Canto Eight / CHAPTER THREE

Gajendra’s Prayers of Surrender

Such remembrance is described in Bhagavad-gītā (6.43-44):

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 bhūyah samsiddhau kuru-nandana. To enable one to achieve perfection, Krishna 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 Krishna consciousness practice chanting some mantra. Certainly one should chant the Hare Krishna mantra, which is the mahā-mantra, or great mantra, and also one should practice chanting cintāmani-prakara-sadmasu or the Nrisimha strotra (ito nrisimhah parato nrisimho yato yato yāmi tato nrisimhah). 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 Krishna consciousness, even if he becomes an animal. Of course, a devotee should try to perfect his Krishna consciousness in this life, for simply by understanding Krishna and His instructions, after giving up this body one can return home, back to Godhead. Even if there is some falldown, practice of Krishna consciousness never goes in vain. For example, Ajāmila, in his boyhood, practiced chanting the name of Nārāyana 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 Nārāyana for the purpose of calling his son, whom he had named Nārāyana, he became advanced, even though he was involved in sinful activities. Therefore, we should not forget the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra under any circumstances. It will help us in the greatest danger, as we find in the life of Gajendra.

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 Krishna 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, gurushu nara-matih: one should stop thinking of the spiritual master as an ordinary human being with a material body. Arcye vishnau śilā-dhīh: 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 Krishna’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 gunān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate). 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.

Omkāra (pranava) is the symbolic sound representation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Om tat sad iti nirdeśo brahmanas tri-vidhah smritah: the three words om tat sat immediately invoke the Supreme Person. Therefore Krishna says that He is omkāra in all the Vedic mantras (pranavah sarva-vedeshu). The Vedic mantras are pronounced beginning with omkāra to indicate immediately the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, for example, begins with the words om namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. There is no difference between the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva, and omkāra (pranava). We should be careful to understand that omkāra does not indicate anything nirākāra, or formless. Indeed, this verse immediately says, om namo bhagavate. Bhagavān is a person. Thus omkāra is the representation of the Supreme Person. Omkāra is not meant to be impersonal, as the Māyāvādī philosophers consider it to be. This is distinctly expressed here by the word purushāya. The supreme truth addressed by omkāra is purusha, the Supreme Person; He is not impersonal. Unless He is a person, how can He control the great, stalwart controllers of this universe? Lord Vishnu, Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva are the supreme controllers of this universe, but Lord Vishnu 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 Vishnu is parameśvara, the supreme controller.

In Bhagavad-gītā (9.4) the Lord says, mayā tatam idam sarvam 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 abhisamviśanti. The original cause of everything is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and after being annihilated, everything enters into Him (prakritim yānti māmikām). Thus the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead — Lord Rāmacandra or Lord Krishna — is the original cause of everything.

“Krishna, 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-samhitā 5.1) The Lord is the cause for everything, but there is no cause for Him. Sarvam khalv idam brahma. Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni na cāham teshv avasthitah. Although He is everything, His personality is different from the cosmic manifestation.

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.

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-varnam tamasah 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.

A similar understanding was expressed by Kuntīdevī. The Supreme Lord exists everywhere, within and without. He even exists within the heart. Sarvasya cāham hridi sannivishto; īśvarah sarva-bhūtānām hrid-deśe ’rjuna tishthati. 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 yam yoginah. 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 Krishna and Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and follow in Their footsteps. Then it may be possible for us to know the purpose of Their incarnations.

(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 Krishna consciousness. In this way one may give up his body and return home, back to Godhead.

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. Panditāh sama-darśinah. 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 (suhridam 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 Krishna consciousness, the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā, everywhere. Thus they are competent to see the lotus feet of the Lord. Such preachers in Krishna consciousness are called paramahamsas. As indicated by the word vimukta-sanga, 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.

In the Vishnu Purāna it is said, gunāmś ca doshāmś ca mune vyatīta samasta-kalyāna-gunātmako 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, paritrānāya sādhūnām vināśāya ca dushkritām. 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 nirguna, above the modes of nature. His name is not material; otherwise how could one get liberation by chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Rāma? The names of the Lord like Rāma and Krishna are nondifferent from the person Rāma and Krishna. Thus by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra one constantly associates with Rāma and Krishna, 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 Nārāyana. 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 mām mūdhāh mānushīm tanum āśritam). Therefore, when the Supreme Personality of Godhead — Rāma or Krishna — 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). 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.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, 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.

As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, the Supreme Personality of Godhead can be understood only by devotional service. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvatah. 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 brāhmana, 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 naishkarmya. Mere negation of material activity will not endure. Naishkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitam. Unless one performs activities with reference to Krishna consciousness, cessation of material activities will not be helpful. In hopes of achieving naishkarmya, 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 Krishna 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 — śravanam kīrtanam vishnoh smaranam pāda-sevanam — lead one to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, as stated here, sattvena pratilabhyāya naishkarmyena vipaścitā: “The Supreme Personality of Godhead is realized by pure devotees who act in the transcendental existence of bhakti-yoga.”

The Gopāla-tāpanī Upanishad (15) says, bhaktir asya bhajanam tad ihāmutropādhi-nairāsyenaivāmushmin manasah kalpanam etad eva ca naishkarmyam. This is a definition of naishkarmya. One acts in naishkarmya when he fully engages in Krishna 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). Anyābhilāshitā-śūnyam. 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 naishkarma. By such transcendental devotional service, the Lord is served. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.

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. The Lord appears perpetually. As Krishna says in Bhagavad-gītā (4.7):

“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 Krishna consciousness, and therefore Krishna 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 (vāsudevah sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhah). A jñānī attains this stage after many, many births. Therefore the word jñāna-ghanāya is used here. The word śāntāya 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 (vāsudevah sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhah).

In Bhagavad-gītā (13.3) the Lord says, kshetra-jñam cāpi mām viddhi sarva-kshetreshu 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 kshetra 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 kshetra 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 sarvādhyaksha because everything in the material world works under His supervision. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (9.10), wherein the Lord says, mayādhyakshena prakritih sūyate sacarācaram: “This material nature, working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, is producing all moving and unmoving beings.” From prakriti, or material nature, come so many varieties of living entities, including aquatics, plants, trees, insects, birds, animals, human beings and demigods. Prakriti is the mother, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the father (aham bīja-pradah pitā).

Prakriti 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): mamaivāmśo jīva-loke jīva-bhūtah sanātanah. 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 (bījam mām sarva-bhūtānām). In Bhagavad-gītā (14.4) the Lord says:

“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 (manah shashthānīndriyāni prakriti-sthāni karshati). Thus they have become sons of prakriti, 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 namah, “I offer my respectful obeisances 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 cāham hridi sannivishto mattah smritir jñānam apohanam ca. You are situated in everyone’s heart, and only from You come remembrance and forgetfulness. Chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā. 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. Mattah smritir jñānam apohanam ca. 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 Thākura, 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, mayādhyakshena prakritih sūyate sa-carācaram. The activities of the material world suggest that behind them is the superintendence of the Lord.

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 yatah), He always remains complete (pūrnasya pūrnam ādāya pūrnam evāvaśishyate). 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. Pūrnasya pūrnam ādāya pūrnam evāvaśishyate. Therefore He is the wonderful cause. Govindam ādi-purusham tam aham bhajāmi.

“Krishna, 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-samhitā 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, param brahma, Krishna? Everything emanates from Him perpetually, yet He maintains His original form (sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahah). Krishna personally says in Bhagavad-gītā (10.8), mattah sarvam pravartate: “Everything emanates from Me.” Everything emanates from Krishna eternally, yet He is the same Krishna 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 Krishna. It is therefore advised:

“Whether one desires everything or nothing or desires to merge into the existence of the Lord, he is intelligent only if he worships Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by rendering transcendental loving service.” (Bhāg. 2.3.10) Param brahma, the Supreme Lord, and param dhāma, the supreme repose, is Krishna. 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 mām prapadyante tāms tathaiva bhajāmy aham: “As the living entities surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly.” Even the karmī who wants everything for his enjoyment can get it from Krishna. For Krishna, supplying what he wants is not at all difficult. Actually, however, one should worship Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for the sake of getting liberation.

Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyah. By studying the Vedic literature, one should understand Krishna. As confirmed here, sarvāgamāmnāya-mahārnavāya. 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 ekam śaranam vraja). This is the ultimate goal.

In Bhagavad-gītā (10.11) it is said:

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 arani wood. To perform fire sacrifices, great sages previously did not ignite a fire directly; the fire would be invoked from arani 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 manah krishna-padāravindayoh. If one takes seriously the lotus feet of Krishna, 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.

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 paramahamsa. 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.”

The words brihate namas te have been explained by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Thākura: brihate śrī-krishnāya. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Krishna. There are many tattvas, such as vishnu-tattva, jīva-tattva and śakti-tattva, but above everything is the vishnu-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:

“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 Krishna says that the entire material world is maintained by His partial representation as Paramātmā. The Lord enters every universe as Garbhodakaśāyī Vishnu and then expands Himself as Kshīrodakaśāyī Vishnu to enter the hearts of all living entities and even enter the atoms. Andāntara-stha-paramānu-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 Vishnu feature as Paramātmā, but all the vishnu-tattvas emanate from Krishna. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (10.2), aham ādir hi devānām: Krishna is the ādi, or beginning, of the devas of this material world — Brahmā, Vishnu and Maheśvara. Therefore He is described here as bhagavate brihate. Everyone is bhagavān — everyone possesses opulence — but Krishna is brihān bhagavān, the possessor of unlimited opulence. Īśvarah paramah krishnah. Krishna is the origin of everyone. Aham sarvasya prabhavah. Even Brahmā, Vishnu and Maheśvara come from Krishna. Mattah parataram nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: there is no personality superior to Krishna. Therefore Viśvanātha Cakravartī Thākura says that bhagavate brihate means “unto Śrī Krishna.”

In this material world, everyone is a paśu, an animal, because of the bodily conception of life.

“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 Krishna can deliver us from this material existence. Indeed, He is always trying to deliver us. Īśvarah sarva-bhūtānām hrid-deśe ’rjuna tishthati. 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-karunāya 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 ekam śaranam vraja). Nonetheless, He has not become angry. Therefore He is described here as bhūri-karunāya, unlimitedly merciful in delivering us from this miserable material condition of life and taking us back home, back to Godhead.

Although the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes into the material world, He is unaffected by the modes of material nature. This is confirmed in Īśopanishad. Apāpa-viddham: He is not contaminated. This same fact is described here. Guna-sanga-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 mām mūdhā mānushīm 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. Muktātmabhih sva-hridaye paribhāvitāya: only the liberated person can constantly think of Krishna. Such a person is the greatest of all yogīs.

“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)

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.

(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. Krishna is so kind. Ye yathā mām prapadyante tāms tathaiva bhajāmy aham. The Lord reciprocates. Whatever even an ordinary living entity wants, Krishna gives. Krishna is situated in everyone’s heart, and He gives that which is desired by the living entity.

“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?

(Bhakti-rasāmrita-sindhu 1.1.11)

“One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Krishna 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 sankīrtana 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 Krishna consciousness movement. Therefore the path of bhakti-yoga is the spotless process by which to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bhaktyāham ekayā grāhyah: only through devotional service can one approach the Supreme Lord. The Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (7.1):

“Now hear, O son of Prithā [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 Krishna consciousness and by thinking of the lotus feet of Krishna constantly, one can fully understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without a doubt.

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 driśyate: 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 kāryam karanam ca vidyate), for everything is done by expansions of His unlimited energies.

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:

“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.

Sometimes when bhakti-yoga, Krishna consciousness, is preached to the common man, people argue, “Where is Krishna? 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.

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-karmānah. 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-bhāvāh kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye. 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 yam yoginah: a yogī is one who always meditates on the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is also confirmed in the Brahma-samhitā (5.38):

“I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is Śyāmasundara, Krishna 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 Krishna 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.

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.

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 griha-kshetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho ’yam aham 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.

“One who is transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or 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 (samah sarveshu bhūteshu).

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. Harim vinā naiva mritim 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 hrita jñānāh prapadyante ’nya-devatāh: 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-angāny anyā devatāh. 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 Nārāyana, Lord Vishnu, 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 Vishnu is worshiped, all the other demigods are also worshiped. Yasmin tushte jagat tushtam: if the Supreme Personality of Godhead is satisfied, everyone is satisfied.

“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.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Thākura specifically hints that since Gajendra was in such a difficult position and was praying for the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the demigods, who could have immediately gone to his rescue, hesitated to go there. Since they considered Gajendra’s prayer to be directed toward the Lord, they felt offended, and this in itself was offensive. Consequently, when the Lord went there, they also went and offered prayers to the Lord so that their offense might be excused.

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 ’nukampām susamīkshamānah. 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 ’nukampām susamīkshamāno bhuñjāna evātma-kritam 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.