Shloka 12
Gajendra’s Prayers and the Appearance of Lord Hari
Gajendra-stuti and Hari-darśana
नम: शान्ताय घोराय मूढाय गुणधर्मिणे । निर्विशेषाय साम्याय नमो ज्ञानघनाय च ॥ १२ ॥
namaḥ śāntāya ghorāya mūḍhāya guṇa-dharmiṇe nirviśeṣāya sāmyāya namo jñāna-ghanāya ca
Con kính đảnh lễ Đấng trong tướng an hòa; kính đảnh lễ tướng uy mãnh (Nṛsiṁha); kính đảnh lễ tướng hiện như loài thú (Varāha); và kính đảnh lễ Đấng trong thế gian tiếp nhận và biểu lộ dharma qua ba guṇa. Con cũng kính đảnh lễ Đấng vượt mọi phân biệt, bình đẳng với muôn loài, và kính đảnh lễ quang huy Brahman dày đặc trí tuệ.
In the previous verses it has been described that although the Supreme Personality of Godhead has no material form, He accepts innumerable forms to favor His devotees and kill the demons. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, there are so many incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead that they are like the waves of a river. The waves of a river flow incessantly, and no one can count how many waves there are. Similarly, no one can calculate when and how the different incarnations of the Lord appear according to the necessities of time, place and candidates. The Lord appears perpetually. As Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (4.7) :
FAQs
In this verse, Gajendra glorifies the Supreme Lord as śānta (peaceful) and ghora (awe-inspiring/terrible), indicating that the Lord transcends one-sided descriptions and reveals different aspects according to time, circumstance, and the devotee’s need.
Gajendra acknowledges that the Lord can appear ordinary or even “bewildered” through divine līlā and humanlike behavior, yet He remains the controller and foundation of all guṇas (material modes) and their functions.
Practically, it means cultivating spiritual vision—respecting all beings as under the Lord’s care, reducing envy and bias, and seeking steadiness in devotion rather than being driven by changing external labels and circumstances.