Gajendra's Prayers - 28

Harikatha, Sreela Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj

It is advised by our Guruvargas to hear Srimad Bhagavatam, daily in the association of exalted Vaisnavas, if possible. Preference should be given in favor of hearing the scriptures from sadhus. During Damodar month, it is most beneficial to recite and read Gajendra Moksha Lila-stava from the 8th canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, which teaches complete surrender to the Supreme Lord.

  • Remembering Gajendra Moksha narration is most beneficial for all who are performing Kartik-vrata. It is written here in the importance of Gajendra Moksha narration that listening to these prayers will benefit the votary even if he is not able to understand the meaning. Listening to the prayers of Gajendra, the Lord Himself came in person and rescued him. Actually, the Lord does not require to come in person to rescue anyone but to give satisfaction to Gajendra He comes in person being seated on Garuda. The Supreme Lord wants to reach His devotee so rapidly that even the speed of Garuda, He felt less and He dismounted Himself from Garuda and rushed to Gajendra.

    The Lord got satisfied by the prayers of Gajendra. If we can recite these prayers with the same earnestness and feelings as Gajendra then we should also get the grace of Supreme Lord. But we are unable to do so.

    śrī-gajendra uvāca
    oṁ namo bhagavate tasmai
    yata etac cid-ātmakam
    puruṣāyādi-bījāya
    pareśāyābhidhīmahi

    yasminn idaṁ yataś cedaṁ
    yenedaṁ ya idaṁ svayam
    yo ’smāt parasmāc ca paras
    taṁ prapadye svayambhuvam

    yaḥ svātmanīdaṁ nija-māyayārpitaṁ
    kvacid vibhātaṁ kva ca tat tirohitam
    aviddha-dṛk sākṣy ubhayaṁ tad īkṣate
    sa ātma-mūlo ’vatu māṁ parāt-paraḥ

    kālena paṣcatvam iteṣu kṛtsnaśo
    lokeṣu pāleṣu ca sarva-hetuṣu
    tamas tadāsīd gahanaṁ gabhīraṁ
    yas tasya pāre ’bhivirājate vibhuḥ

    na yasya devā ṛṣayaḥ padaṁ vidur
    jantuḥ punaḥ ko ’rhati gantum īritum
    yathā naṭasyākṛtibhir viceṣṭato
    duratyayānukramaṇaḥ sa māvatu

    didṛkṣavo yasya padaṁ sumaṅgalaṁ
    vimukta-saṅgā munayaḥ susādhavaḥ
    caranty aloka-vratam avraṇaṁ vane
    bhūtātma-bhūtāḥ suhṛdaḥ sa me gatiḥ

    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

    nama ātma-pradīpāya
    sākṣiṇe paramātmane
    namo girāṁ vidūrāya
    manasaś cetasām api

    sattvena pratilabhyāya
    naiṣkarmyeṇa vipaścitā
    namaḥ kaivalya-nāthāya
    nirvāṇa-sukha-saṁvide

    namaḥ śāntāya ghorāya
    ghūḍhāya guṇa-dharmiṇe
    nirviśeṣāya sāmyāya
    namo jñāna-ghanāya ca

    kṣetra-jñāya namas tubhyaṁ
    sarvādhyakṣāya sākṣiṇe
    puruṣāyātma-mūlāya
    mūla-prakṛtaye namaḥ

    sarvendriya-guṇa-draṣṭre
    sarva-pratyaya-hetave
    asatā cchāyayoktāya
    sad-ābhāsāya te namaḥ

    namo namas te ’khila-kāraṇāya
    niṣkāraṇāyādbhuta-kāraṇāya
    sarvāgamāmnāya-mahārṇavāya
    namo ’pavargāya parāyaṇāya

    guṇāraṇi-cchanna-cid-uṣmapāya
    tat-kṣobha-visphūrjita-mānasāya
    naiṣkarmya-bhāvena vivarjitāgama-
    svayaṁ-prakāśāya namas karomi

    mādṛk prapanna-paśu-pāśa-vimokṣaṇāya
    muktāya bhūri-karuṇāya namo ’layāya
    svāṁśena sarva-tanu-bhṛn-manasi pratīta-
    pratyag-dṛśe bhagavate bṛhate namas te

    ātmātma-jāpta-gṛha-vitta-janeṣu saktair
    duṣprāpaṇāya guṇa-saṅga-vivarjitāya
    muktātmabhiḥ sva-hṛdaye paribhāvitāya
    jñānātmane bhagavate nama īśvarāya

    yaṁ dharma-kāmārtha-vimukti-kāmā
    bhajanta iṣṭāṁ gatim āpnuvanti
    kiṁ cāśiṣo rāty api deham avyayaṁ
    karotu me ’dabhra-dayo vimokṣaṇam

    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

    yasya brahmādayo deva
    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

    jijīviṣe nāham ihāmuyā kim
    antar bahiś cāvṛtayebha-yonyā
    icchāmi kālena na yasya viplavas
    tasyātma-lokāvaraṇasya mokṣam

    so ’haṁ viśva-sṛjaṁ viśvam
    aviśvaṁ viśva-vedasam
    viśvātmānam ajaṁ brahma
    praṇato ’smi paraṁ padam

    yoga-randhita-karmāṇo
    hṛdi yoga-vibhāvite
    yogino yaṁ prapaśyanti
    yogeśaṁ taṁ nato ’smy aham

    namo namas tubhyam asahya-vega-
    śakti-trayāyākhila-dhī-guṇāya
    prapanna-pālāya duranta-śaktaye
    kad-indriyāṇām anavāpya-vartmane

    nāyaṁ veda svam ātmānaṁ
    yac-chaktyāhaṁ-dhiyā hatam
    taṁ duratyaya-māhātmyaṁ
    bhagavantam ito ’smy aham
    (Srimad Bhagavatam 8.3.2-29)

    Gajedra is praying with humility, “Your devotees are always immersed in bliss derived from singing Your glories. One who has the wealth of surrendered unto You never asks for anything else. But being an animal I do not have such eligibility. You can give everything—dharma (piety); artha (wealth); kama (fulfillment of desires); moksa (salvation). You can award transcendental body. You can also award Your abode and loving devotion unto You. I do not have eligibility for all these. What should I do? You please rescue me from the clutches of crocodile.”

    Though externally he is praying this but from within he is desirous of getting Lord’s abode and loving devotion but he feels himself ineligible to ask for those attainments. He has humility in his heart because of which he said that he is not hoping to get those attainments and praying for the deliverance from the clutches of the crocodile.

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