90-052 'What Surrender Means (SB-08.02.

31-32)' by Radhanath Swami, in

Mumbai

By Radhanath Swami

Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya

Ittham gajendrah sa yadapa sankatam

Pranasya dehi vivaso yadrcchaya

Aarauamm atma vimoksane ciram

Dadhyav imam buddhim athabhyapadyata

When the king of the elephants saw that he was under the clutches of the crocodile
by the will of providence and being embodied and circumstantially helpless, could
not save himself from danger, he was extremely afraid of being killed. He
consequently thought for a long time and finally reached the following decision:

Na ma mime jnataya aturam gajah

Kutah karinyah prabhavanti mocitum

Grahena pasena vidhatur avrto

‘py aham ca tam yami param parayanam

Krishna – the Shelter

The other elephants who are my friends and relatives could not rescue me from this
danger. What then to speak of my wives? They cannot do anything. It is by the
will of providence that I have been attacked by this crocodile and therefore I shall
seek shelter of the supreme personality of Godhead who is always the shelter of
everyone even the great personalities.

Purport by Srila Prabhupad:

Danger at every step

This material world is described as padam padam yad vipadam, which means that
at every step there is danger. A fool wrongly thinks that he is happy in this
material world but in fact he is not, for one who thinks that way is only illusioned.
At every step, at every moment there is danger. In modern civilization one thinks
that he has a nice home and a nice car and his life is perfect. In the western
countries especially in America it is very nice to possess a good car but as soon as
one is on the road there is danger because at any moment an accident may take
place and one would be killed. The record actually shows that so many people die
of such accidents. Therefore if we actually think that this material world is a very
happy place, this is our ignorance. Real knowledge is that this material world is
full of danger. We may struggle for existence as far as our intelligence allows and
may try to take care of ourselves, unless the supreme personality of Godhead –
Krishna, ultimately saves us from danger all our attempts will be useless.

Taking shelter of Krishna

Therefore Prahlad Maharaj says: balase neha saranam pitarau nrsimha, nartasya
cagadam udanvati majjato nauh, taptasya tat pratividhir ya ihanjasestas, tavad
vibho tanu bhrtam tvad-upeksitanam’ We may have done so many ways to be
happy and to counteract the dangers of this material world but unless our attempts
are sanctioned by the supreme personality of Godhead they will never make us
happy. Those who try to be happy without taking shelter of the supreme
personality of Godhead are moodhas or rascals na mam duskritno mudhah
prapadyante naradhamah’ those who are the lowest of men refuse to take Krishna
consciousness because they think that they will be able to protect themselves
without Krsna’s care. This is their mistake. The desertion of the king of elephants –
Gajendra, was correct. In such a dangerous position he sought shelter of the
supreme personality of Godhead.

Description of Trikuta mountain

We are reading this morning from the 8th. Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam which
is describing the beautiful narration of the king of the elephants – Gajendra. It is
described herein that there was a mountain of the name of Trikuta. And the forest
that surrounded this mountain was in all ways the most heavenly place. There was
a garden of the name Rithi math. This garden belonged to Varuna the great
demigod of the waters. And it was a beautiful sporting place for demigods and
beautiful damsels from throughout the universe. This place was full of the most
beautiful auspicious trees which yielded only the most fragrant and beautiful
flowers and the sweetest most luscious fruits. It was also a place where there was
beautiful waterfalls, lakes with crystalline clear waters, and beautiful animals such
as swans & ducks & sweet birds chirping. The song of these birds was most
pleasing to the ears. In this way it was a heavenly atmosphere , & even the most
opulent in our wealth of living beings would come to this place to find satisfaction.

King Gajendra – the elephant taking bath in a lake

Now the king of this great jungle was an elephant of the name Gajendra. And he
was most highly respected, most highly adored by all the creatures of the jungle
.He was considered the leader and no one dared to go against his will. In fact
Gajendra was finding such happiness in his life- such happiness we do not even
know in this world. He had a most beautiful family, he had wonderful children, he
had everything. So one day, & this day appeared to be a most ordinary and typical
day, on this particular day he was enjoying with his family. They decided to go on
picnic, they were traveling through the jungles enjoying each others’ company &
they came to a beautiful lake and there they decided to take a bath to refresh
themselves.

There is danger at every step

Of course we never know what is about to come upon us. That is the nature of this
world, padam padam yad vipadad’ there is danger at every step. Generally it is
the time when we look when we seek enjoyment, that we are most frustrated. We
see as Prahlad maharaj explains ‘if you are not concerned with finding happiness in
this world then you will never be frustrated or disappointed when there is distress’.
In the western world the owl is considered very wise so he is the symbol of
wisdom. So rather than just looking at this owl that has just come in the temple, we
should be concentrating on the wisdom of the Srimad Bhagvatam. This is the
message of the owl.

Equipoise in every situation

If you are not expecting happiness from a particular situation then when the
resources come then there is no reason for distress if you are equal throughout the
environment. Equal means you are not seeking pleasure, then you will not be
frustrated when there is pain, but to the degree you are looking for happiness, to
that degree you must suffer when things do not go according to your desire.

Surrender to God

So the situation of the great elephant Gajendra was he came into this lake thinking
let me enjoy, let me enjoy with my most beloved friends & family members. But
while he was in this lake a very great crocodile came and with his very sharp teeth
captured the foot of the great elephant Gajendra and this crocodile happened to
have himself in a very very strategic position because a crocodile is very powerful
in the water but an elephant is not very powerful in the water. So therefore the
crocodile was able to battle against Gajendra and this battle lasted a long time. But
because there was no food for Gajendra he was getting weaker and weaker and
weaker and the crocodile was getting stronger and stronger and stronger. At that
time Gajendra could understand that despite my being the king of the jungle,
despite my being the wealthiest, the most powerful of all living beings in this land
I cannot save myself from this imminent danger. Despite my great wisdom I
cannot save myself. Although I have a wonderful loving and caring family, a
chaste and faithful wife, obedient children, so many friends so many ministers, in
this situation no one can save me. He came to a crude realization, neither he could
save himself nor anyone around him could save him. So in this desperate
condition, for a materialist, he would be considered completely hopeless.
Materially he was in the most hopeless position. It is a position no one ever wants
to be in this world. It is a position that through out our whole life we try to avoid,
but we understand the spiritual principal that until there is utter hopelessness there
is no hope because a materialist is in a hopeless condition because he thinks there
is hope in his material situation in life. There is no hope in your family members
because they cannot save you at the time of need; there is no hope in your wealth;
there is no hope in your intelligence there is no hope in your wealth or your beauty
or your strength or your position in society. As long as you think that there is
hope in any of these things you are in a hopeless condition. But when you realize
that all these things are not worth a drop of water on a leaf of a lotus flower, they
are so temporary and useless to my real need of life, when you come to that
understanding from the bottom of your heart then there is hope in your life.
Because only then will you turn to Krishna, turn to Krsna with all sincerity . So
Gajendra, he believed in God all his life. He was basically a religious man or
elephant but he never knew what it was really about – surrender to God.

We hear about what it means to surrender, we talk about what it means to

surrender, but how many of us know what it means to surrender. Generally it is
only at times when we are put in a situation like Gajendra that we really understand
what does it mean to surrender. Surrender means to repose all ones dependence on
God. Surrender means even in the most averse and hopeless condition to have
complete faith in the mercy of God. Surrender means to know that Krsna is always
with me, he is within my heart, he is the controller of all controls. Even a blade of
grass cannot move without his sanction. He is the cause of all causes, He is not the
cause of some causes, He is not the cause of what we like, He is the cause of all
causes. Everything is happening under His supervision. The material world is a
direct manifestation in which Lord Sri Krsna is revealing His pastimes for the
enjoyment between Him and his devotees. And this material world that is
described ‘mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa caracaram’ this material nature is
working under my direction.

Krishna promises to protect His devotees

According to the laws of nature Krsna is directing everything around us and

KRSNA promises ‘ kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati’ that I will
always protect My devotees; that I will always look after those persons who turn to
Me; that I will never neglect one who is remembering Me.

Material anxiety / spiritual anxiety

So if we have this faith then what is there to fear, what is the need for anxiety,
what is the need for worry. Anxiety and worry only come about when there is no
faith in God. Of course there is two types of anxiety- there is material anxiety and
spiritual anxiety. Material anxiety is when we are, according to our own sense
perception, feeling a great difficulty in life and we cannot tolerate this difficulty so
it puts us in great anxiety. This is a source of great unhappiness and illusion. But
spiritual anxiety means when we are in anxiety of how to better serve our spiritual
master and Krsna. In other words we are not self centered in our thinking, we are
thinking in terms of how I can better serve and that anxiety is a cause of great bliss,
great happiness. It brings us closer to Krsna. But if we have complete faith in the
lord then material anxiety cannot enter into our life. Why should we wait? If
Krsna is in control then he is always protecting his devotees then any situation in
life is meant for my good & This is the very very essence of the lesson to be learnt
in this beautiful story of Gajendra the elephant. As long as he thought that he was
the controller, that he was the enjoyer, that he was the protector of himself or any
of his loved ones, he was in a hopeless illusion. But in this utterly hopeless
condition, do not think that this hopeless condition only lasted for a few seconds,
he was battling with this great crocodile for many many celestial years. In fact in
his battle with the crocodile, from the very beginning, he was gradually losing
ground. As he was fighting it was becoming, moment by moment, more and more
evident that he was about to die that he could not win. He was imprisoned. He was
put in a predicament that he could not get out. He could not come out of that
water, he could not come out of that crocodiles mouth by any of his own efforts.
So factually Gajendra was being tortured and he was imprisoned for years and
years and years and in that condition he realized that now I am about to die. He
understood what the Bhagvatam says- that all of your friends, all of your society
members, all of your family members they are all fallible soldiers. Soldiers are
meant to protect us, protect us from harm, protect us from pain. And factually that
is why we come into a society to make friends and to have family. We are
expecting these fallible soldiers to protect us from pain. From the pain of
loneliness, from the pain of poverty, from the pain of no facility for sense
enjoyment or prestige. Isn’t it a fact that all of our relationships in this world we
take shelter of, is a means of being relieved from pain in this world. But it is all an
illusion because they are fallible soldiers. When the fight against maya becomes
really intense, none of these fallible soldiers can be of any value or assistance to us.
All they can do is stand by and watch and cry and say ‘we are very sorry, we hate
to see you like this’. But their tears and their best wishes are useless in this
situation of life. Gajendra had no one else to turn to except Krsna . Therefore with
his mighty trunk he gave up the fight against the crocodile. Its not that he gave up
meaning, that he stopped all hope. he understood that the only defense is to utterly
take shelter of Krsna. That is the real beginning of our fight.
A devotee knows that he should not give up the fight, but he knows how to fight
Arjuna, in the Bhagavad Gita you’ll find, before he began the battle he
surrendered to Krsna. He took shelter of Krsna. Then he understood how to fight.
Then it was absolutely certain he would be victorious, not in the worldly sense, but
in the ultimate sense. Krsna told Arjuna “do not care whether you are a success or
a failure, do not care for victory or defeat, if you surrender to me you are
victorious”.

Fear is due to darkness

We are not concerned with what the people of this world think, we are concerned
with whether we achieve the goal of life. So similarly Gajendra, he offered this
beautiful lotus flower to Lord Hari and he began to offer beautiful prayers of
surrender to the Lord, knowing that the Lord will protect me, with full faith, with
full confidence. As soon as he remembered Krsna he was no longer in fear. It is
said that even fear personified is afraid of Krsna. Fear is due to darkness. Darkness
cannot exist in the presence of the sun. So similarly when we remember Krsna
when we depend on Krsna, then all anxiety or fear ceases to exist because the
remembrance of Krsna illuminates our heart.

Remembering Krishna in helpless condition

Actually Gajendra was most fortunate, the only time he was ever really safe in his
life was when he was in the clutches of this crocodiles mouth, because in his
helpless condition of remembering Krsna he was beyond birth and death.
Throughout the rest of his life he was in the clutches of maya’s mouth, thinking I
am the enjoyer, enjoying heavenly comforts, luxuries, beautiful relationships,
having beautiful children, having beautiful wife. Understand in that condition he
was under the clutches of illusion, he was in the most miserable hopeless condition
possible. But when he was stranded in this water with no one to help him and he
was about to be slain and he was fatigued, he was tired, he gave up all hope in
himself and in everybody around him, it was at that time alone that he was really
and truly in a fortunate condition. Because it was only in that situation that he
could repose all of his consciousness at the lotus feet of Sri Krsna. Therefore it was
the most blissful experience in his life. Full confidence that Krsna would protect
him. And in this situation Gajendra began to offer beautiful prayers to the Lord. In
his prayers he is explaining how foolish he had been throughout his entire life to
think that anything or anyone else could save him except Krsna.

For a devotee even a curse becomes benediction

To think that there was anything or anyone else that was of any real value except
Krsna . You see, in Gajendra’s previous life he was a great king of the name
Indradyuna and he had performed much devotional service to Lord Hari and he
had learnt many beautiful prayers, prayers spoken by the previous Acharyas and
although he was cursed, ultimately this curse was a benediction. For a devotee
ultimately everything becomes a benediction. One may think this is a very
sorrowful situation, to be a great king then to be cursed to become an elephant.
But ultimately Krsna knows past, present & future. Krsna puts through the soldiers
curse, it is all Krsna’s arrangement to put this great king in an elephant’s body
knowing that he would be helplessly in the clutches of this crocodile in due course
of time; knowing that this would be the situation that would finally and ultimately
bring him to absolute surrender. It was all Krsna’s plan, it was all Krsna‘s leela .
Anything we do in devotional service Krsna will see and he will never forget.
Devotional service performed is never lost /The greatest gift of God

Similarly in the life of Ajamil when he was young he was a very nice devotee, but
it wasn’t enough, he had to fall down, he had to become the lowest of the low. He
had to be put in a horrible situation of being face to face with the yamadutas,
before he could really and truly understand what it meant to surrender to Krsna and
that’s exactly what he did. Any devotional service that we perform in our life is
never lost. Krsna never forgets it and He is in our hearts, He is directing our
wanderings and He always will direct our wanderings.

Goal of life

So therefore a devotee has this great faith that if I simply attempt to surrender to
Krsna, alternately He will put me in a situation where I must surrender to Him or I
have the complete facility to surrender utterly. Therefore when some such
circumstances come into a great soul’s life, they welcome the opportunity, they are
not so concerned with materially whether I am here or there or whether I am happy
or distressed, they are only concerned with the goal of life, which is to completely
surrender and if this situation gives me the opportunity to completely surrender, I
welcome this as the most auspicious gift of God. This is a very very wonderful
lesson that we must learn how to accept with grateful devotion the gifts of God in
whatever way they come .
Greatest gift of God

The greatest gift of God is when he puts us in a situation where we have no other
alternative but to surrender to him utterly. Of course we always have alternatives
we always have choice, but when Krsna puts us in a situation where we realize that
all of our other alternatives except for Krsna are futile and hopeless and they
cannot save me, that is his greatest benediction. Yasyaham anugrhnami harisye tad
dhanam sanaih tato ‘dhanam tyajanty asya svajana duhkha duhkhitam’ Krsna says
that the first installment of mercy I give to My devotee is I take away everything,
so that the devotee has nothing else to turn to except Me and this is exactly what he
is doing to Gajendra. He is taking away everything, so Gajendra has no where else
to turn to except Krsna. And how much he is turning towards Krsna with such
devotion which such dependence with such helpless feeling, like a baby crying out
for its mother. Gajendra is offering prayers and chanting the names of Lord Hari.

Kirshna’s vow

And we are about to read how Krsna always responds to the call of His devotee.
This is his promise, this is his vow. Krsna is about to descend and with his own
sudarshan chakra sever the head of this crocodile and then He offers the
benediction of pure love to Gajendra and right then and there He takes Gajendra
back to Vaikunta the spiritual world. This is the result of remembering Krsna in the
time of great need. So therefore, we must see how the mercy of Krsna is directing
our life? How he gives us ultimately what we need to advance in Krsna
consciousness. And of course without the example of such great souls turning to
Krsna helplessly in the most desperate times, the common man will never
understand really what it means to surrender.
Surrender really means!

We talk about surrender, we hear about surrender, but do we really know what it
means to surrender. That is why krsna puts the greatest of his devotees in
situations where there is the greatest exhibition of real surrender. Because unless
the great souls teach us by their examples, we will never understand what it really
means, we will never take it seriously. It will go in one ear and out the other . So
how and why Krsna deals with his devotees in such inconceivable ways is the
compassion of Krsna towards the aspiring devotee, compassion and love to show
us the way back home, back to Godhead .

“Any Questions? “

Krishna is our real friend

To the extent they are reminding us of Krsna , they are not different from Krsna, in
the sense that remembering them is remembering Krsna . But to the extent our
relationships with them is based on material attachment , they are fallible. To the
degree they are bringing us closer to Krsna, to that degree they are real friends.
Krsna is the only friend – a friend in need is a friend indeed – Right- this is a
saying in English – a friend in need is a friend indeed.
Crisis reveal everything

You don’t know who your friends are until you are in a crisis . Actually crisis
reveal everything. Nobody knows what is what until a crisis. You don’t know
who you are, you don’t know who your friends are, you don’t know who a good
devotee is, you don’t know who anybody is until there is a crisis. Anyone can
pretend, anyone can be loyal, under circumstances of convenience but when there
is a crisis we understand who is who . So at the crisis of death who is there to
protect you, only Krsna, nobody else is there.

God centered relationships

Therefore Krsna is indeed the only friend we have, and one who is bringing you
closer to Krsna, he is your friend and he is as much your friend as Krsna, because
what is the difference – he is directing you to Krsna, or she is directing you to
Krsna. So therefore that person is as much your friend as Krsna, because there is
no difference. But if our relationship is based on anything outside of sharing and
reciprocating Krsna consciousness, then our only one true friend Krsna is not
present within that relationship. Therefore that person is not in any way, shape or
form,our friend. Therefore in a God centered society, God centered family, God
centered relationships, Krsna is always in the centre . And therefore such
relationships are the most valuable and most precious moments in our life to have
such relationships. That is why it is said that there is nothing so important as
association of devotees . Sadhu sanga, sadhu sanga sarva sastre kaya, lava matra
sadhu sange sarve siddhi haya’; even a moments association with a Sadhu can save
you from all the calamities of life, why? Because a sadhu is bringing you to your
one true friend Krsna. He is the representative of that one true friend Krsna.

Relatinship with Kishna’s soldiers

Rupa Goswami says that the most important principle in making advancement in
spiritual life is the association of devotees, because in that association they learn
how to make friends with Krsna. So when we look for a friend, when we look for a
husband, when we look for a wife, when we look for a god brother, when we look
for someone to reciprocate love with, our only consideration should be, not how
much money this person is going to provide for me, not how much prestige and
security and life for false security this person is going to provide for me, not how
much fun I have with this person, or how much I enjoy the personality of this
person. This is all maya, this is all illusion, this is all simply a distraction from the
goal of life. Our only consideration should be how much we can reciprocate by
helping each other to become better servants of Krsna. How much we can assist
one another in our Krsna consciousness . This is the only consideration a Krsna
conscious person has in any of his dealings with others, intimate dealings.
Everything else besides this, is an illusion. It is maya and will only create a
catastrophe in our life in due course of time. How much this relationship with this
person will improve my service to my spiritual master and Krsna. That is our only
consideration. Then our relationships are not fallible soldiers, but they are Krsna’s
soldiers, they are infallible soldiers.

Any other questions ?

Krishna – the source of all compassion

Every living entity is part and parcel of Krsna. Compassion and love can only, in
truth, be that feeling that divine feeling between the living entity and God. When
we love Krsna, then and only then can we love his parts and parcels. To the degree
we love Krsna to that degree we can be compassionate to His parts and parcels. In
the sense that to the degree we love Krsna to that degree we will become
empowered by Him with compassion. Krsna is the source of all compassion, we
have no power to be compassionate, but as we become purified the compassion of
God can manifest through us for the benefit of others.

Thank you very much.

In this chapter, the prayers by Gajendra, the King of the elephants, are described. It appears that
the King of the elephants was formerly a human being known as Indradyumna and that he
learned a prayer to the Supreme Lord. Fortunately he remembered that prayer and began to chant
it to himself. First he offered his respectful obeisances to the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
and because of his awkward position in having been attacked by the crocodile, he expressed his
inability to recite prayers nicely. Nonetheless, he tried to chant the mantra and expressed himself
in appropriate words as follows.
(Srimad Bhagavatam------8:3-------summary).

"The self-effulgent material form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is adored by

nondevotees, His impersonal form is adored by those advanced in spiritual knowledge, and His
feature as the localized Supersoul is appreciated by yogīs. But His original form as a person is
understood only by devotees. That Supreme Personality of Godhead is competent to dissipate the
darkness of the conditioned soul through His instructions in Bhagavad-gītā. He is the ocean of
transcendental qualities and can be understood only by liberated persons freed from the bodily
concept of life. By His causeless mercy, the Lord can rescue the conditioned soul from the
material clutches and enable him to return home, back to Godhead, to become His personal
associate. Nonetheless, a pure devotee does not aspire to go back to Godhead; he is simply
satisfied with executing his service in this material world. A pure devotee does not ask anything
from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His only prayer is to be freed from the material
conception of life and to be engaged in the Lord's transcendental loving service."
In this way the King of the elephants, Gajendra, offered prayers directly to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, without mistaking Him for one of the demigods. None of the demigods
came to see him, not even Brahmā or Śiva. Rather, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Nārāyaṇa, seated on Garuḍa, personally appeared before him. Gajendra, by lifting his trunk,
offered obeisances to the Lord, and the Lord immediately pulled him from the water along with
the crocodile who had captured his leg. Then the Lord killed the crocodile and thus rescued
Gajendra.
(Srimad Bhagavatam------8:3-------summary).

Also in this manvantara, the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, took birth from the womb of Hariṇī, the wife
of Harimedhā, and He was known as Hari. Hari saved His devotee Gajendra, the King of the
elephants, from the mouth of a crocodile.
(Srimad Bhagavatam------8:1:30------translation).

Thereafter, seeing Gajendra in that grave condition, his wives felt very, very sorry and began to
cry. The other elephants wanted to helpGajendra, but because of the crocodile's great strength,
they could not rescue him by grasping him from behind.
(Srimad Bhagavatam------8:2:28------translation).

Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Thereafter, the King of the elephants, Gajendra, fixed his
mind in his heart with perfect intelligence and chanted a mantra which he had learned in his
previous birth as Indradyumna and which he remembered by the grace of Kṛṣṇa.
Such remembrance is described in Bhagavad-gītā (6.43-44):

tatra taṁ buddhi-saṁyogaṁ

labhate paurva-dehikam
yatate ca tato bhūyaḥ
saṁsiddhau kuru-nandana
pūrvābhyāsena tenaiva
hriyate hy avaśo 'pi saḥ
In these verses it is assured that even if a person engaged in devotional service falls down, he is
not degraded, but is placed in a position in which he will in due course of time remember the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. As explained later, Gajendra was formerly King Indradyumna,
and somehow or other in his next life he became King of the elephants. Now Gajendrawas in
danger, and although he was in a body other than that of a human being, he remembered the
stotra he had chanted in his previous life. Yatate ca tato bhūyaḥ saṁsiddhau kuru-nandana. To
enable one to achieve perfection, Kṛṣṇa gives one the chance to remember Him again. This is
proved here, for although the King of the elephants, Gajendra, was put in danger, this was a
chance for him to remember his previous devotional activities so that he could immediately be
rescued by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
(Srimad Bhagavatam------8:3:1------translation and purport).

"One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa favorably and
without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation.
That is called pure devotional service." Unalloyed devotees have nothing to ask from the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, but Gajendra, the King of the elephants, was circumstantially
asking for an immediate benediction because he had no other way to be rescued. Sometimes,
when there is no alternative, a pure devotee, being fully dependent on the mercy of the Supreme
Lord, prays for some benediction. But in such a prayer there is also regret. One who always hears
and chants about the transcendental pastimes of the Lord is always situated on a platform on
which he has nothing to ask in terms of material benefits. Unless one is a completely pure
devotee, one cannot enjoy the transcendental bliss derived from chanting and dancing in the
ecstasy of the saṅkīrtana movement. Such ecstasy is not possible for an ordinary devotee. Lord
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu showed us how one can enjoy transcendental bliss simply by chanting,
hearing and dancing in ecstasy. This is bhakti-yoga. Therefore the King of the elephants,
Gajendra, said, ādhyātmika-yoga-gamyam, indicating that unless one is situated on this
transcendental platform, one cannot approach the Supreme Lord. The benediction of being able
to approach the Lord can be achieved after many, many births, yet Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has
awarded this benediction to everyone, even to the fallen souls who have no heritage of anything
in spiritual life. That is actually being seen in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Therefore the
path of bhakti-yoga is the spotless process by which to approach the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Bhaktyāham ekayā grāhyaḥ: only through devotional service can one approach the
Supreme Lord.
(Srimad Bhagavatam------8:3:20-21------purport).

Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: When the King of the elephants was describing the supreme
authority, without mentioning any particular person, he did not invoke the demigods, headed by
Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, Indra and Candra. Thus none of them approached him. However,
because Lord Hari is the Supersoul, Puruṣottama, the Personality of Godhead, He appeared
before Gajendra.
From the description of Gajendra, he apparently was aiming at the supreme authority although he
did not know who the supreme authority is. He conjectured, "There is a supreme authority who is
above everything." Under the circumstances, the Lord's various expansions, such as Lord
Brahmā, Lord Śiva, Candra and Indra, all thought, "Gajendra is not asking our help. He is asking
the help of the Supreme, who is above all of us." As Gajendra has described, the Supreme Lord
has various parts and parcels, including the demigods, human beings and animals, all covered by
separate forms. Although the demigods are in charge of maintaining different aspects of the
universe, Gajendra thought that they were unable to rescue him.
(Srimad Bhagavatam------8:3:30------translation and purport).

After understanding the awkward condition of Gajendra, who had offered his prayers, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, who lives everywhere, appeared with the demigods, who
were offering prayers to Him. Carrying His disc and other weapons, He appeared there on the
back of His carrier, Garuḍa, with great speed, according to His desire. Thus He appeared before
Gajendra.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura specifically hints that since Gajendra was in such a difficult
position and was praying for the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the demigods,
who could have immediately gone to his rescue, hesitated to go there. Since they considered
Gajendra's prayer to be directed toward the Lord, they felt offended, and this in itself was
offensive. Consequently, when the Lord went there, they also went and offered prayers to the
Lord so that their offense might be excused.
(Srimad Bhagavatam------8:3:31------translation and purport).
Gajendra had been forcefully captured by the crocodile in the water and was feeling acute pain,
but when he saw that Nārāyaṇa, wielding His disc, was coming in the sky on the back of Garuḍa,
he immediately took a lotus flower in his trunk, and with great difficulty due to his painful
condition, he uttered the following words: "O my Lord, Nārāyaṇa, master of the universe, O
Supreme Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You."
The King of the elephants was so very eager to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead that
when he saw the Lord coming in the sky, with great pain and in a feeble voice he offered respect
to the Lord. A devotee does not consider a dangerous position to be dangerous, for in such a
dangerous position he can fervently pray to the Lord in great ecstasy. Thus a devotee regards
danger as a good opportunity. Tat te'nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇaḥ. When a devotee is in great
danger, he sees that danger to be the great mercy of the Lord because it is an opportunity to think
of the Lord very sincerely and with undiverted attention. Tat te 'nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇo
bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam (S.B.10:14:8). He does not accuse the Supreme Personality of
Godhead for having let His devotee fall into such a dangerous condition. Rather, he considers
that dangerous condition to be due to his past misdeeds and takes it as an opportunity to pray to
the Lord and offer thanks for having been given such an opportunity. When a devotee lives in
this way, his salvation—his going back home, back to Godhead—is guaranteed. We can see this
to be true from the example of Gajendra, who anxiously prayed to the Lord and thus received an
immediate chance to return home, back to Godhead.
(Srimad Bhagavatam------8:3:32------translation and purport).

This Fourth Chapter describes the previous birth of Gajendra and the crocodile. It tells how the
crocodile became a Gandharva and how Gajendra became an associate of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.
There was a king on the Gandharva planet whose name was Hūhū. Once this King Hūhū was
enjoying with women in the water, and while enjoying he pulled the leg of Devala Ṛṣi, who was
also taking a bath in the water. Upon this, the sage became very angry and immediately cursed
him to become a crocodile. King Hūhū was very sorry when cursed in that way, and he begged
pardon from the sage, who in compassion gave him the benediction that he would be freed when
Gajendra was delivered by the Personality of Godhead. Thus the crocodile was delivered when
killed by Nārāyaṇa.
When Gajendra, by the mercy of the Lord, became one of the Lord's associates in Vaikuṇṭha, he
got four hands. This achievement is called sārūpya-mukti, or the liberation of receiving a
spiritual body exactly like that of Nārāyaṇa. Gajendra, in his previous birth, had been a great
devotee of Lord Viṣṇu. His name was Indradyumna, and he was the King of the Tāmila country.
Following the Vedic principles, this King retired from family life and constructed a small cottage
in the Malayācala Hills, where he always worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead in
silence. Agastya Ṛṣi, along with many disciples, once approached King Indradyumna's āśrama,
but because the King was meditating on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he could not
receive Agastya Ṛṣi properly. Thus the ṛṣi became very angry and cursed the King to become a
dull elephant. In accordance with this curse, the King was born as an elephant, and he forgot all
about his previous activities in devotional service. Nonetheless, in his birth as an elephant, when
he was dangerously attacked by the crocodile, he remembered his past life in devotional service
and remembered a prayer he had learned in that life. Because of this prayer, he again received
the mercy of the Lord. Thus he was immediately delivered, and he became one of the Lord's
four-handed associates.

Śukadeva Gosvāmī ends this chapter by describing the good fortune of the elephant. Śukadeva
Gosvāmī says that by hearing the narration of Gajendra's deliverance, one can also get the
opportunity to be delivered. Śukadeva Gosvāmī vividly describes this, and thus the chapter ends.
(Srimad Bhagavatam------8:4-------summary).

Because Gajendra, King of the elephants, had been touched directly by the hands of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, he was immediately freed of all material ignorance and bondage. Thus
he received the salvation of sārūpya-mukti, in which he achieved the same bodily features as the
Lord, being dressed in yellow garments and possessing four hands.
If one is favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead by having his gross body touched by
the Lord, his body turns into a spiritual body, and he can go back home, back to
Godhead.Gajendra assumed a spiritual body when his body was touched by the Lord. Similarly,
Dhruva Mahārāja assumed his spiritual body in this way. Arcanā-paddhati, daily worship of the
Deity, provides an opportunity to touch the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and
thus it enables one to be fortunate enough to get a spiritual body and go back to Godhead. Not
only by touching the body of the Supreme Lord, but simply by hearing about His pastimes,
chanting His glories, touching His feet and offering worship—in other words, by serving the
Lord somehow or other—one is purified of material contamination. This is the result of touching
the Supreme Lord. One who is a pure devotee (anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu
1.1.11)), who acts according to the śāstra and the words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
certainly becomes purified. Like Gajendra, he assumes a spiritual body and returns home, back
to Godhead.

(Srimad Bhagavatam------8:4:6------translation and purport).

  Gajendra moksana - 
The Liberation of Gajendra

Gajendra moksana - The Liberation of Gajendra

Gajendra Moksham is one of the most famous exploits of Vishnu in Srimad Bhagavatam. A
recitation of this episode early in the morning has great immortal powers like the recitation of the
sacred hymn Sri Vishnu Sahasranama. There is no disaster from which, the mighty and the
compassionate Lord would not protect the devotees, that with faith and devotion remember His feet
as their refuge.
  

The Elephant and the Crocodile

Once a lordly elephant, leader of a herd, inhabiting that mountainous

forest, roamed with his retinue of female ones, breaking through trees,
bamboo clusters and clumps of cane. By the mere odour of animal, even
lions and tigers not to talk of the elephants, hyenas, rhinos, pythons,
sarabhas, yaks, wolves, boars, bisons, bears, porcupines, baboons,
jackals, monkeys, all ran away in fear, while the weaker ones like the
deer and the hares moved about joyously by the protective presence of
that very animal. (20-22).

Oppressed by the heat of summer, dripping ichor and swarmed by bees

settled on it for its sheer taste, tormented by thirst, accompanied by the
whole herd of bull and female elephants and the young ones, almost
causing tremors in the mountain by their weight, he smelt from afar the
lotus pollen-filled breeze on the lake, and with
eyes tremulous in a state of rut, speedily approached the vicinity of the
lake. (23-24). Plunging into it, he drank to his heart's content the
immaculate, sweet ambrosial water, flavoured by the pollen of the golden
lotuses, lilies, sucking it with his trunk and freely showering on himself,
and with his fatigue gone, equally offering mouthfuls and a liberal
sprinkle of bath to his retinue of cubs and female elephants like a loving
householder, unaware in his self importance of impending peril (25-26).

There, Oh king! as ill luck would have it, a powerful crocodile fiercely
caught his leg, and the elephant, accidentally so caught unaware, himself
of immense strength, accordingly tugged his best. The cow - elephant and
other chicken hearted ones seeing their leader in distress, just pulled
forcibly, trumpeted in sorrow, unable to extricate him by pulling him holding from the rear. (27-
28).

As the noble elephant and the crocodile so fought one pulling in and the other out, a thousand years
elapsed, both yet alive and alert to the amazement of even the celestials (29).

Then by the long passage of time the strength of the elephant both mental and physical as well as
his energy slowly ebbed; and as the strength of the one pulled into the water diminished, that of the
aquatic animal increased. Thus when the elephant was in a sad situation and despaired of his life,
unable ever so long to free himself, thought of an idea. Those of my ilk cannot save me, how can
the female ones help? Caught by the noose of Providence in the shape of the crocodile I shall seek
Him the ultimate refuge. I seek refuge of the Lord that protects the scared seeking His refuge, for
refuge from the powerful serpent of Death that pursues ever so swiftly, but yet itself runs away in
utter fear of the Lord. (30-33).

Here ends the second chapter

The Lord Frees the Tusker

Sri Suka Spoke: Having so resolved and with his mind at ease the
elephant repeated the most noble prayers he had learned in a previous
birth. (1)

The Lord of elephants uttered:

(Note : The text of Srimad Bhagavatam here gives one of the most
magnificent hymns addressed to Vishnu as the Supreme one, the
Almighty who is extolled in multiform in the Upanishads, Ithihasas and
in the various Puranas. Hence the relevant Sanskrit slokas are also
given here, with the English translation).

Gajendra's Prayers of Surrender to Lord Vishnu

shri-ganjendra uvacha
om namo bhagavate tasmai
yata etac chid-atmakam
purushayadi-bijaya
 pareshayabhidhimahi
 
Gajendra said: I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Person, Vasudeva [om namo
bhagavate vasudevaya]. Because of Him this material body acts due to the presence of spirit, and
He is therefore the root cause of everyone. He is worshipable for such exalted persons as Brahma
and Shiva, and He has entered the heart of every living being. Let me meditate upon Him. (Srimad-
Bhagavatam 8.3.2)

yasminn idam yatash chedam

yenedam ya idam svayam
yo 'smat parasmach cha paras
tam prapadye svayambhuvam
 
The Supreme Godhead is the supreme platform on which everything rests, the ingredient by which
everything has been produced, and the person who has created and is the only cause of this cosmic
manifestation. Nonetheless, He is different from the cause and the result. I surrender unto Him, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is self-sufficient in everything. (8.3.3)

yah svatmanidam nija-mayayarpitam

kvachid vibhatam kva cha tat tirohitam
aviddha-drik sakshy ubhayam tad ikshate
sa atma-mula 'vatu mam parat-paraha
 
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, by expanding His own energy, keeps this cosmic
manifestation visible and again sometimes renders it invisible. He is both the supreme cause and
the supreme result, the observer and the witness, in all circumstances. Thus He is transcendental to
everything. May that Supreme Personality of Godhead give me protection. (8.3.4)

kalena pancatvam iteshu kritsnasho

lokeshu paleshu cha sarva-hetushu
tamas tadasid gahanam gabhiram
yas tasya pare 'bhivirajate vibhuhu
 
In due course of time, when all the causative and effective manifestations of the universe, including
the planets and their directors and maintainers, are annihilated, there is a situation of dense
darkness. Above this darkness, however, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I take shelter of
His lotus feet. (8.3.5)
 na yasya deva rishayah padam vidur
jantuh punah ko 'rhati gantum iritum
yatha natasyakritibhir vicheshtato
duratyayanukramanah sa mavatu
 
An artist onstage, being covered by attractive dresses and dancing with different movements, is not
understood by his audience; similarly, the activities and features of the Supreme Artist cannot be
understood even by the demigods or great sages, and certainly not by those who are unintelligent
like animals. Neither the demigods and sages nor the unintelligent can understand the features of
the Lord, nor can they express in words His actual position. May that Supreme Personality of
Godhead give me protection. (8.3.6)

didrikshavo yasya padam sumangalam

vimukta-sanga munayah susadhavaha
charanty aloka-vratam avranam vane
bhutatma-bhutah suhridah sa me gatihi
 
Renunciants and great sages who see all living beings equally, who are friendly to everyone and
who flawlessly practice in the forest the vows of brahmacarya [celibate student], vanaprastha
[retired] and sannyasa [renunciation] desire to see the all-auspicious lotus feet of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. May that same Supreme Personality of Godhead be my destination. (8.3.7)

na vidyate yasya cha janma karma va

na nama-rupe guna-dosha eva va
tathapi lokapyaya-sambhavaya yaha
sva-mayaya tany anukalam ricchati
 
tasmai namah pareshaya
brahmane 'nanta-shaktaye
arupayoru-rupaya
nama ashcarya-karmane
 
The Supreme Personality of Godhead has no material birth, activities, name, form, qualities or
faults. To fulfill the purpose for which this material world is created and destroyed, He comes in
the form of a human being like Lord Rama or Lord Krishna by His original internal potency. He
has immense potency, and in various forms, all free from material contamination, He acts
wonderfully. He is therefore the Supreme Brahman. I offer my respects to Him. (8.3.8-9)

nama atma-pradipaya
 sakshine paramatmane
namo giram viduraya
manasash chetasam api
 
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the self-effulgent
Supersoul, who is the witness in everyone's heart, who enlightens the individual soul and who
cannot be reached by exercises of the mind, words or consciousness. (8.3.10)

sattveno pratilabhyaya
naishkarmyena vipashcita
namah kaivalya-nathaya
nirvana-sukha-samvide
 
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is realized by pure devotees who act in the transcendental
existence of bhakti-yoga. He is the bestower of uncontaminated happiness and is the master of the
transcendental world. Therefore I offer my respects unto Him. (8.3.11)

namah shantaya ghoraya

mudhaya guna-dharmine
nirvisheshaya samyaya
namo jnana-ghanaya cha
 
I offer my respectful obeisances to Lord Vasudev, who is all-pervading, to the Lord's fierce form as
Lord Nrisimhadeva, to the Lord's form as an animal [Lord Varahadeva], to Lord Dattatreya, who
preached impersonalism, to Lord Buddha, and to all the other incarnations. I offer my respectful
obeisances unto the Lord, who has no material qualities but who accepts the three qualities of
goodness, passion and ignorance within this material world. I also offer my respectful obeisances
unto the impersonal Brahman effulgence. (8.3.12)

ksetra-jnaya namas tubhyam

sarvadhyakshaya sakshine
purushayatma-mulaya
mula-prakritaye namaha
 
I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto You, who are the Supersoul, the superintendent of
everything, and the witness of all that occurs. You are the Supreme Person, the origin of material
nature and of the total material energy. You are also the owner of the material body. Therefore,
You are the supreme complete. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. (8.3.13)
 sarvendriya-guna-drashtre
sarva-pratyaya-hetave
asata cchayayoktaya
sad-abhasaya te namaha
 
My Lord, You are the observer of all the objectives of the senses. Without Your mercy, there is no
possibility of solving the problem of doubts. The material world is just like a shadow resembling
You. Indeed, one accepts this material world as real because it gives a glimpse of Your existence.
(8.3.14)

namo namas te 'khila-karanaya

nishkaranayadbhuta-karanaya
sarvagamamnaya-maharnavaya
namo 'pavargaya parayanaya
 
My Lord, You are the cause of all causes, but You Yourself have no causes. Therefore You are the
wonderful cause of everything. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You, who are the shelter of
the Vedic knowledge contained in the shastras like the Pancharatras and Vedanta-sutra, which are
Your representations, and who are the source of the parampara system. Because it is You who can
give liberation, You are the only shelter for all transcendentalists. Let me offer my respectful
obeisances unto You. (8.3.15)

gunarani-cchanna-chid-ushmapaya
tat-kshobha-visphurjita-manasaya
naishkarmya-bhavena vivarjitagama
svayam-prakashaya namas karomi
 
My Lord, as the fire in arani wood is covered, You and Your unlimited knowledge are covered by
the material modes of nature. Your mind, however, is not attentive to the activities of the modes of
nature. Those who are advanced in spiritual knowledge are not subject to the regulative principles
directed in the Vedic literature. Because such advanced souls are transcendental, You personally
appear in their pure minds. Therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. (8.3.16)

madrik prapanna-pashu-pashu-vimokshanaya
muktaya bhuri-karunaya namo 'layaya
svamshena sarva-tanu-bhrin-manasi pratita-
pratyag-drishe bhagavate brihate namaste
 
Since an animal such as I has surrendered unto You, who are supremely liberated, certainly You
will release me from this dangerous position. Indeed, being extremely merciful, You incessantly try
to deliver me. By Your partial feature as Paramatma, You are situated in the hearts of all embodied
beings. You are celebrated as direct transcendental knowledge, and You are unlimited. I offer my
respectful obeisances unto You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (8.3.17)

atmatma-japti-griha-vitta-janeshu saktair
dushprapanaya guna-sanga-vivarjitaya
muktatmabhih sva-hridaya paribhavitaya
jnanatmane bhagavate nama ishvaraya
 
My Lord, those who are completely freed from material contamination always meditate upon You
within the cores of their hearts. You are extremely difficult to attain for those like me who are too
attached to mental concoction, home, relatives, friends, money, servants and assistants. You are the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, uncontaminated by the modes of nature. You are the reservoir of
all enlightenment, the supreme controller. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto You.
(8.3.18)

yam dharma-kamartha-vimukti-kama
bhajanta ishtam gatim apnuvanti
kim chashisho raty api deham avyayam
karotu me 'dabhra-dayo vimokshanam
 
After worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, those who are interested in the four
principles of religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation obtain from Him
what they desire. What then is to be said of other benedictions? Indeed, sometimes the Lord gives a
spiritual body to such ambitious worshipers. May that Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is
unlimitedly merciful, bestow upon me the benediction of liberation from this present danger and
from the materialistic way of life. (8.3.19)

ekantino yasya na kanchanartham

vanchanti ye vai bhagavat-prapannaha
aty-adbhutam tach-charitam sumangalam
gayanta ananda-samudra-magnaha
 
tam aksharam brahma param paresham
avyaktam adhyatmika-yoga-gamyam
atindriyam sukshmam ivatiduram
anantam adyam paripurnam ide
  
Unalloyed devotees, who have no desire other than to serve the Lord, worship Him in full surrender
and always hear and chant about His activities, which are most wonderful and auspicious. Thus
they always merge in an ocean of transcendental bliss. Such devotees never ask the Lord for any
benediction. I, however, am in danger. Thus I pray to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is
eternally existing, who is invisible, who is the Lord of all great personalities, such as Brahma, and
who is available only by transcendental bhakti-yoga. Being extremely subtle, He is beyond the
reach of my senses and transcendental to all external realization. He is unlimited, He is the original
cause, and He is completely full in everything. I offer my obeisances unto Him. (8.3.20-21)

yasya bramadayo deva

veda lokash characharaha
nama-rupa-vibhedena
phalgvya cha kalaya kritaha
 
yatharchisho 'gneh savitur gabhastayo
niryanti samyanty asakrit sva-rochishaha
tatha yato 'yam guna-sampravaho
buddhir manah khani sharira-sargaha
 
sa vai na devasura-martya-tiryan
na stri na sandho na puman na jantuhu
nayam gunah karma na san na casan
nishedha-shesho jayatad ashesaha
 
The Supreme Personality of Godhead creates His minor parts and parcels, the jiva-tattva, beginning
with Lord Brahma, the demigods and the expansions of Vedic knowledge [Sama, Rig, Yajur and
Atharva Vedas] and including all other living entities, moving and nonmoving, with their different
names and characteristics. As the sparks of a fire or the shining rays of the sun emanate from their
source and merge into it again and again, the mind, the intelligence, the senses, the gross and subtle
material bodies, and the continuous transformations of the different modes of nature all emanate
from the Lord and again merge into Him. He is neither demigod nor demon, neither human nor bird
nor beast. He is not woman, man or neuter, nor is He an animal. He is not a material quality, a
fruitive activity, a manifestation or nonmanifestation. He is the last word in the discrimination of
"not this, or not that," and He is unlimited. All glories to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
(8.3.22-24)

jijivishe naham ihamuya kim

antar bahish chavritayebha-yonya
 icchami kalena na yasya viplavas
tasyatma-lokavaranasya moksham
 
I do not wish to live anymore after I am released from the attack of the crocodile. What is the use of
an elephant's body covered externally and internally by ignorance? I simply desire eternal liberation
from the covering of ignorance. That covering is not destroyed by the influence of time. (8.3.25)

so 'ham vishva-srijam vishvam

avishvan vishva-vedasam
vishvatmanam ajam brahma
pranato 'smi param padam
 
Now, fully desiring release from material life, I offer my respectful obeisances unto that Supreme
Person who is the creator of the universe, who is Himself the form of the universe and who is
nonetheless transcendental to this cosmic manifestation. He is the supreme knower of everything in
this world, the Supersoul of the universe. He is the unborn, supremely situated Lord. I offer my
respectful obeisances unto Him. (8.3.26)

yoga-randhita-karmano
hridi yoga-vibhavite
yogino yam prapashyanti
yogesham tam nato 'smy aham
 
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme, the Supersoul, the master of all mystic yoga,
who is seen in the core of the heart by perfect mystics when they are completely purified and freed
from the reactions of fruitive activity by practicing bhakti-yoga. (8.3.27)

namo namas tubhyam asahya-vega-

shakti-trayayakhila-dhi-gunaya
prapanna-palaya duranta-shaktaye
kad-indriyanam anavapya-vartmane
 
My Lord, You are the controller of formidable strength in three kinds of energy. You appear as the
reservoir of all sense pleasure and the protector of the surrendered souls. You possess unlimited
energy, but You are unapproachable by those who are unable to control their senses. I offer my
respectful obeisances unto You again and again. (8.3.28)

nayam veda svam atmanam

 yach-chaktyaham-dhiya hatam
tam duratyaya-mahatmyam
bhagavantam ito 'smy aham
 
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by whose illusory
energy the jiva [individual spirit soul], who is part and parcel of God, forgets his real identity
because of the bodily concept of life. I take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose
glories are difficult to understand. (8.3.29)

[The Lord now replies to Gajendra]

ye mam stuvanty anenanga
pratibudhya nishatyaye
tesham pranatyaye chaham
dadami vipulam gatim
 
"My dear devotee, unto those who rise from bed at the end of night and offer Me the prayers
offered by you, I give an eternal residence in the spiritual world at the end of their lives." (8.4.25)