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The Sacred Tale of Gajendra Moksha – ... BE 1: The Blossoming of Sikhism from ...

Gajendra Moksha Stotra – Meaning Verse by Verse

Like a river carving through unyielding stone, the Gajendra Moksha Stotra flows from the depths of desperation into the ocean of divine mercy. This sacred hymn, a cascade of 33 luminous verses, is the very breath of surrender that once trembled on Gajendra’s trunk, summoning Bhagwan Vishnu’s chariot of grace. Found in the Eighth Skandha of Srimad Bhagavatam, it was first voiced by the noble elephant-king in his hour of agony, guided by echoes of a past life’s wisdom, and later echoed by Shukadev Ji to Parikshit Maharaj.

A Nectar for the Thirsty Heart: Its Timeless Importance

Oh, what solace this stotra brings to the storm-tossed soul! In the holy hush of dawn or the flickering glow of an evening lamp, its syllables dissolve the iron bars of fear, much like the Sudarshana Chakra rent the crocodile’s grip. Scriptures and regional lore proclaim its power multiplies in Ekadashi or Shravan, washing away sins like Ganga’s floods and sweetening life’s bitters with amrit.

Shield Against Shadows: Recited with a heart full of tears, it banishes debts that bind like hidden jaws, nightmares that claw at sleep, and obstacles that mock our steps—ushering peace as gentle as a mother’s lullaby.Bridge to Moksha: It awakens the slumbering devotee, revealing Bhagwan as the Formless Flame within, turning worldly chains into wings of liberation.A Daily Dew of Devotion: Vaishnavas in Bengal’s villages or UP’s ashrams chant it for family harmony, feeling karuna rain down like monsoon blessings.Evoking the Eternal Ache: Each word stirs a quiet storm—longing for His glance, joy in His arrival—until the reader weeps not in sorrow, but in the bliss of being seen.

In a world of fleeting shadows, this stotra is the sun’s first ray, inviting every humble heart to taste the sweetness of sharanagati. Let it seep into your being, until your every breath becomes a silent namaskar.

Verse by Verse: A Tender Unfolding of the Heart’s Cry

Each shloka is a petal of this divine bloom, unfurling Gajendra’s raw plea with such poignant beauty that your own sorrows feel shared, lifted.

Verse 1

श्री शुक उवाच –
एवं व्यवसितो बुद्ध्या समाधाय मनो हृदि ।
जजाप परमं जाप्यं प्राग्जन्मन्यनुशिक्षितम ॥१॥

Shukadev Ji begins, his voice a soothing balm: Thus, with mind resolved in wisdom, Gajendra steadied his heart like a flame in still air. He chanted the supreme mantra, learned in lives long past. Picture the mighty beast, leg throbbing in vise-like pain, yet drawing inward—past the roar of waters, to that ancient spark of devotion. It touches the soul’s quiet core, reminding us: In crisis’s grip, the heart’s hidden wisdom blooms, a gentle guide through the storm.

Verse 2

गजेन्द्र उवाच –
ऊं नमो भगवते तस्मै यत एतच्चिदात्मकम ।
पुरुषायादिबीजाय परेशायाभिधीमहि ॥२॥

Gajendra’s trunk lifts, voice breaking like dawn’s first light: Om, salutations to That Bhagwan, whose essence is pure consciousness, the Primordial Seed-Purusha, Supreme beyond all. We name You thus. Oh, the humility in his roar—a king’s surrender, weaving Om’s vibration into praise. Feel the warmth spread: He who birthed the cosmos from a single thought, now invoked as refuge. It melts defenses, drawing us to bow before the One who whispers, “I am yours.”

Verse 3

यस्मिन्निदं यतश्चेदं येनेदं य इदं स्वयं ।
योस्मात्परस्माच्च परस्तं प्रपद्ये स्वयम्भुवम ॥३॥

In whom this all resides, from whom it springs, by whom it moves, who is this very world Himself—beyond even the beyond, to that Self-Born One I flee. Like a child tumbling into a father’s arms, Gajendra names the Unnameable: the all-encompassing thread of existence. Doesn’t it stir a shiver? In naming the Source, our tangled lives untangle, revealing the Divine as both distant star and beating heart.

Verse 4

यः स्वात्मनीदं निजमाययार्पितं
क्वचिद्विभातं क्व च तत्तिरोहितम ।
अविद्धदृक साक्ष्युभयं तदीक्षते
स आत्म मूलोsवत् मां परात्परः ॥४॥

You who, through Your own maya, project this world upon Your Self—now gleaming here, now veiled there. The Seer unseen witnesses all, free from fear or favor; that Root of the Soul, beyond the beyond, protect me. Envision the veil lifting: Creation as Bhagwan’s dream-play, watched by His tranquil eye. This verse is a sigh of relief, assuring the frightened heart: He sees your hidden tears, cradling them in eternal calm.

Verse 5

कालेन पंचत्वमितेषु कृत्स्नशो
लोकेषु पालेषु च सर्व हेतुषु ।
तमस्तदाऽऽऽसीद गहनं गभीरं
यस्तस्य पारेsभिविराजते विभुः ॥५॥

When time dissolves all—worlds, guardians, every cause into the five elements—deep darkness engulfs. Yet on its farther shore reigns the All-Pervading One. As Gajendra’s strength fades, he glimpses beyond time’s devouring maw: Bhagwan, the luminous shore. It evokes a quiet thrill—the promise that our endings are but doorways to His endless light, washing despair in waves of hope.

Verse 6

न यस्य देवा ऋषयः पदं विदु-
र्जन्तुः पुनः कोsर्हति गन्तुमीरितुम ।
यथा नटस्याकृतिभिर्विचेष्टतो
दुरत्ययानुक्रमणः स मावतु ॥६॥

Whose steps even gods and sages know not, what creature dares approach or praise? Like an actor donning forms in endless play, whose path defies tracing—may He shield me. Here, awe swells like a full moon: Bhagwan as cosmic performer, veils upon veils. Yet in Gajendra’s plea, we feel invited to the stage—our clumsy steps met with applause from the Director Himself.

Verse 7

दिदृक्षवो यस्य पदं सुमंगलम
विमुक्त संगा मुनयः सुसाधवः ।
चरन्त्यलोकव्रतमव्रणं वने
भूतात्मभूता सुहृदः स मे गतिः ॥७॥

Those sages, pure and detached, roam forests in austere vows, yearning for His auspicious feet—embodied souls, true friends to all beings; may He be my refuge. Imagine those wandering hearts, dust-caked yet radiant, seeking Him in every leaf. It kindles a wanderer’s joy in us: Bhagwan as the ultimate companion, turning solitude into sacred fellowship.

Verse 8

न विद्यते यस्य न जन्म कर्म वा
न नाम रूपे गुणदोष एव वा ।
तथापि लोकाप्ययसम्भवाय यः
स्वमायया तान्यनुकालमृच्छति ॥८॥

No birth, action, name, form, merit or flaw for Him—yet for worlds’ creation and dissolution, He assumes them through His maya in due time. The paradox pierces like starlight: The Changeless dons change for our sake. Gajendra’s wonder floods the soul, whispering: In His play of forms, find the Formless, and let love eclipse all illusion.

Verse 9

तस्मै नमः परेशाय ब्रह्मणेsनन्तशक्तये ।
अरूपायोरुरूपाय नम आश्चर्य कर्मणे ॥९॥

Salutations to the Supreme Brahman, endless-powered, formless yet manifold-formed, performer of wondrous deeds. A cascade of namah—each bow a release. Feel the rhythm pulse: From void to vibrant cosmos, His leelas amaze. It invites prostration, heart swelling with the miracle of existence.

Verse 10

नम आत्म प्रदीपाय साक्षिणे परमात्मने ।
नमो गिरां विदूराय मनसश्चेतसामपि ॥१०॥

Salutations to the Self’s Lamp, the Witness Supreme; to Him beyond words, minds, and thoughts. Like a flame illuminating its own darkness, He watches without wavering. This shloka is a hush of reverence, quieting the mind’s chatter to hear His silent presence.

Verse 11

सत्त्वेन प्रतिलभ्याय नैष्कर्म्येण विपश्चिता ।
नमः कैवल्यनाथाय निर्वाणसुखसंविदे ॥११॥

Salutations to the Lord of Liberation, known through purity and selfless wisdom, revealer of nirvana’s bliss. Purity as the key, bliss as the door—Gajendra unlocks heaven’s gate. It breathes serenity, promising the soul’s weary traveler: Rest awaits in His effortless grace.

Verse 12

नमः शान्ताय घोराय मूढाय गुण धर्मिणे ।
निर्विशेषाय साम्याय नमो ज्ञानघनाय च ॥१२॥

Salutations to the Peaceful yet Fierce, the Simple yet Virtued; featureless yet Equipoised, the Cloud of Knowledge. Contrasts blend in divine harmony—fierce protector, gentle guide. The heart dances in this embrace, finding wholeness in His paradoxes.

Verse 13

क्षेत्रज्ञाय नमस्तुभ्यं सर्वाध्यक्षाय साक्षिणे ।
पुरुषायात्ममूलाय मूलप्रकृतये नमः ॥१३॥

Salutations to the Knower of the Field, Overseer and Witness; Primordial Purusha, Root of Self and Prakriti. He who knows our every field of being—oh, the intimacy! It wraps the soul in knowing arms, dissolving separation.

Verse 14

सर्वेन्द्रियगुणद्रष्ट्रे सर्वप्रत्ययहेतवे ।
असताच्छाययोक्ताय सदाभासाय ते नमः ॥१४॥

Salutations to the Seer of all senses’ qualities, Cause of all convictions; wielder of unreal’s shadow, illuminator of the Real. From illusion’s play to truth’s glow—His gaze transforms. Feel the veil thin, light flooding in.

Verse 15

नमो नमस्तेsखिल कारणाय
निष्कारणायाद्भुत कारणाय ।
सर्वागमान्मायमहार्णवाय
नमोपवर्गाय परायणाय ॥१५॥

Repeated namah to the All-Cause, uncaused wonder-cause; Ocean of maya’s waves, Ultimate Refuge and End. Waves crash, yet He is the shore—eternal calm. This crescendo lifts the spirit, waves of peace lapping at the heart.

Verse 16

गुणारणिच्छन्न चिदूष्मपाय
तत्क्षोभविस्फूर्जित मानसाय ।
नैष्कर्म्यभावेन विवर्जितागम-
स्वयंप्रकाशाय नमस्करोमि ॥१६॥

Salutations to the Fire of Consciousness, veiled in qualities’ net yet agitating mind’s sparks; self-luminous, beyond ritual’s grasp. Like embers bursting free, He ignites inner fire. It kindles devotion’s blaze, burning away the ordinary.

Verse 17

मादृक्प्रपन्नपशुपाशविमोक्षणाय
मुक्ताय भूरिकरुणाय नमोsलयाय ।
स्वांशेन सर्वतनुभृन्मनसि प्रतीत–
प्रत्यग्दृशे भगवते बृहते नमस्ते ॥१७॥

Salutations to the Vast Bhagwan, who frees beasts like me from bondage’s noose; boundless mercy, realized in all hearts as inner witness. For creatures like me, drowning in maya’s trap—His karuna descends. Tears well: He, the great liberator, sees our hidden plea.

Verse 18

आत्मात्मजाप्तगृहवित्तजनेषु सक्तै-
र्दुष्प्रापणाय गुणसंगविवर्जिताय ।
मुक्तात्मभिः स्वहृदये परिभाविताय
ज्ञानात्मने भगवते नम ईश्वराय ॥१८॥

Salutations to Ishvara, hard to attain for those attached to self, kin, home, wealth; detached from qualities, contemplated in freed hearts as Knowledge-Self. Amid attachments’ tangle, He shines pure. It aches with longing—break free, and find Him within.

Verse 19

यं धर्मकामार्थविमुक्तिकामा
भजन्त इष्टां गतिमाप्नुवन्ति ।
किं त्वाशिषो रात्यपि देहमव्ययं
करोतु मेsदभ्रदयो विमोक्षणम् ॥१९॥

Those seeking dharma, desire, wealth, or freedom attain their goals by adoring Him. Yet what of endless body or boons? May He grant this sin-stained heart release. A lover’s bold ask—beyond gifts, the soul craves union. It stirs a holy greed for moksha alone.

Verse 20

एकान्तिनो यस्य न कंचनार्थ
वांछन्ति ये वै भगवत्प्रपन्नाः ।
अत्यद्भुतं तच्चरितं सुमंगलम
गायन्त आनन्द समुद्रमग्नाः ॥२०॥

Exclusive devotees crave naught but Him; immersed in bliss-ocean, they sing His wondrous, auspicious tales. Joy’s vast sea engulfs—singing His glories. Imagine the chorus rising, hearts afloat in rapture. It beckons: Dive in, and let song carry you home.

Verse 21

तमक्षरं ब्रह्म परं परेश–
मव्यक्तमाध्यात्मिकयोगगम्यम ।
अतीन्द्रियं सूक्ष्ममिवातिदूर–
मनन्तमाद्यं परिपूर्णमीडे ॥२१॥

I meditate on that Imperishable Brahman, Supreme Ishvara—unmanifest, reached by inner yoga; beyond senses, subtler than subtle, infinitely far yet near, primal and perfect. The pinnacle of praise—vast yet intimate. The soul bows, filled with the fullness of the Infinite.

Verse 22

यस्य ब्रह्मादयो देवा वेदा लोकाश्चराचराः ।
नामरूपविभेदेन फल्ग्व्या च कलया कृताः ॥२२॥

From whom Brahma and gods, Vedas, worlds moving and still arise—mere portions, named and formed in trivial distinctions. All as His fleeting fragments—oh, the grandeur! It humbles, revealing creation’s delicate weave from His singular thread.

Verse 23

यथार्चिषोsग्नेः सवितुर्गभस्तयो
निर्यान्ति संयान्त्यसकृत् स्वरोचिषः ।
तथा यतोsयं गुणसंप्रवाहो
बुद्धिर्मनः खानि शरीरसर्गाः ॥२३॥

As sun’s rays emerge and merge endlessly in its own glow, so from Him flow qualities’ stream—intellect, mind, senses, bodies—returning ever. The cosmic breath inhales, exhales—eternal cycle. Wonder swells: We are but rays, ever one with the Sun.

Verse 24

स वै न देवासुरमर्त्यतिर्यंग
न स्त्री न षण्डो न पुमान न जन्तुः ।
नायं गुणः कर्म न सन्न चासन
निषेधशेषो जयतादशेषः ॥२४॥

He is neither god, demon, human, beast; not woman, eunuch, man, nor creature; no quality, action, being or non-being—victory to the Remainderless Whole! Beyond all labels—pure essence. The mind stills in this vastness, heart triumphant in unity.

Verse 25

जिजीविषे नाहमिहामुया कि–
मन्तर्बहिश्चावृतयेभयोन्या ।
इच्छामि कालेन न यस्य विप्लव–
स्तस्यात्मलोकावरणस्य मोक्षम ॥२५॥

I crave not life here, wrapped in inner-outer fears. I yearn for release to His realm, untouched by time’s flux. Desperation’s peak—a cry for timeless haven. It echoes our own: Beyond survival, the soul hungers for His eternal shore.

Verse 26

सोsहं विश्वसृजं विश्वमविश्वं विश्ववेदसम ।
विश्वात्मानमजं ब्रह्म प्रणतोsस्मि परं पदम् ॥२६॥

To Him, Creator and uncreated world, knower of all Vedas, Soul of souls, unborn Brahman—I prostrate at the Supreme Abode. Full surrender—body, breath, all. The heart collapses in bliss, united at last.

Verse 27

योगरन्धित कर्माणो हृदि योगविभाविते ।
योगिनो यं प्रपश्यन्ति योगेशं तं नतोsस्म्यहम् ॥२७॥

Salutations to the Lord of Yoga, envisioned in yogis’ hearts through disciplined acts; whom they behold within. The inner sanctum calls—yoga’s fruit. It inspires: Cultivate stillness, and glimpse Him smiling from the heart’s core.

Verse 28

नमो नमस्तुभ्यमसह्यवेग-
शक्तित्रयायाखिलधीगुणाय ।
प्रपन्नपालाय दुरन्तशक्तये
कदिन्द्रियाणामनवाप्यवर्त्मने ॥२८॥

Repeated salutations to the Irresistible Power of three forces, repository of all intellect’s virtues; Protector of the surrendered, of unstoppable might, path beyond senses’ grasp. Power tempered by protection—fierce yet fond. The soul trembles in grateful awe.

Verse 29

नायं वेद स्वमात्मानं यच्छ्क्त्याहंधिया हतम् ।
तं दुरत्ययमाहात्म्यं भगवन्तमितोsस्म्यहम् ॥२९॥

He knows not His own Self, struck blind by maya’s power— that unfathomable glory, to Bhagwan I offer myself. Even the Divine veils Himself in love—profound mystery. It deepens devotion: In unknowing, we know enough to love.

Verse 30

श्री शुकदेव उवाच –
एवं गजेन्द्रमुपवर्णितनिर्विशेषं
ब्रह्मादयो विविधलिंगभिदाभिमानाः ।
नैते यदोपससृपुर्निखिलात्मकत्वात
तत्राखिलामरमयो हरिराविरासीत् ॥३०॥

Shukadev continues: Thus Gajendra described the Indescribable; Brahma and others, proud of diverse forms, approached not, knowing His all-encompassing nature. There, Hari of infinite forms appeared. The sages’ humility shines—even they stand back. Joy surges: He comes for the simplest call.

Verse 31

तं तद्वदार्त्तमुपलभ्य जगन्निवासः
स्तोत्रं निशम्य दिविजैः सह संस्तुवद्भि : ।
छन्दोमयेन गरुडेन समुह्यमान –
श्चक्रायुधोsभ्यगमदाशु यतो गजेन्द्रः ॥३१॥

Beholding the anguished one, the World’s Abode heard the hymn with praising celestials. Mounted on verse-woven Garuda, Chakra-armed, He hastened to Gajendra. The descent—wings beating like a heartbeat. Tears flow: His urgency mirrors a parent’s dash to a crying child.

Verse 32

सोsन्तस्सरस्युरुबलेन गृहीत आर्त्तो
दृष्ट्वा गरुत्मति हरिम् ख उपात्तचक्रम ।
उत्क्षिप्य साम्बुजकरं गिरमाह कृच्छा –
नारायणाखिलगुरो भगवन्नमस्ते ॥३२॥

Seized by the lake’s mighty foe, in agony, seeing Garuda-borne Hari with upraised Chakra, Gajendra flung his lotus-trunk and gasped: Narayana, Universal Guru, Bhagwan—namaste! The final breath—praise amid pain. Heart breaks open: In extremis, gratitude blooms eternal.

Verse 33

तं वीक्ष्य पीडितमजः सहसावतीर्य
सग्राहमाशु सरसः कृपयोज्जहार ।
ग्राहाद् विपाटितमुखादरिणा गजेन्द्रं
सम्पश्यतां हरिरमूमुच दुस्त्रियाणाम् ॥३३॥

Seeing the tormented one, the Unborn descended swiftly, drew him from lake and foe with compassion. Tearing the crocodile’s jaws, Hari freed Gajendra before all eyes, releasing both from woe. The tender lift—curse shattered, souls soaring. Bliss overflows: In His arms, all bondage dissolves into boundless love.

As the stotra’s echoes fade like ripples on a sacred lake, let Gajendra’s plea nestle in your heart, dear one. Chant it, and feel Bhagwan’s chariot draw near—your every surrender met with His swift, smiling embrace. In this divine dialogue, we are all Gajendras, forever freed.

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