Changes

Once upon a time, the leader of a herd of elephants dwelling in the forest over the mountains (of Trikuta), came to that garden (named Rtumat). He was wandering in the company of his wives (searching for water) breaking and treading down thorny shrubs and clusters of various types of bamboos and canes on their way. The scent of that king of elephants itself was enough to make all the lions, big elephants, carnivorous animals like tigers, rhinoceroses, huge serpents, white and black Sharabhas, Chamaris (female yaks) flee in fear. It is due to his mercy that other animals like wolves, boars, bears, porcupines, baboons, hyenas and monkeys as well as the deer, rabbits could freely roam without fear. The elephant was exuding the temporal fluid due to which he was surrounded by swarms of blackbees feeding on that intoxicating fluid and followed by herd of other male and female elephants and their young ones. Being oppressed by the heat of the Sun, and smelling from a distance the breeze blowing from the lake laden with the pollen of the lotus flowers, he, with his thirsty company and his vision clouded hurried for the bank of that lake shaking the mountain on all sides by his weight. Plunging into the lake, he, with the tip of his trunk drank his fill from the nectarlike water perfumed with the pollen of golden and blue lotuses, took a good bath and was thus relieved of all fatigue. Drawing water with his trunk, like a concerned householder, he made the female elephants and young ones drink water and bathe by spraying them with cool water. Being deluded by Maya (power of the lord), the poor creature could not foresee the impending peril. There, some powerful crocodile, directed by the will of providence, indignantly caught hold of the elephant by the leg. The elephant thereupon with all his strength strenuously tried to get out of this dangerous position. When the female elephants saw that their leader was suddenly attacked and captured, they in shock started to lament. The other elephants, though trying to free him from behind, were equally helpless. In this way, the mighty elephant and the crocodile were struggling this way, the former trying to drag the other outside the water and the latter pulling him inside and 1000 years rolled by. Finding them equally powerful, even the deities marvelled greatly at this tough fight. In this way, due to his being dragged into the water and harassed for a very long period, the energy, strength and vitality of that king elephant became greatly depleted while the very reverse of it took place in the case of the aqautic animal (the crocodile).<ref name=":6" />

Once upon a time, the leader of a herd of elephants dwelling in the forest over the mountains (of Trikuta), came to that garden (named Rtumat). He was wandering in the company of his wives (searching for water) breaking and treading down thorny shrubs and clusters of various types of bamboos and canes on their way. The scent of that king of elephants itself was enough to make all the lions, big elephants, carnivorous animals like tigers, rhinoceroses, huge serpents, white and black Sharabhas, Chamaris (female yaks) flee in fear. It is due to his mercy that other animals like wolves, boars, bears, porcupines, baboons, hyenas and monkeys as well as the deer, rabbits could freely roam without fear. The elephant was exuding the temporal fluid due to which he was surrounded by swarms of blackbees feeding on that intoxicating fluid and followed by herd of other male and female elephants and their young ones. Being oppressed by the heat of the Sun, and smelling from a distance the breeze blowing from the lake laden with the pollen of the lotus flowers, he, with his thirsty company and his vision clouded hurried for the bank of that lake shaking the mountain on all sides by his weight. Plunging into the lake, he, with the tip of his trunk drank his fill from the nectarlike water perfumed with the pollen of golden and blue lotuses, took a good bath and was thus relieved of all fatigue. Drawing water with his trunk, like a concerned householder, he made the female elephants and young ones drink water and bathe by spraying them with cool water. Being deluded by Maya (power of the lord), the poor creature could not foresee the impending peril. There, some powerful crocodile, directed by the will of providence, indignantly caught hold of the elephant by the leg. The elephant thereupon with all his strength strenuously tried to get out of this dangerous position. When the female elephants saw that their leader was suddenly attacked and captured, they in shock started to lament. The other elephants, though trying to free him from behind, were equally helpless. In this way, the mighty elephant and the crocodile were struggling this way, the former trying to drag the other outside the water and the latter pulling him inside and 1000 years rolled by. Finding them equally powerful, even the deities marvelled greatly at this tough fight. In this way, due to his being dragged into the water and harassed for a very long period, the energy, strength and vitality of that king elephant became greatly depleted while the very reverse of it took place in the case of the aqautic animal (the crocodile).<ref name=":6" />

== गजेन्द्रस्य शरणागतिः ॥ Complete surrender of Gajendra ==

== गजेन्द्रस्य शरणागतिः ॥ Complete surrender of Gajendra ==

(31) '''W'''hen Gajendra saw that his life was in danger and that he, by the will of providence, could not free himself from this helpless condition, he thought for a long time and reached the following conclusion: (32) 'Neither all these relatives can deliver me from my distress, nor can I as an elephant expect to be freed by my wives from this fate of being captured tightly by the crocodile [of passion]. I, just like anybody else, therefore have to take shelter of Him who is the transcendence and the refuge of the most exalted souls [compare 7.9: 18]. (33) He, the Lord, protects anyone who is of surrender. He protects those who are afraid of death against the so very strong serpent of time that chases someone endlessly with its terrifying force [see B.G. 11: 32]. I surrender to Him, who is the refuge and for whom even death flees away.'<ref name=":0">Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 8, [http://bhagavata.org/downloads/bhagavatam-canto8.html#2 Chapter 2].</ref><blockquote>इत्थं गजेन्द्रः स यदाप संकटं प्राणस्य देही विवशो यदृच्छया । अपारयन्नात्मविमोक्षणे चिरं दध्याविमां बुद्धिमथाभ्यपद्यत ॥ ३१ ॥ </blockquote><blockquote>न मामिमे ज्ञातय आतुरं गजाः कुतः करिण्यः प्रभवन्ति मोचितुम् । ग्राहेण पाशेन विधातुरावृतोऽपि अहं च तं यामि परं परायणम् ॥ ३२ ॥ </blockquote><blockquote>यः कश्चनेशो बलिनोऽन्तकोरगात् प्रचण्डवेगादभिधावतो भृशम् । भीतं प्रपन्नं परिपाति यद्‍भयात् मृत्युः प्रधावत्यरणं तमीमहि ॥ ३३ ॥<ref name=":3" /></blockquote><blockquote>''itthaṁ gajendraḥ sa yadāpa saṁkaṭaṁ prāṇasya dehī vivaśo yadr̥cchayā । apārayannātmavimokṣaṇe ciraṁ dadhyāvimāṁ buddhimathābhyapadyata ॥ 31 ॥''</blockquote><blockquote>''na māmime jñātaya āturaṁ gajāḥ kutaḥ kariṇyaḥ prabhavanti mocitum । grāheṇa pāśena vidhāturāvr̥to'pi ahaṁ ca taṁ yāmi paraṁ parāyaṇam ॥ 32 ॥''</blockquote><blockquote>''yaḥ kaścaneśo balino'ntakoragāt pracaṇḍavegādabhidhāvato bhr̥śam । bhītaṁ prapannaṁ paripāti yad‍bhayāt mr̥tyuḥ pradhāvatyaraṇaṁ tamīmahi ॥ 33 ॥''</blockquote>(25) '''I''' do not want to live like this in the world. What is the use of this captivation from within and from without in being born as an elephant? I do not want the misery and destruction because of the time factor. I want to be liberated from that covering of my spiritual existence [see also 1.2: 3, 6.15: 16]! (26) I bow down before the transcendental shelter, the unborn Absolute Spirit who created the universe, who is the universe and who is beyond the universe, who is the knower of the universe and the soul of the universe. (27) The devotees and ascetics who with yoga subdued their karma, see Him, the Lord of Yoga, clearly in their hearts. I offer Him my obeisances. (28) My respects again and again for You, the force of whose threefold energy is formidable, You, the intelligence of the completeness, the Lord of all qualities who shelters the surrendered souls and whose [deluding] potency [of ''mâyâ''] is difficult to overcome [see B.G. 16: 21], You who are unattainable for those on the path of poor sense control. (29) I seek my refuge with Him, the Supreme Lord whose glories are unfathomable, whose Self is not known by the common man and by whose forces and intelligence I have been defeated.'<ref name=":1">Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 8, [http://bhagavata.org/downloads/bhagavatam-canto8.html#3 Chapter 3].</ref><blockquote>जिजीविषे नाहमिहामुया किमन्तर्बहिश्चावृतयेभयोन्या इच्छामि कालेन न यस्य विप्लवस्तस्यात्मलोकावरणस्य मोक्षम् २५</blockquote><blockquote>सोऽहं विश्वसृजं विश्वमविश्वं विश्ववेदसम् विश्वात्मानमजं ब्रह्म प्रणतोऽस्मि परं पदम् २६</blockquote><blockquote>योगरन्धितकर्माणो हृदि योगविभाविते योगिनो यं प्रपश्यन्ति योगेशं तं नतोऽस्म्यहम् २७</blockquote><blockquote>नमो नमस्तुभ्यमसह्यवेग शक्तित्रयायाखिलधीगुणाय प्रपन्नपालाय दुरन्तशक्तये कदिन्द्रि याणामनवाप्यवर्त्मने २८</blockquote><blockquote>नायं वेद स्वमात्मानं यच्छक्त्याहंधिया हतम् तं दुरत्ययमाहात्म्यं भगवन्तमितोऽस्म्यहम् २९<ref name=":4">Bhagavata Purana, Skandha 8, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%AE/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A9 Adhyaya 3].</ref></blockquote><blockquote>''jijīviṣe nāhamihāmuyā kimantarbahiścāvr̥tayebhayonyā icchāmi kālena na yasya viplavastasyātmalokāvaraṇasya mokṣam 25''</blockquote><blockquote>''so'haṁ viśvasr̥jaṁ viśvamaviśvaṁ viśvavedasam viśvātmānamajaṁ brahma praṇato'smi paraṁ padam 26''</blockquote><blockquote>''yogarandhitakarmāṇo hr̥di yogavibhāvite yogino yaṁ prapaśyanti yogeśaṁ taṁ nato'smyaham 27''</blockquote><blockquote>''namo namastubhyamasahyavega śaktitrayāyākhiladhīguṇāya prapannapālāya durantaśaktaye kadindri yāṇāmanavāpyavartmane 28''</blockquote><blockquote>''nāyaṁ veda svamātmānaṁ yacchaktyāhaṁdhiyā hatam taṁ duratyayamāhātmyaṁ bhagavantamito'smyaham 29''</blockquote>

When Gajendra, dependent on his physical strength saw that his life was in danger and that he was absolutely helpless and could not free himself, he thought for a long time and through the will of the Lord, reached the following conclusion. He said,

 

"These elephants, my own kinsfolk are not able to deliver me from this plight. What to speak of the poor female elephants. Caught up and bound down as I am in the snare of the providence, in the form of this crocodile, I shall now approach the Supreme Lord who is the last resort of all. We seek refuge in that indescribable Supreme Lord due to fear of whom even the deity of death flies away, and who protects anyone who is surrenders against the so very strong serpent of time that chases someone endlessly with its terrifying force."<ref name=":6" /><blockquote>इत्थं गजेन्द्रः स यदाप संकटं प्राणस्य देही विवशो यदृच्छया । अपारयन्नात्मविमोक्षणे चिरं दध्याविमां बुद्धिमथाभ्यपद्यत ॥ ३१ ॥ </blockquote><blockquote>न मामिमे ज्ञातय आतुरं गजाः कुतः करिण्यः प्रभवन्ति मोचितुम् । ग्राहेण पाशेन विधातुरावृतोऽपि अहं च तं यामि परं परायणम् ॥ ३२ ॥ </blockquote><blockquote>यः कश्चनेशो बलिनोऽन्तकोरगात् प्रचण्डवेगादभिधावतो भृशम् । भीतं प्रपन्नं परिपाति यद्‍भयात् मृत्युः प्रधावत्यरणं तमीमहि ॥ ३३ ॥<ref name=":3" /></blockquote><blockquote>''itthaṁ gajendraḥ sa yadāpa saṁkaṭaṁ prāṇasya dehī vivaśo yadr̥cchayā । apārayannātmavimokṣaṇe ciraṁ dadhyāvimāṁ buddhimathābhyapadyata ॥ 31 ॥''</blockquote><blockquote>''na māmime jñātaya āturaṁ gajāḥ kutaḥ kariṇyaḥ prabhavanti mocitum । grāheṇa pāśena vidhāturāvr̥to'pi ahaṁ ca taṁ yāmi paraṁ parāyaṇam ॥ 32 ॥''</blockquote><blockquote>''yaḥ kaścaneśo balino'ntakoragāt pracaṇḍavegādabhidhāvato bhr̥śam । bhītaṁ prapannaṁ paripāti yad‍bhayāt mr̥tyuḥ pradhāvatyaraṇaṁ tamīmahi ॥ 33 ॥''</blockquote>(25) '''I''' do not want to live like this in the world. What is the use of this captivation from within and from without in being born as an elephant? I do not want the misery and destruction because of the time factor. I want to be liberated from that covering of my spiritual existence [see also 1.2: 3, 6.15: 16]! (26) I bow down before the transcendental shelter, the unborn Absolute Spirit who created the universe, who is the universe and who is beyond the universe, who is the knower of the universe and the soul of the universe. (27) The devotees and ascetics who with yoga subdued their karma, see Him, the Lord of Yoga, clearly in their hearts. I offer Him my obeisances. (28) My respects again and again for You, the force of whose threefold energy is formidable, You, the intelligence of the completeness, the Lord of all qualities who shelters the surrendered souls and whose [deluding] potency [of ''mâyâ''] is difficult to overcome [see B.G. 16: 21], You who are unattainable for those on the path of poor sense control. (29) I seek my refuge with Him, the Supreme Lord whose glories are unfathomable, whose Self is not known by the common man and by whose forces and intelligence I have been defeated.'<ref name=":1">Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 8, [http://bhagavata.org/downloads/bhagavatam-canto8.html#3 Chapter 3].</ref><blockquote>जिजीविषे नाहमिहामुया किमन्तर्बहिश्चावृतयेभयोन्या इच्छामि कालेन न यस्य विप्लवस्तस्यात्मलोकावरणस्य मोक्षम् २५</blockquote><blockquote>सोऽहं विश्वसृजं विश्वमविश्वं विश्ववेदसम् विश्वात्मानमजं ब्रह्म प्रणतोऽस्मि परं पदम् २६</blockquote><blockquote>योगरन्धितकर्माणो हृदि योगविभाविते योगिनो यं प्रपश्यन्ति योगेशं तं नतोऽस्म्यहम् २७</blockquote><blockquote>नमो नमस्तुभ्यमसह्यवेग शक्तित्रयायाखिलधीगुणाय प्रपन्नपालाय दुरन्तशक्तये कदिन्द्रि याणामनवाप्यवर्त्मने २८</blockquote><blockquote>नायं वेद स्वमात्मानं यच्छक्त्याहंधिया हतम् तं दुरत्ययमाहात्म्यं भगवन्तमितोऽस्म्यहम् २९<ref name=":4">Bhagavata Purana, Skandha 8, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%AE/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A9 Adhyaya 3].</ref></blockquote><blockquote>''jijīviṣe nāhamihāmuyā kimantarbahiścāvr̥tayebhayonyā icchāmi kālena na yasya viplavastasyātmalokāvaraṇasya mokṣam 25''</blockquote><blockquote>''so'haṁ viśvasr̥jaṁ viśvamaviśvaṁ viśvavedasam viśvātmānamajaṁ brahma praṇato'smi paraṁ padam 26''</blockquote><blockquote>''yogarandhitakarmāṇo hr̥di yogavibhāvite yogino yaṁ prapaśyanti yogeśaṁ taṁ nato'smyaham 27''</blockquote><blockquote>''namo namastubhyamasahyavega śaktitrayāyākhiladhīguṇāya prapannapālāya durantaśaktaye kadindri yāṇāmanavāpyavartmane 28''</blockquote><blockquote>''nāyaṁ veda svamātmānaṁ yacchaktyāhaṁdhiyā hatam taṁ duratyayamāhātmyaṁ bhagavantamito'smyaham 29''</blockquote>

== गजेन्द्रस्य भगवद्स्तुतिः ॥ Stotra by Gajendra ==

== गजेन्द्रस्य भगवद्स्तुतिः ॥ Stotra by Gajendra ==