Shloka 10
Gajendra’s Prayers and the Appearance of Lord Hari
Gajendra-stuti and Hari-darśana
नम आत्मप्रदीपाय साक्षिणे परमात्मने । नमो गिरां विदूराय मनसश्चेतसामपि ॥ १० ॥
nama ātma-pradīpāya sākṣiṇe paramātmane namo girāṁ vidūrāya manasaś cetasām api
स्वयंप्रकाश परमात्मा, अंतःकरणातील साक्षी प्रभूस नमस्कार। वाणी, मन आणि चित्त यांनाही अगम्य अशा त्याला प्रणाम।
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, cannot be understood by the individual soul through mental, physical or intellectual exercises. It is by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead that the individual soul is enlightened. Therefore, the Lord is described here as ātma-pradīpa. The Lord is like the sun, which illuminates everything and cannot be illuminated by anyone. Therefore, if one is serious about understanding the Supreme, one must receive enlightenment from Him, as instructed in Bhagavad-gītā. One cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead by one’s mental, physical or intellectual powers.
FAQs
This verse addresses the Lord as sākṣī (the Witness) and Paramātmā, affirming that the Supreme resides within all beings as the inner observer who illumines consciousness.
In utter helplessness, Gajendra praises God’s transcendence—He cannot be fully captured by speech or mental speculation—so the only refuge is humble surrender and devotion.
When overwhelmed, turn inward to the Divine Witness through prayer and remembrance, accepting that ultimate reality exceeds analysis—cultivate surrender, steadiness, and devotion.