Shloka 13
Gajendra’s Prayers and the Appearance of Lord Hari
Gajendra-stuti and Hari-darśana
क्षेत्रज्ञाय नमस्तुभ्यं सर्वाध्यक्षाय साक्षिणे । पुरुषायात्ममूलाय मूलप्रकृतये नम: ॥ १३ ॥
kṣetra-jñāya namas tubhyaṁ sarvādhyakṣāya sākṣiṇe puruṣāyātma-mūlāya mūla-prakṛtaye namaḥ
हे क्षेत्रज्ञ परमात्मा! सर्वाध्यक्ष व सर्वसाक्षी, परम पुरुष! आत्ममूल व मूलप्रकृतीचे अधिष्ठाता—आपल्याला नमस्कार।
In Bhagavad-gītā (13.3) the Lord says, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata: “O scion of Bharata, you should understand that I am also the knower in all bodies.” Every one of us is thinking, “I am this body” or “This is my body,” but actually the truth is different. Our bodies are given to us by the supreme proprietor. The living entity, who is also kṣetra jña, or the knower of the body, is not the body’s only proprietor; the actual proprietor of the body is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the supreme kṣetra jña. For example, we may rent and occupy a house, but actually the owner of the house is the landlord. Similarly, we may be allotted a certain type of body as a facility with which to enjoy this material world, but the actual proprietor of the body is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is called sarvādhyakṣa because everything in the material world works under His supervision. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (9.10) , wherein the Lord says, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sacarācaram: “This material nature, working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, is producing all moving and unmoving beings.” From prakṛti, or material nature, come so many varieties of living entities, including aquatics, plants, trees, insects, birds, animals, human beings and demigods. Prakṛti is the mother, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the father ( ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā ).
FAQs
This verse praises the Lord as the universal witness and overseer (sarvādhyakṣa, sākṣī), indicating that the Supreme knows and observes all beings and all actions from within and without.
In distress, Gajendra offers a comprehensive glorification: the Lord is the conscious Knower (controller of awareness) and also the ultimate source behind material nature and its energies, showing God’s supremacy over both spirit and matter.
Remembering the Lord as the inner witness encourages integrity, steadiness in hardship, and sincere surrender—turning anxiety into prayer and aligning choices with dharma and devotion.