29 verses
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Thereafter, Gajendra, deciding in this way, fixed his mind on his heart with his intelligence and chanted a mantra which he had learned in his previous birth.
I offer respects to and meditate upon the Lord, because of whom this world of gross and subtle bodies made of māyā becomes conscious. I offer respects to the Lord with a human form, who is the final cause, and thus the Supreme Lord.
I surrender to the Lord with independent forms, in whom this universe rests, from whom it arises, by whom it arises, and who is this universe, who all of its causes, but who is superior to all its causes.
This verse explains how the Lord is the cause and total of the universes ingredients. The universe exists in him, like a pot takes shelter in a house. It comes from him like a pot comes from a potter. It is made by him, like the pot is made by the wheel. The universe is the Lord, just as clay is the pot: and he is all the causes of the universe by his very nature (svayam). The idam is repeated many times to emphasis the Lords different relationships with the universe. He remains independent (svayam) and superior to all causes of the universe in forms like Rāma and Kṛṣṇa.
By his will, by his māyā, this universe enters him, and again appears and again is annihilated. As the constant witness of creation and destruction of the universe, he witnesses everything. He is his own cause. May the Lord who superior to all causes of revelation protect me!
Since the universe made of cause and effect exists without beginning, the Lord is the supreme manifester of the universe. By his will being created again and again (nija-māyayā), the universe enters him, and at the beginning of a kalpa sometimes appears at, and at the end of the kalpa it disappears. With unfailing vision he sees the creation and destruction of the universe. He is his own cause (ātmā-mūlaḥ). This means he is self-revealing, or independent. He is superior to those things which reveal. Śruti says cakṣuṣaś cakṣur uta śrotrasya śrotram: he is the eye of the eye, the ear of the ear. (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.4.18)
When in time all causes and effects and all devatās were destroyed, there was deep darkness, difficult to penetrate. The Lord alone remained above this darkness.
This verse explains that the Lord exists at all times. The Lord remains beyond the influence of the darkness produced during the time of destruction of the universe. Śruti says āditya-varṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastāt: the Lord shines like the sun beyond the darkness. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3.8)
Just as an ignorant person cannot understand the forms represented by a dancer, the devatās and sages do not know his svarūpa and none among the ignorant people can understand or express his svarūpa in words. May that Lord protect me!
This verse explains that the Lord is not understood by anyone. Recent people, ignorant people, cannot understand or talk about the svarūpa (padam) of the Lord. The form of the actor changes by using his fingers, hands, eyes and glance, to illustrate the words of a song which indicate things like the moon or a lotus, but these forms cannot be understood by a person ignorant of dancing. Similarly, the meaning of the Lords actions cannot be understood by the ignorant. His actions cannot be understood (duratyayānukramanaḥ).
Desiring his auspicious lotus feet, persons who associate with devotees, proper sages, who see all beings as themselves and who are friendly to all, perform devotional vows without failure in the forest. That Lord is my goal.
Though the Lord is invisible to all people, he becomes visible to the person who performs devotional vows. Those who desire the lotus feet of the Lord, who have given up material association, or those who take association with persons superior to liberated soulsthe devotees (vimukta-saḍgāḥ)--practice vows beyond the varṇāśrama (aloka-vratam), without fear of falling (avraṇam).
yān āsthāya naro rājan na pramādyeta karhicit
dhāvan nimīlya vā netre na skhalen na pated iha
O King, one who accepts this process of devotional service will never be affected by pride. Even while running with eyes closed, he will never trip or fall. SB 11.2.35
tasmai namaḥ pareśāya brahmaṇe 'nanta-śaktaye arūpāyoru-rūpāya nama āścarya-karmaṇe
He who has no birth or activities, no name or form, no qualities or faults, accepts birth and activities as Brahmā and Śiva at the time creation and destruction by his energies of rajas and tamas for creating and destroying the universe. I offer respects to Paramātmā, Brahman, with unlimited powers, who is devoid of material forms but who has many spiritual forms and astonishing activities.
Though the Lord has no material birth and actions, he appears with birth and actions in this world. Guṇa-doṣam is a samāhāra-dvandva compound and thus the last word is neuter. Another version has guṇa-doṣaḥ. In this case the words are considered as one unit as in the sentence ukāro jhrasva-dīrgha-plūtaḥ. However, at the time of destruction and creation (anukulam), the Lord accepts birth and activities in the forms of Brahmā and Śiva, by rajas and tamas (sva-māyayā) for creation and destruction. Maintenance of the world by Viṣṇu is not mentioned since Viṣṇu is beyond māyā. Thus non-material birth and activities are not forbidden for the Lord. One cannot reject the birth from Devakī, actions like lifting Govardhana, or names and forms like Kṛṣṇa and Rāma, according to śruti. Material influence is forbidden:
Niṣkalaṁ niṣkriyaṁ śāntaṁ niravadyaṁ nirañjanam
The Lord is without parts, without action, peaceful, without fault, without contamination. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.19
aśabdam asparśam arūpam avyayam
The Lord is beyond sound, beyond touch, beyond form and indestructible. Katha Upaniṣad 1.3.5
But spiritual activity and qualities are described:
Sa sarva-karmā sarva-gandhāh sarva-rasaḥ sarva-kāmaḥ.
The Lord is all activities, all fragrance, all taste and all desire. Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.14.2
Viṣṇu Purāṇa says:
Guṇāṁś ca doṣāṁś ca mune vyatītaḥ samasta-kalyāṇa-guṇātmako hī
The Lord is devoid of faulty qualities, but has all auspicious qualities.
jñāna-śakti-balaiśvarya-vīrya-tejāṁsya śeṣataḥ
bhagavac chabda-vācyāni vinā heyair guṇadibhiḥ
The word bhagavān means the person endowed with unlimited knowledge, śakti, strength, greatness, prowess, and beauty, without any inferior qualities.
Yo sau nirguṇa ity uktaḥ śāstreṣu jagad īśvaraḥ
Prākṛtair heya-saṁyuktair guṇair heyatvam ucyate
It is said in all scriptures that the Lord of the universe is without qualities. He is devoid of inferior qualities. The word inferior means material qualities. Padma Purāṇa
The Lords name is spiritual.
oṁ āsya jānanto nāma cit viviktana
mahas te viṣno sumatiṁ bhajāmahe
O Viṣṇu! Your name is spiritual (cit), self-revealed (mahat). Knowing that name a little (ā), not completely, chanting impurely (viviktana) we have attained fine intelligence about you, because that name (tat), oṁ, is perfect in itself (sat).1
Rg Veda 1.156.3
Arūpaya means unto the Lord devoid of material form. Uru-rūpaya means unto the Lord who has many spiritual forms such as Rāma and Kṛṣṇa.
I offer respects to the Lord who reveals the jīva, who is the witness of the jīva, Paramātmā, and who is not approachable by the jīvas words, mind or citta.
The Lord is not understood by the mind and word of the jīva. The Lord is the revealer of knowledge to the jīva (ātmā-pradīpāya). That which is revealed does not know the nature of the revealer.
deho 'savo 'kṣā manavo bhūta-mātrām
ātmānam anyaṁ ca viduḥ paraṁ yat
sarvaṁ pumān veda guṇāṁś ca taj-jño
na veda sarva-jñam anantam īòe
The body, life airs, senses, internal senses, gross elements and sense objects do not know themselves or other things or the jīva. The jīva knows all of these items and the guṇas which cause them. He also knows Paramātmā, but does not know the omniscient Lord. I worship that Lord with infinite qualities. SB 6.4.25
I offer respects to the Lord who cannot be understood (vidūrāya) by the actions of the jīvas consciousness (cetasām).
I offer respects to the Lord who is attained by bhakti performed by the devotee free of material desires and endowed with knowledge, to the master of liberation, to the Lord who has knowledge of the bliss of liberation.
By what means should the Lord be understood? He can be attained by being a Vaiṣṇava (sattvena). Sattva means the state of being sādhu, proper. Pratilabhāya means unto the Lord who is attained by the devotee. Like vacana and prativacana, labha and pratilabha are paired, and mean the devotee and the Lord.
bhaktir asya bhajanaṁ tad ihāmutropādhi-nairāsyenāmusmin manaḥ kalpanam etad eve naiṣkarmyam
Bhakti means worship of the Lord. When the mind thinks of the Lord without desires for enjoyment in this or the next life, it is called naiṣkarmyam.
Gopala-tāpanī Upaniṣad 1.14
Thus the meaning is the Lord is attained by bhakti performed by the devotee who is without material desires and endowed with knowledge (vipaścitā).
I offer respects to the Lord who is the form of planets of sattva, rajas and tamas, having the material guṇas, who is the impersonal, peaceful Brahman and condensed knowledge.
The Lord is here described as the universal form, realized by the ignorant. He is the form of sattvika planets (śāntāya). The Lord is also Brahman realized by the jñānīs.
I offer respects to the knower of the field, Paramātmā, the monitor of all beings, the witness of all beings, the puruṣa, the source of the jīva and prakṛti.
Four verses describe the Lord as antaryāmī, realized by the yogīs. The Lord knows the subtle and gross bodies of the jīva. Gīta says kṣetra-jña cāpi mām viddhi: know that I also am the knower of the field. (BG 13.3) The Lord is the source of the jīvas, the āmśī. He is the source of prakṛti (mūla-prakṛtaye). The words of the compound are reversed as in the word rāja-danta: king of teeth.
I offer respects to the seer of all senses and sense objects, the revealer the senses knowledge, who is inferred from the temporary material creation, and who is visible to the devotees.
The Lord is the seer of all senses and sense objects. He possesses all the functions of the senses which reveal knowledge (sarva-pratyaya-hetave). Guṇa-prakāśair anumīyate bhavān: you are inferred by revelation of the senses (SB 10.2.35) The Lord, the cause, can be inferred from the effect, the universe of māyā, which is like a shadow, which is temporary (asatā). Brahma-saṁhitā says chāyeva yasya bhūvanāni bibharti durgā: Durgā maintains the worlds as your shadow. The material world is just like a pot, which announces the skill of the potter. Another version has asaty acchāyāktāya: I offer respects to the Lord who does not give shelter of his feet to the non-devotee. Or I offer respects to the Lord who is brilliant. According to Amara-koṣa the word chāyā means wife of the sun, beauty, reflection, and shade. Another meaning is I offer respects to the Lord who is visible (ābhāsāya) to the devotees though invisible (achāyayā) to others.
I offer repeated respects to the cause of everything, who has no cause, who is the astonishing cause without change, who is the great ocean of Pañcarātra and Vedas which prove his nature, who is the very form of liberation and who is the shelter of the greatest devotees.
Though the Lord is the material cause of the universe, he is astonishing because he does not transform in any way by being the material cause.
duravabodha iva tavāyaṁ vihāra-yogo yad aśaraṇo 'śarīra idam anavekṣitāsmat-samavāya ātmanaivāvikriyamāṇena saguṇam aguṇaḥ sṛjasi pāsi harasi.
It is difficult to understand that you, though engaged in pastimes in the spiritual world, without a material shelter, without actions in a material body, without the assistance of the devatās, without material guṇas, create, maintain and destroy the universe made of guṇas, without transformation of your svarūpa, though you are the material elements. SB 6.9.33
Śrīdhara Svāmī says Though the Lord is the cause, being a cause as clay is a cause of a pot is excluded. That is what is meant by adhūta-kāraṇāya. The proof of this astonishing nature is given. The Lord is the great ocean, the conclusion, the resting place of waves in the form of Pañcarātra scriptures (āgama) and the Vedas (āmnāya). You are the very form of liberation and the shelter of the best devotees.
I offer respects to the Lord who is the fire of knowledge covered by the wood of the guṇas, who manifests the desire to agitate the guṇas, and who reveals himself to those who give up the rules of the Vedas by thinking of the nature of ātmā.
I offer respects to the Lord who is the fire of knowledge covered by the wood of the guṇas of matter, but who manifest a desire to agitate the guṇas. Śruti says so kāmayata bahu syam: he desired that there be many. (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.2.4) You reveal yourself to those who give up the rules of the Vedas, by thinking of the nature of ātmā (naiṣkarmya).
I offer respects to the Lord who liberates animals like me, surrendered to you, from the noose of saṁsāra, even though I rejected you before this time. I offer respects to the most merciful Lord, whose mercy has no end, who is the mind of all beings, who is perceived as Paramātmā, in his expanded form, and who is the ultimate form of Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa.
From this verse till the end of the prayers, Bhagavān, who is known by devotees, is described. The word pāśa, noose, here refers to the crocodile and to saṁsāra. I offer respects to you who liberate surrendered animals like me from the noose of and to you who were rejected (muktāya) till now by me. But you are not angry with me. Rather you are very compassionate (bhūri-karuṇāya), since you are not contaminated even a little like other beings in this world (amalāya). Another version has alayāya. This means unto the Lord whose mercy is never destroyed or unto the Lord who has not sleep, who is not lazy. There is no need to make our suffering known to you for you are residing within all beings as anyaryāmī. You have said viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam ekāṁśena sthito jagat: I am situated in this universe by my expansion. (BG 10.42) You are perceived as the inner observer in all beings (pratīta-prayak-dṛśe). I offer respects to Kṛṣṇa (bṛhate bhagavate).
I offer respects to Bhagavān who is not attained by persons attached to their minds, their sons, relatives, houses, wealth or followers, who is devoid of the influence of material guṇas, who is the object of meditation in the heart for liberated souls, who is pure knowledge, and who is the controller.
Though you perform pastimes in the material world, you are devoid of association with the material guṇas. You are the object of meditation (paribhāvitāya) for the ātmārāmas or liberated souls. Or another meaning is unto the Lord who is falsely perceived as material by those who have rejected the soul. But actually you have a body made purely of knowledge (jñānātmane). Or you know their offense and thus you make your appearance to give the result of offense to those people.
Persons desiring dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa worship the Lord and attain the treasure of prema as well as material benedictions. They also receive a spiritual body. May that Lord of unlimited mercy free me from saṁsāra and bestow such a spiritual body.
The Lord is also served by devotees with material desires. Those persons having desires for dharma, kāma, artha and liberation worshipping the Lord, attain the goal of prema which is cherished.
satyaṁ diśaty arthitam arthito nṛṇāṁ
naivārthado yat punar arthitā yataḥ
svayaṁ vidhatte bhajatām anicchatām
icchāpidhānaṁ nija-pāda-pallavam
The Lord certainly gives desired objects to devotees who request them, but he does not give in such a way that the devotee will ask again after finishing his enjoyment. He gives his lotus feet, which include all desirables, to those worshippers who do not desire them. SB 5.19.27
He also gives the material objects they desire. He also gives a spiritual body, as he gave to Dhruva and others. Thus he is unlimitedly merciful. May he liberate me from the crocodile and saṁsāra (grāhāt), and give me a spiritual body and prema-bhakti.
tam akṣaraṁ brahma paraṁ pareśam avyaktam ādhyātmika-yoga-gamyam atīndriyaṁ sūkṣmam ivātidūram anantam ādyaṁ paripūrṇam īòe
I praise the Lord whose pure devotees do not desire any material object, since they are surrendered fully to him, and who, inundated by an ocean of bliss, sing about his auspicious, astonishing activities. I praise the Lord who is the complete form of Brahma, who is without decay, invisible, attained by bhakti-yoga, beyond the material senses, smaller than an atom, far away, unlimited, eternally existing and complete.
How can an animal like me attain the nature of a pure devotee? One must serve the devotees having no material desires. I praise the Lord whose devotees do not desire any object. The sentence continues for two verses. Why do they not desire? They are filled with the wealth of surrender to the Lord. And their happiness is much greater than that obtained by material benedictions. The Lord is thus most astonishing. Some persons say that the Lord is a contamination of Brahman and others say the Lord is a jīva with pious acts. True, such persons belong to hell, but the Lord is complete Brahman: I praise the Lord who is the Brahman attained by adhyātma-yoga and is also the Supreme Lord (pareśam). Or I praise the Lord who is attained by bhakti-yoga (ādhyātmika-yoga-gamyam), for it is said bhaktyāham ekayāgrāhyaḥ: I am attained only by bhakti. (SB 11.14.21) You are not perceived by all the senses and are fine (sukṣmam) like an atom.
yathārciṣo 'gneḥ savitur gabhastayo niryānti saṁyānty asakṛt sva-rociṣaḥ tathā yato 'yaṁ guṇa-sampravāho buddhir manaḥ khāni śarīra-sargāḥ
sa vai na devāsura-martya-tiryaḍ
na strī na ṣaṇòho na pumān na jantuḥ
nāyaṁ guṇaḥ karma na san na cāsan
niṣedha-śeṣo jayatād aśeṣaḥ
Brahmā and other devatās, the actions mentioned in Vedas, the planets, the moving beings and non-moving beings, as lesser expansions of the Lord, are created with different forms and names by the Lord.
Just as the sparks emanate repeatedly from fire or brilliant rays emanate from the sun, and then merge into the fire or sun again, so intelligence, mind, senses and body are created by the Lord as transformations of the guṇas and then merge into him.
The Lord is not a devatā, demon, human, animal, female, neuter, male or any other living being. He is not the guṇas or karma. He remains after everything is negated. May the unlimited Lord remain glorious!
Three verses describe the perfect nature of the Lord. There are two types of expansions of the Lord: minor and major. Minor forms are jīvas like Brahmā, Śiva and others (when they are not the Supreme Lord personally). Major expansions are Matsya, Kūrma and others who are always the Supreme Lord. All of these are the Lord. The actions mentioned in the Vedas are created by the Lord. Veda here means actions, since the Vedas themselves are not minor expansions of the Lord. But rather arise directly from his breathing. The meaning of the first verse is made clear by an example in the second verse. Śruti says yathāgneḥ kṣudrā visphuliḍgā vyuccaranti: the jīvas are like sparks wandering from a fire. (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 2.1.20) In that manner, the coverings on the jīvas are created as separate minor expansions-- from the Lord arises the transformation of the guṇas in the form of intelligence, mind, senses and body. Since the Lord is the cause of everything, he is not one among the devatās. Jantuḥ refers to a living entity which is not male, female or neuter. When all things are negated, he alone remains (niṣesha-śeṣaḥ). He is unlimited because of the unlimited effects of his śakti.
I do not desire to live in this world after being freed from the crocodile, because what is the use of being born as an elephant, covered by ignorance internally and externally. I desire eternal freedom from the covering of my ignorance.
By these prayers you desire to be freed from the crocodile. No, I do not desire to live because what is the use of being born as an elephant covered by ignorance internally and externally. Then what do you desire? I desire freedom without destruction from the covering on persons like me (ātmā-lokāvaraṇasya), which causes forgetfulness of the Lord by ignorance. Or I desire that the bolt on the door hiding Vaikuṇṭha (ātmā-loka) be released. Destroy my lack of qualification for attaining you.
I, that elephant, offer respects to the creator of the universe, the Lord who is the universe, who is not the universe, who is the knower of the universe, the soul of the universe, the unborn Brahman, and the supreme shelter.
If you tell me to perform bhakti, I do not know how to perform bhakti because I am an animal and in great danger at the moment. Therefore I just offer respects with my mind to whatever I know of this universe that I see with my eyes. I am that well known animal (saḥ). You are the universal form, and are also different from the universe because of your svarūpa-śakti. You are the knower of the universe (viśva-vedasam) and the soul of the universe.
I offer respects to the Lord of yoga. The yogīs, who burn up karma by bhakti-yoga, see the Lord in their hearts purified by bhakti.
I do not have a way of attaining the Lord. The yogīs, who are not like me, an animal, burn up all karma by bhakti-yoga.
I offer repeated respects to you, possessor of the insurmountable three guṇas, to you who have spiritual qualities appreciated by all persons with qualification, to you who protect the surrendered, to you with inconceivable power of mercy, to you who are not available to persons with material senses.
The obstacles to thinking of the Lord in the heart are described. I offer respects to the Lord possessing the three guṇas of intolerable force, to the Lord possessing qualities like beauty which are the object of awareness for all who have overcome the obstacles by his mercy. But actually he protects only those who have surrendered to him, by his inconceivable śakti of mercy (duranta-śaktaye). However he cannot be attained by persons with material senses, with no mercy from the Lord (anavāpya-vartmane).
I surrender to the Lord of inconceivable power by whose energy this elephant does not know his own ātmā, which is overcome by the conception of false ego.
This jīva (ayam) does not know himself, who has been overcome by false conceptions because of the Lords māyā-śakti.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Thus, when the devatās who identify themselves by characteristic marks, did not come to rescue Gajendra who described the Lord beyond material perception, the Lord himself, the personification of all devatās, appeared, since he is the ātmā of all beings.
The devatās like Brahmā, appointed by the Lord to protect the righteous, did not come because they were unable to protect Gajendra who described the non-material form of the Lord (nirviśeṣam). They identified themselves with various characteristics, like having a swan carrier or Airāvata as a carrier, or being a creator or king of heaven. They thought, Gajendra has not praised us at all, but rather belittled us, calling us minor expansions (verse 22). So let the Supreme Lord whom he praised come for him. But he will not appear immediately. We know is hard to attain by his nature. Therefore the elephant will die. When they showed such indifference out of false identity, the Lord at that moment appeared there, since he knows the minds of all beings. The Lord is all devatās. The devatās did not know that just as the leaves are watered by watering the root of a tree, so by praising Viṣṇu all devatās are praised.
Realizing that Gajendra was suffering in this way and hearing his prayer, the shelter of the universe, carried by Garuòa, traveling at desired speed and carrying his weapons, immediately came to the place where Gajendra was struggling while the devatās praised him.
The devatās also accompanied him with praise, in order to absolve themselves for their offensive thinking. Chandomayena means at the speed desired. Yataḥ means where.
Seeing the Lord on Garuòa in the sky with upraised cakra, Gajendra, suffering in the water because of being held with great force by the crocodile, lifted his trunk which was holding a lotus and spoke with difficulty. O guru of the universe! O Lord! I offer respects to you!
Though overcome with pain, he saw the Lord far off in the sky. He plucked lotuses growing there with his trunk and offered them to the Lords feet.
Seeing Gajendra suffering, the unborn Lord descended, and by his mercy quickly pulled the elephant, along with the crocodile, out of the water. Then, while the devatās stood and watched, the Lord severed the crocodile's snout from its body with his cakra and saved Gajendra.
Because Garuòa was moving too slow, the Lord got off of his back and grasping the trunk of the elephant with his left hand, pulled him out of the lake to the bank. Then with his right hand, using his cakra, he severed the snout of the crocodile and freed the elephant, while the devatās stood watching with absorption. However the Lord ignored them.
Thus ends the commentary on the Third Chapter of the Eighth Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.
In the Third Chapter, the Lord, satisfied with Gajendras prayers, lifts him from the water, killing the crocodile with his cakra and in that way delivers both of them.
Vyavasitaḥ means he decided.