Shloka 6
Trikūṭa Mountain, Ṛtumat Garden, and the Beginning of Gajendra’s Crisis
यत्र सङ्गीतसन्नादैर्नदद्गुहममर्षया । अभिगर्जन्ति हरय: श्लाघिन: परशङ्कया ॥ ६ ॥
yatra saṅgīta-sannādair nadad-guham amarṣayā abhigarjanti harayaḥ ślāghinaḥ para-śaṅkayā
Where the caves resound with the songs of the heavenly beings, the lions—proud of their strength—roar in unbearable envy, suspecting that another lion is roaring so.
In the higher planetary systems, there are not only different types of human beings, but also animals like lions and elephants. There are trees, and the land is made of emeralds. Such is the creation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung in this regard, keśava! tuyā jagata vicitra: “My Lord Keśava, Your creation is colorful and full of varieties.” Geologists, botanists and other so-called scientists speculate about other planetary systems, but being unable to estimate the varieties on other planets, they falsely imagine that all planets but this one are vacant, uninhabited, and full of dust. Although they cannot even estimate the varieties existing throughout the universe, they are very proud of their knowledge, and they are accepted as learned by persons of a similar caliber. As described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.3.19) , śva-vid-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ: materialistic leaders are praised by dogs, hogs, camels and asses, and they themselves are also big animals. One should not be satisfied with the knowledge imparted by a big animal. Rather, one must take knowledge from a perfect person like Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ: our duty is to follow the instructions of the mahājanas. There are twelve mahājanas, and Śukadeva Gosvāmī is one of them.
FAQs
It describes a region where lions roar so powerfully that the caves echo; driven by pride and suspicion of rivals, they bellow loudly—setting the scene for the Gajendra narrative.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī speaks this verse to King Parīkṣit while narrating the events leading into Gajendra’s deliverance (Gajendra-mokṣa).
The verse highlights how pride and rivalry create agitation and noise; a devotee can counter this by cultivating humility, restraint, and turning the mind toward devotional remembrance rather than competition.