Shloka 2
Gajendra’s Prayers and the Appearance of Lord Hari
Gajendra-stuti and Hari-darśana
श्रीगजेन्द्र उवाच ॐ नमो भगवते तस्मै यत एतच्चिदात्मकम् । पुरुषायादिबीजाय परेशायाभिधीमहि ॥ २ ॥
śrī-gajendra uvāca oṁ namo bhagavate tasmai yata etac cid-ātmakam puruṣāyādi-bījāya pareśāyābhidhīmahi
Gajendra sprach: Oṁ namo bhagavate. Ich erweise dem höchsten Purusha meine ehrerbietigen Verneigungen; durch Ihn wirkt dieser materielle Körper, weil das Geistige in ihm gegenwärtig ist. Er ist der ursprüngliche Same und der höchste Herr, verehrt von Brahmā und Śiva, und in den Herzen aller Lebewesen wohnend. Möge ich über Ihn meditieren.
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 Kṛṣṇa 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, guruṣu nara-matiḥ: one should stop thinking of the spiritual master as an ordinary human being with a material body. Arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīḥ: 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 Kṛṣṇa’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 guṇān 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.
FAQs
This verse addresses the Lord as the origin from whom the manifested universe arises (yataḥ etat) and as the original seed-cause (ādi-bīja), affirming Him as the supreme source and controller.
In helplessness while being attacked by the crocodile, Gajendra turns to the Supreme Lord with surrender, invoking Oṁ and offering obeisances to Bhagavān as the highest refuge and controller (pareśa).
Recognize the Lord as the supreme shelter, and in crisis or confusion consciously turn to Him with humility—offering sincere prayer, remembrance, and dependence rather than relying only on one’s limited strength.