Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 22
Gajendra’s Prayers and the Appearance of Lord Hari
Gajendra-stuti and Hari-darśana
यस्य ब्रह्मादयो देवा वेदा लोकाश्चराचरा: । नामरूपविभेदेन फल्ग्व्या च कलया कृता: ॥ २२ ॥ यथार्चिषोऽग्ने: सवितुर्गभस्तयो निर्यान्ति संयान्त्यसकृत् स्वरोचिष: । तथा यतोऽयं गुणसम्प्रवाहो बुद्धिर्मन: खानि शरीरसर्गा: ॥ २३ ॥ स वै न देवासुरमर्त्यतिर्यङ् न स्त्री न षण्ढो न पुमान् न जन्तु: । नायं गुण: कर्म न सन्न चासन् निषेधशेषो जयतादशेष: ॥ २४ ॥
yasya brahmādayo devā vedā lokāś carācarāḥ nāma-rūpa-vibhedena phalgvyā ca kalayā kṛtāḥ
From Him arise, as His minute portions, Brahmā and the devas, the Vedas, and all worlds—moving and unmoving—distinguished by name and form through His subtle potency. As sparks from fire and rays from the sun repeatedly emanate from their source and again merge into it, so intelligence, mind, the senses, gross and subtle bodies, and the ceaseless flow of the guṇas’ transformations emanate from the Lord and again dissolve into Him. He is neither deva nor asura, neither human nor beast or bird; neither woman, man, nor neuter. He is not a material quality, not karma, not being nor nonbeing—He is the limitless remainder after “not this, not this.” All glory to the Supreme Bhagavān!
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 dṛśyate: 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 kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate ), for everything is done by expansions of His unlimited energies.
FAQs
This verse states that all differentiated names and forms—gods, Vedas, and worlds—manifest from the Supreme Lord by a subtle fraction of His potency.
In his surrender, Gajendra glorifies the Lord as the ultimate source of all cosmic order and knowledge, establishing that only the Supreme can truly protect and liberate.
See identity and circumstances as temporary names and forms, and anchor the mind in devotion to the unchanging Supreme source.