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
De Lui sont créés, comme des parts infimes, Brahmā et les devas, les Veda et tous les mondes, mobiles et immobiles, distingués par noms et formes grâce à Sa puissance subtile. Comme les étincelles du feu et les rayons du soleil jaillissent de leur source et y retournent sans cesse, de même l’intelligence, le mental, les sens, les corps grossiers et subtils, et le courant des transformations des guṇa émanent du Seigneur et se résorbent en Lui. Il n’est ni deva ni asura, ni homme ni bête ou oiseau; ni femme, ni mâle, ni neutre. Il n’est ni qualité, ni karma, ni manifestation ni non-manifestation: Il est ce qui demeure après le « ni ceci, ni cela », l’Infini. Gloire au Bhagavān suprême!
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.