Prayers By Gajendra

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto 8: Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations

Chapter 3: Gajendra’s Prayers of Surrender

Text 2 - 29

Text 2

śrī-gajendra uvāca

oṁ namo bhagavate tasmai

yata etac cid-ātmakam

puruṣāyādi-bījāya

pareśāyābhidhīmahi

The King of the elephants, Gajendra, said: I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Person, Vāsudeva [oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya]. Because of Him this material body acts due to the presence of spirit, and He is therefore the root cause of everyone. He is worshipable for such exalted persons as Brahmā and Śiva, and He has entered the heart of every living being. Let me meditate upon Him.

Text 3

yasminn idaṁ yataś cedaṁ

yenedaṁ ya idaṁ svayam

yo ’smāt parasmāc ca paras

taṁ prapadye svayambhuvam

The Supreme Godhead is the supreme platform on which everything rests, the ingredient by which everything has been produced, and the person who has created and is the only cause of this cosmic manifestation. Nonetheless, He is different from the cause and the result. I surrender unto Him, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is self-sufficient in everything.

Text 4

yaḥ svātmanīdaṁ nija-māyayārpitaṁ

kvacid vibhātaṁ kva ca tat tirohitam

aviddha-dṛk sākṣy ubhayaṁ tad īkṣate

sa ātma-mūlo ’vatu māṁ parāt-paraḥ

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, by expanding His own energy, keeps this cosmic manifestation visible and again sometimes renders it invisible. He is both the supreme cause and the supreme result, the observer and the witness, in all circumstances. Thus He is transcendental to everything. May that Supreme Personality of Godhead give me protection.

Text 5

kālena pañcatvam iteṣu kṛtsnaśo

lokeṣu pāleṣu ca sarva-hetuṣu

tamas tadāsīd gahanaṁ gabhīraṁ

yas tasya pāre ’bhivirājate vibhuḥ

In due course of time, when all the causative and effective manifestations of the universe, including the planets and their directors and maintainers, are annihilated, there is a situation of dense darkness. Above this darkness, however, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I take shelter of His lotus feet.

Text 6

na yasya devā ṛṣayaḥ padaṁ vidur

jantuḥ punaḥ ko ’rhati gantum īritum

yathā naṭasyākṛtibhir viceṣṭato

duratyayānukramaṇaḥ sa māvatu

An artist onstage, being covered by attractive dresses and dancing with different movements, is not understood by his audience; similarly, the activities and features of the supreme artist cannot be understood even by the demigods or great sages, and certainly not by those who are unintelligent like animals. Neither the demigods and sages nor the unintelligent can understand the features of the Lord, nor can they express in words His actual position. May that Supreme Personality of Godhead give me protection.

Text 7

didṛkṣavo yasya padaṁ sumaṅgalaṁ

vimukta-saṅgā munayaḥ susādhavaḥ

caranty aloka-vratam avraṇaṁ vane

bhūtātma-bhūtāḥ suhṛdaḥ sa me gatiḥ

Renunciants and great sages who see all living beings equally, who are friendly to everyone and who flawlessly practice in the forest the vows of brahmacarya, vānaprastha and sannyāsa desire to see the all-auspicious lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. May that same Supreme Personality of Godhead be my destination.

Text 8-9

na vidyate yasya ca janma karma vā

na nāma-rūpe guṇa-doṣa eva vā

tathāpi lokāpyaya-sambhavāya yaḥ

sva-māyayā tāny anukālam ṛcchati

tasmai namaḥ pareśāya

 brahmaṇe ’nanta-śaktaye

arūpāyoru-rūpāya

 nama āścarya-karmaṇe

The Supreme Personality of Godhead has no material birth, activities, name, form, qualities or faults. To fulfill the purpose for which this material world is created and destroyed, He comes in the form of a human being like Lord Rāma or Lord Kṛṣṇa by His original internal potency. He has immense potency, and in various forms, all free from material contamination, He acts wonderfully. He is therefore the Supreme Brahman. I offer my respects to Him.

Text 10

nama ātma-pradīpāya

sākṣiṇe paramātmane

namo girāṁ vidūrāya

manasaś cetasām api

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the self-effulgent Supersoul, who is the witness in everyone’s heart, who enlightens the individual soul and who cannot be reached by exercises of the mind, words or consciousness.

Text 11

sattvena pratilabhyāya

naiṣkarmyeṇa vipaścitā

namaḥ kaivalya-nāthāya

nirvāṇa-sukha-saṁvide

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is realized by pure devotees who act in the transcendental existence of bhakti-yoga. He is the bestower of uncontaminated happiness and is the master of the transcendental world. Therefore I offer my respect unto Him.

Text 12

namaḥ śāntāya ghorāya

mūḍhāya guṇa-dharmiṇe

nirviśeṣāya sāmyāya

namo jñāna-ghanāya ca

I offer my respectful obeisances to Lord Vāsudeva, who is all-pervading, to the Lord’s fierce form as Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, to the Lord’s form as an animal [Lord Varāhadeva], to Lord Dattātreya, who preached impersonalism, to Lord Buddha, and to all the other incarnations. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Lord, who has no material qualities but who accepts the three qualities goodness, passion and ignorance within this material world. I also offer my respectful obeisances unto the impersonal Brahman effulgence.

Text 13

kṣetra-jñāya namas tubhyaṁ

sarvādhyakṣāya sākṣiṇe

puruṣāyātma-mūlāya

mūla-prakṛtaye namaḥ

I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto You, who are the Supersoul, the superintendent of everything, and the witness of all that occurs. You are the Supreme Person, the origin of material nature and of the total material energy. You are also the owner of the material body. Therefore, You are the supreme complete. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

Text 14

sarvendriya-guṇa-draṣṭre

sarva-pratyaya-hetave

asatā cchāyayoktāya

sad-ābhāsāya te namaḥ

My Lord, You are the observer of all the objectives of the senses. Without Your mercy, there is no possibility of solving the problem of doubts. The material world is just like a shadow resembling You. Indeed, one accepts this material world as real because it gives a glimpse of Your existence.

Text 15

namo namas te ’khila-kāraṇāya

niṣkāraṇāyādbhuta-kāraṇāya

sarvāgamāmnāya-mahārṇavāya

namo ’pavargāya parāyaṇāya

My Lord, You are the cause of all causes, but You Yourself have no cause. Therefore You are the wonderful cause of everything. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You, who are the shelter of the Vedic knowledge contained in the śāstras like the Pañcarātras and Vedānta-sūtra, which are Your representations, and who are the source of the paramparā system. Because it is You who can give liberation, You are the only shelter for all transcendentalists. Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

Text 16

guṇāraṇi-cchanna-cid-uṣmapāya

tat-kṣobha-visphūrjita-mānasāya

naiṣkarmya-bhāvena vivarjitāgama-

svayaṁ-prakāśāya namas karomi

My Lord, as the fire in araṇi wood is covered, You and Your unlimited knowledge are covered by the material modes of nature. Your mind, however, is not attentive to the activities of the modes of nature. Those who are advanced in spiritual knowledge are not subject to the regulative principles directed in the Vedic literatures. Because such advanced souls are transcendental, You personally appear in their pure minds. Therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

Text 17

mādṛk prapanna-paśu-pāśa-vimokṣaṇāya

muktāya bhūri-karuṇāya namo ’layāya

svāṁśena sarva-tanu-bhṛn-manasi pratīta-

pratyag-dṛśe bhagavate bṛhate namas te

Since an animal such as me has surrendered unto You, who are supremely liberated, certainly You will release me from this dangerous position. Indeed, being extremely merciful, You incessantly try to deliver me. By your partial feature as Paramātmā, You are situated in the hearts of all embodied beings. You are celebrated as direct transcendental knowledge, and You are unlimited. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Text 18

ātmātma-jāpta-gṛha-vitta-janeṣu saktair

duṣprāpaṇāya guṇa-saṅga-vivarjitāya

muktātmabhiḥ sva-hṛdaye paribhāvitāya

jñānātmane bhagavate nama īśvarāya

My Lord, those who are completely freed from material contamination always meditate upon You within the cores of their hearts. You are extremely difficult to attain for those like me who are too attached to mental concoction, home, relatives, friends, money, servants and assistants. You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, uncontaminated by the modes of nature. You are the reservoir of all enlightenment, the supreme controller. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

Text 19

yaṁ dharma-kāmārtha-vimukti-kāmā

bhajanta iṣṭāṁ gatim āpnuvanti

kiṁ cāśiṣo rāty api deham avyayaṁ

karotu me ’dabhra-dayo vimokṣaṇam

After worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, those who are interested in the four principles of religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation obtain from Him what they desire. What then is to be said of other benedictions? Indeed, sometimes the Lord gives a spiritual body to such ambitious worshipers. May that Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is unlimitedly merciful, bestow upon me the benediction of liberation from this present danger and from the materialistic way of life.

Text 20-21

ekāntino yasya na kañcanārthaṁ

vāñchanti ye vai bhagavat-prapannāḥ

aty-adbhutaṁ tac-caritaṁ sumaṅgalaṁ

gāyanta ānanda-samudra-magnāḥ

tam akṣaraṁ brahma paraṁ pareśam

 avyaktam ādhyātmika-yoga-gamyam

atīndriyaṁ sūkṣmam ivātidūram

 anantam ādyaṁ paripūrṇam īḍe

Unalloyed devotees, who have no desire other than to serve the Lord, worship Him in full surrender and always hear and chant about His activities, which are most wonderful and auspicious. Thus they always merge in an ocean of transcendental bliss. Such devotees never ask the Lord for any benediction. I, however, am in danger. Thus I pray to that Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is eternally existing, who is invisible, who is the Lord of all great personalities, such as Brahmā, and who is available only by transcendental bhakti-yoga. Being extremely subtle, He is beyond the reach of my senses and transcendental to all external realization. He is unlimited, He is the original cause, and He is completely full in everything. I offer my obeisances unto Him.

Text 22, 23, 24

yasya brahmādayo devā

vedā lokāś carācarāḥ

nāma-rūpa-vibhedena

phalgvyā ca kalayā kṛtāḥ

yathārciṣo ’gneḥ savitur gabhastayo

 niryānti saṁyānty asakṛt sva-rociṣaḥ

tathā yato ’yaṁ guṇa-sampravāho

 buddhir manaḥ khāni śarīra-sargāḥ

sa vai na devāsura-martya-tiryaṅ

na strī na ṣaṇḍho na pumān na jantuḥ

nāyaṁ guṇaḥ karma na san na cāsan

niṣedha-śeṣo jayatād aśeṣaḥ

The Supreme Personality of Godhead creates His minor parts and parcels, the jīva-tattva, beginning with Lord Brahmā, the demigods and the expansions of Vedic knowledge [Sāma, Ṛg, Yajur and Atharva] and including all other living entities, moving and nonmoving, with their different names and characteristics. As the sparks of a fire or the shining rays of the sun emanate from their source and merge into it again and again, the mind, the intelligence, the senses, the gross and subtle material bodies, and the continuous transformations of the different modes of nature all emanate from the Lord and again merge into Him. He is neither demigod nor demon, neither human nor bird or beast. He is not woman, man, or neuter, nor is He an animal. He is not a material quality, a fruitive activity, a manifestation or non-manifestation. He is the last word in the discrimination of “not this, not this,” and He is unlimited. All glories to the Supreme Personality of Godhead!

Text 25

jijīviṣe nāham ihāmuyā kim

antar bahiś cāvṛtayebha-yonyā

icchāmi kālena na yasya viplavas

tasyātma-lokāvaraṇasya mokṣam

I do not wish to live anymore after I am released from the attack of the crocodile. What is the use of an elephant’s body covered externally and internally by ignorance? I simply desire eternal liberation from the covering of ignorance. That covering is not destroyed by the influence of time.

Text 26

so ’haṁ viśva-sṛjaṁ viśvam

aviśvaṁ viśva-vedasam

viśvātmānam ajaṁ brahma

praṇato ’smi paraṁ padam

Now, fully desiring release from material life, I offer my respectful obeisances unto that Supreme Person who is the creator of the universe, who is Himself the form of the universe and who is nonetheless transcendental to this cosmic manifestation. He is the supreme knower of everything in this world, the Supersoul of the universe. He is the unborn, supremely situated Lord. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.

Text 27

yoga-randhita-karmāṇo

hṛdi yoga-vibhāvite

yogino yaṁ prapaśyanti

yogeśaṁ taṁ nato ’smy aham

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme, the Supersoul, the master of all mystic yoga, who is seen in the core of the heart by perfect mystics when they are completely purified and freed from the reactions of fruitive activity by practicing bhakti-yoga.

Text 28

namo namas tubhyam asahya-vega-

śakti-trayāyākhila-dhī-guṇāya

prapanna-pālāya duranta-śaktaye

kad-indriyāṇām anavāpya-vartmane

My Lord, You are the controller of formidable strength in three kinds of energy. You appear as the reservoir of all sense pleasure and the protector of the surrendered souls. You possess unlimited energy, but You are unapproachable by those who are unable to control their senses. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You again and again.

Text 29

nāyaṁ veda svam ātmānaṁ

yac-chaktyāhaṁ-dhiyā hatam

taṁ duratyaya-māhātmyaṁ

bhagavantam ito ’smy aham

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by whose illusory energy the jīva, who is part and parcel of God, forgets his real identity because of the bodily concept of life. I take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose glories are difficult to understand.