Shloka 8
Gajendra’s Prayers and the Appearance of Lord Hari
Gajendra-stuti and Hari-darśana
न विद्यते यस्य च जन्म कर्म वा न नामरूपे गुणदोष एव वा । तथापि लोकाप्ययसम्भवाय य: स्वमायया तान्यनुकालमृच्छति ॥ ८ ॥ तस्मै नम: परेशाय ब्रह्मणेऽनन्तशक्तये । अरूपायोरुरूपाय नम आश्चर्यकर्मणे ॥ ९ ॥
na vidyate yasya ca janma karma vā na nāma-rūpe guṇa-doṣa eva vā tathāpi lokāpyaya-sambhavāya yaḥ sva-māyayā tāny anukālam ṛcchati
พระบุคคลสูงสุดไม่มีการเกิดทางวัตถุ กรรมทางวัตถุ นามและรูปทางวัตถุ ทั้งไม่ถูกจำกัดด้วยคุณหรือโทษใด ๆ แต่เพื่อจุดหมายแห่งการสร้างและการทำลายโลก พระองค์ทรงอวตารด้วยศักติภายในของพระองค์เอง เป็นมนุษย์ดังพระรามและพระกฤษณะ ข้าพเจ้าขอนอบน้อมแด่ปรพรหมผู้มีฤทธิ์อนันต์ ผู้ไร้รูปแต่ทรงมีรูปนานา ผู้ทรงประกอบกิจอัศจรรย์
In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is said, guṇāṁś ca doṣāṁś ca mune vyatīta samasta-kalyāṇa-guṇātmako hi. The Supreme Personality of Godhead has no material form, qualities or faults. He is spiritual and is the only reservoir of all spiritual qualities. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (4.8) by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām. The Lord’s activities of saving the devotees and annihilating the demons are transcendental. Anyone annihilated by the Supreme Personality of Godhead gets the same result as a devotee who is protected by the Lord; both of them are transcendentally promoted. The only difference is that a devotee goes directly to the spiritual planets and becomes an associate of the Supreme Lord, whereas demons are promoted to brahmaloka, the impersonal effulgence of the Lord. Both of them, however, are transcendentally promoted. The Lord’s killing or annihilating of the demons is not exactly like the killing of this material world. Although He appears to act within the modes of material nature, He is nirguṇa, above the modes of nature. His name is not material; otherwise how could one get liberation by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma? The names of the Lord like Rāma and Kṛṣṇa are nondifferent from the person Rāma and Kṛṣṇa. Thus by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra one constantly associates with Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore becomes liberated. A practical example is Ajāmila, who always remained transcendental to his activities simply by chanting the name Nārāyaṇa. If this was true of Ajāmila, what is to be said of the Supreme Lord? When the Lord comes to this material world, He does not become a product of matter. This is confirmed throughout Bhagavad-gītā ( janma-karma ca me divyam, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam ). Therefore, when the Supreme Personality of Godhead — Rāma or Kṛṣṇa — descends to act transcendentally for our benefit, we should not consider Him an ordinary human being. When the Lord comes, He does so on the basis of His spiritual potency ( sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā ). Because He is not forced to come by the material energy, He is always transcendental. One should not consider the Supreme Lord an ordinary human being. Material names and forms are contaminated, but spiritual name and spiritual form are transcendental.
FAQs
This verse says the Supreme has no material birth, actions, name, form, qualities, or faults, yet He can appear with name and form by His own māyā for the cosmic purpose of creation and dissolution.
Because Gajendra is surrendering to Narayana as the transcendent Supreme, while recognizing that the same Lord compassionately manifests perceivable forms and activities to govern the universe and rescue devotees.
Relate to God with devotion through His names and forms, while remembering He is not limited by material labels—this reduces sectarianism and deepens humility and surrender.