿ śaraṇaḿ vraja [Bg. 18.66]). Nonetheless, He has not become angry. Therefore He is described here as bhūri-karuṇāya, unlimitedly merciful in delivering us from this miserable material condition of life and taking us back home, back to Godhead.
8.3.18
muktātmabhiḥ sva-hṛdaye paribhāvitāya
(18) For all those so very attached to their mind and body, sons and daughters, home, wealth and helpers, are You difficult to reach, but for persons liberated in the heart, in freedom from the influence of the modes of nature, You are there already [see B.G. 6: 47]; unto Him who is always meditated, the reservoir of all spiritual knowledge, unto that Supreme Lord and Controller, my respects.
Although the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes into the material world, He is unaffected by the modes of material nature. This is confirmed in Īśopaniṣad. Apāpa-viddham: He is not contaminated. This same fact is described here. Guṇa-sańga-vivarjitāya. Although the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears as an incarnation within this material world, He is unaffected by the modes of material nature. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (9.11), avajānanti māḿ mūḍhā mānuṣīḿ tanum āśritam: foolish men with insufficient knowledge deride the Personality of Godhead because He appears just like a human being. Therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead can be understood only by the muktātmā, the liberated soul. Muktātmabhiḥ sva-hṛdaye paribhāvitāya: only the liberated person can constantly think of Kṛṣṇa. Such a person is the greatest of all yogīs.
yoginām api sarveṣāḿ
mad-gatenāntarātmanā
"Of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all." (Bg. 6.47)8.3.19
karotu me 'dabhra-dayo vimokṣaṇam
(19) By worshiping Him can that be reached what is sought with all the desiring after the religion, the economy, the gratification and the liberation, not even mentioning the other benedictions He also bestows like having a spiritual body on top of that; may He, the one of infinite mercy, grant me the liberation of my soul [see also 2.3: 10 and 7.9: 27].
Some men within this material world are akāmī, free from material desire, some are ambitious to get more and more material profit, and some desire fulfillment in religious life, economic development, sense gratification and finally liberation.
akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā
(Bhāg. 2.3.10)
It is recommended that whatever one's position — whether one demands no material profit, all material profit or ultimately liberation — one should offer his obedient devotional service to the Lord, and one will get what he desires. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Ye yathā māḿ prapadyante tāḿs tathaiva bhajāmy aham [Bg. 4.11]. The Lord reciprocates. Whatever even an ordinary living entity wants, Kṛṣṇa gives. Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart, and He gives that which is desired by the living entity.
īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāḿ
hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati
yantrārūḍhāni māyayā
"The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy." (Bg. 18.61) The Lord gives everyone an opportunity to fulfill his ambitions. Even such a devotee as Dhruva Mahārāja wanted the material benediction of a kingdom greater than that of his father, and although he received a spiritual body, he also got the kingdom, for the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not disappoint anyone who takes shelter of His lotus feet. Therefore, since Gajendra, King of the elephants, had surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead to get free from the present danger and, indirectly, from the present danger of materialistic life, why should the Supreme Personality of Godhead not fulfill his desire?8.3.20-21
atīndriyaḿ sūkṣmam ivātidūram
(20-21) Those who yearn for no other purpose than Him do not desire some benediction - those who factually came to the shelter of the Supreme Lord are immersed in an ocean of transcendental bliss by reciting and hearing about the all-auspicious, wondrous activities of Him. He, the eternal one transcendental, Supreme Master of all great personalities, the unseen Soul above all that in yoga can be reached by devotion is, as subtle and elusive out of the reach of the senses as He is, the unlimited, all-complete origin whom I worship.
anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaḿ
ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
[Madhya 19.167]
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11)"One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service." Unalloyed devotees have nothing to ask from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but Gajendra, the King of the elephants, was circumstantially asking for an immediate benediction because he had no other way to be rescued. Sometimes, when there is no alternative, a pure devotee, being fully dependent on the mercy of the Supreme Lord, prays for some benediction. But in such a prayer there is also regret. One who always hears and chants about the transcendental pastimes of the Lord is always situated on a platform on which he has nothing to ask in terms of material benefits. Unless one is a completely pure devotee, one cannot enjoy the transcendental bliss derived from chanting and dancing in the ecstasy of the sańkīrtana movement. Such ecstasy is not possible for an ordinary devotee. Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu showed us how one can enjoy transcendental bliss simply by chanting, hearing and dancing in ecstasy. This is bhakti-yoga. Therefore the King of the elephants, Gajendra, said, ādhyātmika-yoga-gamyam, indicating that unless one is situated on this transcendental platform, one cannot approach the Supreme Lord. The benediction of being able to approach the Lord can be achieved after many, many births, yet Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has awarded this benediction to everyone, even to the fallen souls who have no heritage of anything in spiritual life. That is actually being seen in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Therefore the path of bhakti-yoga is the spotless process by which to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bhaktyāham ekayā grāhyaḥ: only through devotional service can one approach the Supreme Lord. The Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (7.1):
mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha
"Now hear, O son of Pṛthā [Arjuna], how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt." Simply by being attached to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and by thinking of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa constantly, one can fully understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without a doubt.
8.3.22-24
vedā lokāś carācarāḥ
yathārciṣo 'gneḥ savitur gabhastayo
(22-24) Of Him are by His parts - the moving and nonmoving different entities, the vedic knowledge the gods and all who belong to Brahmâ - created the less important divisions of names and forms. This continuous display of the modes of nature, this intelligence and mind, these senses and divisions of the gross and subtle of the body, are, like sparks to the fire that is the sun, the shining particles that over and over emanate from and merge into Him as parts and parcels. That fire, indeed not a demigod or a demon, a human being, beast nor bird, a woman, neuter or man either, nor either a living creature, is not the fruitive action nor the manifestation nor the non-manifest; He is the end of excluding this and that [neti neti see also 7.7: 23]; all hail to Him, the unlimited One!
This is a summary description of the Supreme Personality of Godhead's unlimited potency. That supreme one is acting in different phases by manifesting His parts and parcels, which are all simultaneously differently situated by His different potencies (parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate). Each and every potency is acting quite naturally (svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca). Therefore the Lord is unlimited. Na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate: nothing is equal to Him, nor is anything greater than Him. Although He manifests Himself in so many ways, personally He has nothing to do (na tasya kāryaḿ karaṇaḿ ca vidyate), for everything is done by expansions of His unlimited energies.
8.3.25
tasyātma-lokāvaraṇasya mokṣam
(25) I do not wish to continue with my life here or in a world hereafter; of what use would that be when one within and without is locked up; in this birth as an elephant I desire to escape from the timebound which only heads for destruction. I want to be liberated from that degrading limitation of myself [see also 1.2: 3, 6.15: 16].
In this material world, every living entity is covered by the darkness of ignorance. Therefore the Vedas enjoin that one should approach the Supreme Lord through the spiritual master, who is described and offered prayers in the Gautamīya-tantra as follows:
oḿ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaḿ yena
"I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance." Although one may struggle for existence in this material world, to live forever is impossible. One must understand, however, that this struggle for existence is due to ignorance, for otherwise every living being is an eternal part of the Supreme Lord. There is no need to live as an elephant or man, American or Indian; one should desire only to achieve liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Because of ignorance, we consider every life offered by nature to be happy and pleasing, but in the degraded life within this material world, from the life of Lord Brahmā down to that of an ant, no one can actually be happy. We are making so many plans to live happily, but there cannot be any happiness in this material world, however we may try to make a permanent settlement in this life or that.8.3.26
(26) For that purpose do I unto Him, the manifest albeit the unmanifest creator of this cosmic manifestation, that unborn soul and the knower of the universe and transcendental shelter of the Supreme, offer my life and soul.
Sometimes when bhakti-yoga, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is preached to the common man, people argue, "Where is Kṛṣṇa? Where is God? Can you show Him to us?" In this verse the answer is given that if we are sufficiently intelligent, we must know that there is someone who has created the entire cosmic manifestation, who has supplied and has become the ingredients for this cosmic manifestation, who is eternally existing, but who is not within the cosmic manifestation. Simply on the basis of this suggestion, one can offer respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord. This is the beginning of devotional life.
8.3.27
yogino yaḿ prapaśyanti
(27) Those of the unification of consciousness unto Him, who by that bhakti-yoga burned all the karma and have a unified heart purified, do directly see Him, the Lord of Yoga I'm dedicated to.
The King of the elephants, Gajendra, simply accepted that there must be someone who has created this cosmic manifestation and has supplied its ingredients. This should be admitted by everyone, even the most determined atheists. Why, then, do the nondevotees and atheists not admit this? The reason is that they are polluted by the reactions of their fruitive activities. One must be freed from all the dirt accumulated within the heart due to fruitive activities performed one after another. One must wash off this dirt by practicing bhakti-yoga. Yoga-randhita-karmāṇaḥ. As long as one is covered by material nature's modes of ignorance and passion, there is no possibility of understanding the Supreme Lord. Tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye [SB 1.2.19]. When one is freed from the modes of ignorance and passion, one becomes free from the lowest qualities — kāma and lobha, lust and greed.
Nowadays there are so many yoga schools to encourage people in developing their lusty desires and greed through the practice of yoga. People are therefore very much fond of so-called yoga practice. The actual practice of yoga, however, is described here. As authoritatively stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (12.13.1), dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaḿ yoginaḥ: a yogī is one who always meditates on the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is also confirmed in the Brahma-saḿhitā (5.38):
premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti
"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is Śyāmasundara, Kṛṣṇa Himself, with inconceivable innumerable attributes, whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion tinged with the salve of love." The bhakti-yogī constantly sees Śyāmasundara — beautiful Lord Kṛṣṇa with His blackish bodily hue. Because the King of the elephants, Gajendra, thought himself an ordinary animal, he thought himself unfit to see the Lord. In his humility, he thought that he could not practice yoga. In other words, how can those who are like animals in the bodily concept of life, and who have no purity of consciousness, practice yoga? In the present day, people who have no control over their senses, who have no understanding of philosophy and who do not follow religious principles or rules and regulations are nonetheless pretending to be yogīs. This is the greatest anomaly in the practice of mystic yoga.8.3.28
(28) My respects again and again unto You, the formidable of the forces of the threefold potency of [making, unwinding and keeping up] the complete, unto Him who, to the intelligence appearing as an object to the senses, gives shelter and who, with His difficult to overcome energies [see B.G. 16: 21], is unattainable for the ones who on the path cannot control their senses.
Attachment, greed and lust are three formidable forces that prevent one from concentrating upon the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These forces act because the Supreme Lord does not like to be realized by nondevotees and atheists. However, when one surrenders unto the lotus feet of the Lord, these impediments are withdrawn, and one can realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore the Lord is the protector of the surrendered soul. One cannot become a devotee until one surrenders unto the Lord's lotus feet. Then the Lord gives one the intelligence from within by which one can return home, back to Godhead.
8.3.29
bhagavantam ito 'smy aham
(29) I seek my refuge with Him whose glories are so hard to fathom, whose identity by the people in general is not known and under whose influence and intelligence I as a separate soul am defeated.'
As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, every living entity — regardless of whether he be human, demigod, animal, bird, bee or whatever — is part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord and the living entity are intimately related like father and son. Unfortunately, because of material contact, the living entity forgets this and wants to enjoy the material world independently, according to his own plan. This illusion (māyā) is very difficult to surmount. Māyā covers the living entity because of his willingness to forget the Supreme Personality of Godhead and make his own plan to enjoy this material world. As long as this contamination continues, the conditioned soul will be unable to understand his real identity and will perpetually continue under illusion, life after life. Ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam ahaḿ mameti (Bhāg. 5.5.8). As long as the living entity is not enlightened so that he may understand his real position, he will be attracted to materialistic life, to house, country or field, to society, sons, family, community, bank balance and so on. Covered by all this, he will continue to think, "I am this body, and everything related to this body is mine." This materialistic conception of life is extremely difficult to surmount, but one who surrenders to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as did Gajendra, the King of the elephants, comes to enlightenment on the Brahman platform.
brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
"One who is transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed toward all living entities. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me." (Bg. 18.54) Since a devotee is completely on the Brahman platform, he is not jealous of any other living entity (samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu).
8.3.30
naite yadopasasṛpur nikhilātmakatvāt
tatrākhilāmara-mayo harir āvirāsīt
(30) S'rî S'uka said: 'When, because of this description that was not directed at any particular person, none of the autocratic godly of Brahmâ with their variety of forms, approached Gajendra, appeared there from the choice of the godly the Lord in person for He is the complete of them all together [compare B.G. 7: 20-23 and 9: 23; 4.31: 14].
From the description of Gajendra, he apparently was aiming at the supreme authority although he did not know who the supreme authority is. He conjectured, "There is a supreme authority who is above everything." Under the circumstances, the Lord's various expansions, such as Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, Candra and Indra, all thought, "Gajendra is not asking our help. He is asking the help of the Supreme, who is above all of us." As Gajendra has described, the Supreme Lord has various parts and parcels, including the demigods, human beings and animals, all covered by separate forms. Although the demigods are in charge of maintaining different aspects of the universe, Gajendra thought that they were unable to rescue him. Hariḿ vinā naiva mṛtiḿ taranti: no one can rescue anyone from the dangers of birth, death, old age and disease. It is only the Supreme Personality of Godhead who can rescue one from the dangers of material existence. Therefore an intelligent person, to get free from this dangerous existence, approaches the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not any demigod. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (7.20), kāmais tais tair hṛta jñānāḥ prapadyante 'nya-devatāḥ: those who are unintelligent approach the various demigods for temporary material benefits. Actually, however, these demigods cannot rescue the living entity from the dangers of material existence. Like other living entities, the demigods are merely external parts of the Supreme Personality of Godhead's transcendental body. As stated in the Vedic mantras, sa ātma-ańgāny anyā devatāḥ. Within the body is the ātmā, the soul, whereas the various parts of the body like the hands and legs are external. Similarly, the ātmā of the entire cosmic manifestation is Nārāyaṇa, Lord Viṣṇu, and all the demigods, human beings and other living entities are parts of His body.
It may also be concluded that since a tree lives on the strength of its root and when the root is nourished with water all the parts of the tree are nourished, one should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the original root of everything. Although the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very difficult to approach, He is very near to us because He lives within our hearts. As soon as the Lord understands that one is seeking His favor by fully surrendering, naturally He immediately takes action. Therefore although the demigods did not come to the aid of Gajendra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead immediately appeared before him because of his fervent prayer. This does not mean that the demigods were angry with Gajendra, for actually when Lord Viṣṇu is worshiped, all the other demigods are also worshiped. Yasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭam: if the Supreme Personality of Godhead is satisfied, everyone is satisfied.
yathā taror mūla-niṣecanena
prāṇopahārāc ca yathendriyāṇāḿ
tathaiva sarvārhaṇam acyutejyā
"As pouring water on the root of a tree energizes the trunk, branches, twigs and everything else, and as supplying food to the stomach enlivens the senses and limbs of the body, so simply worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead through devotional service automatically satisfies the demigods, who are parts of that Supreme Personality." (Bhāg. 4.31.14) When the Supreme Personality of Godhead is worshiped, all the demigods are satisfied.8.3.31
chandomayena garuḍena samuhyamānaś
cakrāyudho 'bhyagamad āśu yato gajendraḥ
(31) Hearing his prayer came the Lord of all worlds understanding his predicament, together with the denizens of heaven who offered their prayers, as fast as He could, carried by Garuda and equiped with His disc and other weapons, to the spot where Gajendra was.
8.3.32
so 'ntaḥ-sarasy urubalena gṛhīta ārto
(32) When he, who in the water so violently was captured and was suffering, saw the Lord who from the back of Garuda wielded His disc in the sky, raised he his trunk holding a lotus flower and uttered he with difficulty: 'O Nârâyana, Teacher of the Complete, o Supreme Lord, You I offer my obeisances.'
The King of the elephants was so very eager to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead that when he saw the Lord coming in the sky, with great pain and in a feeble voice he offered respect to the Lord. A devotee does not consider a dangerous position to be dangerous, for in such a dangerous position he can fervently pray to the Lord in great ecstasy. Thus a devotee regards danger as a good opportunity. Tat te'nukampāḿ susamīkṣamāṇaḥ. When a devotee is in great danger, he sees that danger to be the great mercy of the Lord because it is an opportunity to think of the Lord very sincerely and with undiverted attention. Tat te 'nukampāḿ susamīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaḿ vipākam (Bhāg. 10.14.8). He does not accuse the Supreme Personality of Godhead for having let His devotee fall into such a dangerous condition. Rather, he considers that dangerous condition to be due to his past misdeeds and takes it as an opportunity to pray to the Lord and offer thanks for having been given such an opportunity. When a devotee lives in this way, his salvation — his going back home, back to Godhead — is guaranteed. We can see this to be true from the example of Gajendra, who anxiously prayed to the Lord and thus received an immediate chance to return home, back to Godhead.
8.3.33
grāhād vipāṭita-mukhād ariṇā gajendraḿ
saḿpaśyatāḿ harir amūmucad ucchriyāṇām
(33) Seeing him that aggrieved alighted the Unborn One so full of mercy immediately and saved He, before the eyes of all the godly present with His disc severing the mouth from the crocodile its trunk, King Gajendra by pulling him out of the water.
Thereafter, seeing Gajendra in such an aggrieved position, the unborn Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, immediately got down from the back of Garuḍa by His causeless mercy and pulled the King of the elephants, along with the crocodile, out of the water. Then, in the presence of all the demigods, who were looking on, the Lord severed the crocodile's mouth from its body with His disc. In this way He saved Gajendra, the King of the elephants.
Thus end the 3rd chapter in Canto 8
(My humble salutations to the lotus feet of Swamyjis, Philosophers, Scholars and Knowledge Seekers for the collection)
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