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Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 8.3.1
TEXT 1
श्री-बादरायणिर् उवाच
एवं व्यवसितो बुद्ध्या
समाधाय मनो हृदि
जजाप परमं जाप्यं
प्राग्-जन्मन्य् अनुशिक्षितम्
śrī-bādarāyaṇir uvāca
evaṃ vyavasito buddhyā
samādhāya mano hṛdi
jajāpa paramaṃ jāpyaṃ
prāg-janmany anuśikṣitam
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Thereafter, the King of the elephants, Gajendra, fixed his mind in his heart with perfect intelligence and chanted a mantra which he had learned in his previous birth as Indradyumna and which he remembered by the grace of Kṛṣṇa.
TEXT 2
श्री-गजेन्द्र उवाच
ॐ नमो भगवते तस्मै
यत एतच् चिद्-आत्मकम् ǀ
पुरुषायादि-बीजाय
परेशायाभिधीमहि ǁ २ǁ
śrī-gajendra uvāca
oṃ 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 [oṃ 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
यस्मिन्न् इदं यतश् चेदं
येनेदं य इदं स्वयम् ǀ
यो ऽस्मात् परस्माच् च परस्
तं प्रपद्ये स्वयम्भुवम् ǁ ३ǁ
yasminn idaṃ yataś cedaṃ
yenedaṃ ya idaṃ svayam
yo ’smāt parasmāc ca paras
taṃ 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
यः स्वात्मनीदं निज-माययार्पितं
क्वचिद् विभातं क्व च तत् तिरोहितम् ǀ
अविद्ध-दृक् साक्ष्य् उभयं तद् ईक्षते
स आत्म-मूलो ऽवतु मां परात्-परः ǁ ४ǁ
yaḥ svātmanīdaṃ nija-māyayārpitaṃ
kvacid vibhātaṃ kva ca tat tirohitam
aviddha-dṛk sākṣy ubhayaṃ tad īkṣate
sa ātma-mūlo ’vatu māṃ 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
कालेन पञ्चत्वम् इतेषु कृत्स्नशो
लोकेषु पालेषु च सर्व-हेतुषु ǀ
तमस् तदासीद् गहनं गभीरं
यस् तस्य पारे ऽभिविराजते विभुः ǁ ५ǁ
kālena pañcatvam iteṣu kṛtsnaśo
lokeṣu pāleṣu ca sarva-hetuṣu
tamas tadāsīd gahanaṃ gabhīraṃ
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
न यस्य देवा ऋषयः पदं विदुर्
जन्तुः पुनः को ऽर्हति गन्तुम् ईरितुम् ǀ
यथा नटस्याकृतिभिर् विचेष्टतो
दुरत्ययानुक्रमणः स मावतु ǁ ६ǁ
na yasya devā ṛṣayaḥ padaṃ 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
दिदृक्षवो यस्य पदं सुमङ्गलं
विमुक्त-सङ्गा मुनयः सुसाधवः ǀ
चरन्त्य् अलोक-व्रतम् अव्रणं वने
भूतात्म-भूताः सुहृदः स मे गतिः ǁ ७ǁ
didṛkṣavo yasya padaṃ sumaṅgalaṃ
vimukta-saṅgā munayaḥ susādhavaḥ
caranty aloka-vratam avraṇaṃ 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.
TEXTS 8–9
न विद्यते यस्य च जन्म कर्म वा
न नाम-रूपे गुण-दोष एव वा ǀ
तथापि लोकाप्यय-सम्भवाय यः
स्व-मायया तान्य् अनुकालम् ऋच्छति ǁ ८ǁ
तस्मै नमः परेशाय
ब्रह्मणे ऽनन्त-शक्तये ǀ
अरूपायोरु-रूपाय
नम आश्चर्य-कर्मणे ǁ ९ǁ
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
नम आत्म-प्रदीपाय
साक्षिणे परमात्मने ǀ
नमो गिरां विदूराय
मनसश् चेतसाम् अपि ǁ १०ǁ
nama ātma-pradīpāya
sākṣiṇe paramātmane
namo girāṃ 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
सत्त्वेन प्रतिलभ्याय
नैष्कर्म्येण विपश्चिता ǀ
नमः कैवल्य-नाथाय
निर्वाण-सुख-संविदे ǁ ११ǁ
sattvena pratilabhyāya
naiṣkarmyeṇa vipaścitā
namaḥ kaivalya-nāthāya
nirvāṇa-sukha-saṃvide
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
नमः शान्ताय घोराय
मूढाय गुण-धर्मिणे ǀ
निर्विशेषाय साम्याय
नमो ज्ञान-घनाय च ǁ १२ǁ
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 Nṛsiṃhadeva, 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
क्षेत्र-ज्ञाय नमस् तुभ्यं
सर्वाध्यक्षाय साक्षिणे ǀ
पुरुषायात्म-मूलाय
मूल-प्रकृतये नमः ǁ १३ǁ
kṣetra-jñāya namas tubhyaṃ
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
सर्वेन्द्रिय-गुण-द्रष्ट्रे
सर्व-प्रत्यय-हेतवे ǀ
असता च्छाययोक्ताय
सद्-आभासाय ते नमः ǁ १४ǁ
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
नमो नमस् ते ऽखिल-कारणाय
निष्कारणायाद्भुत-कारणाय ǀ
सर्वागमाम्नाय-महार्णवाय
नमो ऽपवर्गाय परायणाय ǁ १५ǁ
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
गुणारणि-च्छन्न-चिद्-उष्मपाय
तत्-क्षोभ-विस्फूर्जित-मानसाय ǀ
नैष्कर्म्य-भावेन विवर्जितागम-
स्वयं-प्रकाशाय नमस् करोमि ǁ १६ǁ
guṇāraṇi-cchanna-cid-uṣmapāya
tat-kṣobha-visphūrjita-mānasāya
naiṣkarmya-bhāvena vivarjitāgama-
svayaṃ-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
मादृक् प्रपन्न-पशु-पाश-विमोक्षणाय
मुक्ताय भूरि-करुणाय नमो ऽलयाय ǀ
स्वांशेन सर्व-तनु-भृन्-मनसि प्रतीत-
प्रत्यग्-दृशे भगवते बृहते नमस् ते ǁ १७ǁ
mādṛk prapanna-paśu-pāśa-vimokṣaṇāya
muktāya bhūri-karuṇāya namo ’layāya
svāṃśena sarva-tanu-bhṛn-manasi pratīta-
pratyag-dṛśe bhagavate bṛhate namas te
Since an animal such as I 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
आत्मात्म-जाप्त-गृह-वित्त-जनेषु सक्तैर्
दुष्प्रापणाय गुण-सङ्ग-विवर्जिताय ǀ
मुक्तात्मभिः स्व-हृदये परिभाविताय
ज्ञानात्मने भगवते नम ईश्वराय ǁ १८ǁ
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
यं धर्म-कामार्थ-विमुक्ति-कामा
भजन्त इष्टां गतिम् आप्नुवन्ति ǀ
किं चाशिषो रात्य् अपि देहम् अव्ययं
करोतु मे ऽदभ्र-दयो विमोक्षणम् ǁ १९ǁ
yaṃ dharma-kāmārtha-vimukti-kāmā
bhajanta iṣṭāṃ gatim āpnuvanti
kiṃ cāśiṣo rāty api deham avyayaṃ
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.
TEXTS 20–21
एकान्तिनो यस्य न कञ्चनार्थं
वाञ्छन्ति ये वै भगवत्-प्रपन्नाः ǀ
अत्य्-अद्भुतं तच्-चरितं सुमङ्गलं
गायन्त आनन्द-समुद्र-मग्नाः ǁ २०ǁ
तम् अक्षरं ब्रह्म परं परेशम्
अव्यक्तम् आध्यात्मिक-योग-गम्यम् ǀ
अतीन्द्रियं सूक्ष्मम् इवातिदूरम्
अनन्तम् आद्यं परिपूर्णम् ईडे ǁ २१ǁ
ekāntino yasya na kañcanārthaṃ
vāñchanti ye vai bhagavat-prapannāḥ
aty-adbhutaṃ tac-caritaṃ sumaṅgalaṃ
gāyanta ānanda-samudra-magnāḥ
tam akṣaraṃ brahma paraṃ pareśam
avyaktam ādhyātmika-yoga-gamyam
atīndriyaṃ sūkṣmam ivātidūram
anantam ādyaṃ 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.
TEXTS 22–24
यस्य ब्रह्मादयो देवा
वेदा लोकाश् चराचराः ǀ
नाम-रूप-विभेदेन
फल्ग्व्या च कलया कृताः ǁ २२ǁ
यथार्चिषो ऽग्नेः सवितुर् गभस्तयो
निर्यान्ति संयान्त्य् असकृत् स्व-रोचिषः ǀ
तथा यतो ऽयं गुण-सम्प्रवाहो
बुद्धिर् मनः खानि शरीर-सर्गाः ǁ २३ǁ
स वै न देवासुर-मर्त्य-तिर्यङ्
न स्त्री न षण्ढो न पुमान् न जन्तुः ǀ
नायं गुणः कर्म न सन् न चासन्
निषेध-शेषो जयताद् अशेषः ǁ २४ǁ
yasya brahmādayo devā
vedā lokāś carācarāḥ
nāma-rūpa-vibhedena
phalgvyā ca kalayā kṛtāḥ
yathārciṣo ’gneḥ savitur gabhastayo
niryānti saṃyānty asakṛt sva-rociṣaḥ
tathā yato ’yaṃ guṇa-sampravāho
buddhir manaḥ khāni śarīra-sargāḥ
sa vai na devāsura-martya-tiryaṅ
na strī na ṣaṇḍho na pumān na jantuḥ
nāyaṃ 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 nonmanifestation. 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
जिजीविषे नाहम् इहामु या किम्
अन्तर् बहिश् चावृतयेभ-योन्या ǀ
इच्छामि कालेन न यस्य विप्लवस्
तस्यात्म-लोकावरणस्य मोक्षम् ǁ २५ǁ
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
सो ऽहं विश्व-सृजं विश्वम्
अविश्वं विश्व-वेदसम् ǀ
विश्वात्मानम् अजं ब्रह्म
प्रणतो ऽस्मि परं पदम् ǁ २६ǁ
so ’haṃ viśva-sṛjaṃ viśvam
aviśvaṃ viśva-vedasam
viśvātmānam ajaṃ brahma
praṇato ’smi paraṃ 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
योग-रन्धित-कर्माणो
हृदि योग-विभाविते ǀ
योगिनो यं प्रपश्यन्ति
योगेशं तं नतो ऽस्म्य् अहम् ǁ २७ǁ
yoga-randhita-karmāṇo
hṛdi yoga-vibhāvite
yogino yaṃ prapaśyanti
yogeśaṃ taṃ 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
नमो नमस् तुभ्यम् असह्य-वेग-
शक्ति-त्रयायाखिल-धी-गुणाय ǀ
प्रपन्न-पालाय दुरन्त-शक्तये
कद्-इन्द्रियाणाम् अनवाप्य-वर्त्मने ǁ २८ǁ
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
नायं वेद स्वम् आत्मानं
यच्-छक्त्याहं-धिया हतम् ǀ
तं दुरत्यय-माहात्म्यं
भगवन्तम् इतो ऽस्म्य् अहम् ǁ २९ǁ
nāyaṃ veda svam ātmānaṃ
yac-chaktyāhaṃ-dhiyā hatam
taṃ duratyaya-māhātmyaṃ
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.
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Phala-śruti
The Results of hearing/ chanting these prayers
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.4.25
[The Lord now replies to Gajendra]
ये मां स्तुवन्त्य् अनेनाङ्ग
प्रतिबुध्य निशात्यये
तेषां प्राणात्यये चाहं
ददामि विपुलां गतिम्
ye māṃ stuvanty anenāṅga
pratibudhya niśātyaye
teṣāṃ prāṇātyaye cāhaṃ
dadāmi vipulāṃ gatim
"My dear devotee, unto those who rise from bed at the end of night and offer Me the prayers offered by you, I give an eternal residence in the spiritual world at the end of their lives." (SB 8.4.25)
Gajendra-mokṣaḥ Mantra is one of the very powerful Mantra's in the world and gives the chanter of this mantra power to face difficulties and come out of unwanted situations.