Chapter 3 - The Liberation of the Mighty Elephant

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Śuka said:

1. Having thus decided by force of his reason and concentrated his mind within (the region of) his heart, he began to repeat mentally the (following) prayer which he learnt by heart in his previous birth (as Indradyumna).^[1]

The Lord of Elephants Prayed:

2. (Due to my leg being caught by the alligator) I can but mentally offer my salutations to the glorious Lord denoted by the sacred syllable OM—the Lord who is the source of animation to all this intelligent (and non-intelligent) cṛeation, who enters all bodies as their cause both as Prakṛti and Puruṣa and who is the Supreme Lord of all (including great gods like Brahmā).

3. I seek asylum unto the Self-created Being in whom this universe exists and from whom as the natural course, it is evolved and by whose instrumentality it is brought about and who constitutes the universe itself,^[2] but who is totally different from and transcendental to this phenomenal existence (the effect) as well as its cause (Prakṛti).

4. May the self-illuminating Lord protect me—the Lord who is beyond revealing agencies (such as the eyes etc.) as their illuminator; Who as a disinterested witness, observes with his unobstructed vision, both the cause and the effect, this universe superimposed on him by his deluding potency (Māyā) both in its occasional manifested form (at the time of the creation) and the occasional unmanifested form at the time of destruction).

5.^[3] When, due to the force of time (the period of two parārdhas, the life-period of Brahmā), all the (fourteen) worlds along with their guardian deities are reduced to the state of five gross elements (of which they are constituted and when all the causes (viz. the principles such as the Mahat, ahaṃkāra upto gross elements) become dissolved (into Prakṛti or Primordial matter), there prevailed (nothing but) profound incomprehensible and unfathomable darkness (called Prakṛti. May that Omnipresent Lord who through its Prakṛti’s substratum) is not affected by it and who sheds his lustre all round (even beyond that darkness) protect me.

6. Not even gods and sages (with all the predominance of Sattva guṇa) could comprehend his real nature. How is it possible for a creature (like me dominated by rajas and tamas) to understand and describe it? (To gods, sages and us) his nature and course of conduct is difficult to understand and describe, like the real identity of an actor playing different roles to an ordinary spectator. May he rescue me.

7. My asylum is that Lord for the realization of whose most auspicious nature, the exceedingly pious contemplative sages, have given up all attachment (to their wives, children and also to objects of senses like sound, fragrance etc.) and having identified their Self with the Self of all beings and thus being benevolently disposed to all, perform in a faultless manner extraordinary austerities (such as Brahmacarya—celibacy and others) in the forests.

8. The Lord is not conditioned by birth (as a consequence of past actions). He has no Karma—(bondage), no name or form (as a result of past Karmas as in the Case of ordinary beings). However, for the sake of creation and destruction of the world, he assumes them from time to time by his Māyā-Potency (or will Power).

9. I bow again and again to that Supreme Lord, the Brahman of infinite potencies, Who, (though) devoid of forms, possesses innumerable forms and performs miraculous activities.

10. I pay obeisance to the Lord who is self-luminous (and as such requires no other light to reveal him); who is the witness (and hence the revealer) of all; and the controller of all beings; I bow to him who is absolutely beyond the ken of speech, mind and its powers.

11. Salutations to him who can be realized by the wise, through purity of the mind developed by cessation (of activities or dedication to the Lord) of Karmas, (and by observance of nivṛtti (dharma characterised by devotion); Who is the Lord (and hence the bestower) of Mokṣa and who is the blissfulness of the final beatitude incarnate.

12.^[4] I bow to him who assumes the (three) attributes sattva, rajas and tamas, and appears as serene, terrible, and immersed in ignorance; who is devoid of differentiating characteristics, equal to ail, and an embodiment of pure consciousness.

13.^[5] I bow to you who are the controller of all, the only knower of the psycho-physical organism (called kṣetra), a witness (to everything). You are the source of all Jīvas, and even that of Prakṛti (the primordial cause) as you exist before all.

14. I pay my obeisance to you, who perceive all senses along with their objects; who are indicated (as the basis) by all cognitive activities; whose existence is suggested by the shadowy, unreal phenomenal existence (ahaṃkāra and other principles) like that of a material body by its reflection, as it is you who are reflected in every phenomenon.

15. I bow again and again to you who are the cause of everything, but yourself are without a cause; who are the wondrous cause (inasmuch as you produce the effect—viz. assuming the form of the world—without undergoing any change in you); who are the great ocean wherein all Āgamas (like the pañcarātra) and the Vedas meet (and are directed to you); who are the embodiment of Mokṣa (Liberation) and (hence) the ultimate resort of the great.

16.^[6] I salute to you who are the fire of knowledge and consciousness lying hidden in the Araṇī (the pieces of wood for kindling sacrificial fire by friction) in the form of guṇas; whose will (to create the universe) manifests itself through the commotion (caused by the disturbance in the equilibrium) of guṇas; who, out of your own will, reveal yourself to those who, (through the renunciation of Karmas or dedication of Karmas to God), meditate on the true (nature of the) soul and have risen above the prescriptions and prohibitions enjoined by Āgamas.

[Bhāgavata Candrikā interprets:]

Salutations to you who (at the time of the destruction of the universe) have drunk up (withdrawn within you) the fire of the aggregate of all jīvas lying hidden in the Prakṛti (constituted of three guṇas); whose will to create begins to function (at the time of the creation of the world) leading to the commotion in Prakṛti and jīvas; who grants Liberation (Mokṣa) to his votaries; whose being beyond the comprehension of speech and mind, stands self-revealed.

17. Hail to you who are yourself not only eternally free, but who, out of boundless grace, promptly^[7] (without any idleness in such matters) and absolutely severe the bonds of Avidyā or Saṃsāra which have fettered creatures like me, (now) completely submitted to your mercy. I bow to you who, by a part of your being, exist in all embodied beings as their inner controller^[8] and are capable of directing them all, even though you are infinite (and spatially unlimited)

18. Bow to you who (though the inner controller of all beings) are difficult to be attained by persons who are attached to their bodies, sons, kinsmen, household, wealth and people, as you are devoid of any association with guṇas. You are constantly meditated upon in their hearts by souls unattached to their bodies, etc. I bow to you who are an embodiment of pure knowledge, the most omnipotent Ruler of all.

19. May the Lord of infinite mercy (at least) rescue me (from the clutches of the alligator or Saṃsāra)—The Lord, by worshipping whom persons desirous of religious merits, sensual objects, affluence, wealth or Liberation (from saṃsāra), gain not only their coveted goal but also have other unexpected blessings and undeteriorating (divine) body conferred upon them.

20. His votaries of unflinching constant devotion and even those who have taken refuge with the Lord (or His devotees full of spiritual wisdom) do not seek any boon (from him), but are immersed in the ocean of bliss, while singing his most miraculous and auspicious deeds.

21. I offer my hymn of prayer unto that absolutely perfect imperishable First Principle, the all-pervading highest Brahman, the Supreme Ruler (even of great gods like Brahmā), unmanifest and beyond the range of senses, as it is very remote and subtle, yet is accessible (to his devotees) through internal (path of bhakti) yoga.

22-24. May the Lord, manifest himself (for my Liberation)^[9]—

22. The Lord by whose single minutest modicum of energy (all the) gods headed by Brahmā, the Vedas, the worlds, the mobile and immobile creation of distinct (yet) infinite variety of forms, are created.

23. From that self resplendent Lord issues forth (and is again withdrawn) the stream of guṇas^[10] and their products such as the intellect, the mind, the senses and aggregates of gross bodies (like those of gods and others), even as sparks and flames go forth from the self-shining Fire-god and rays emanate from the self-luminous sun and are withdrawn again into them constantly.

24. Verily he is neither god nor demon; neither a human being nor a sub-human creature (a bird, a beast etc.); he is neither a famale nor a male nor an important person or an a-sexual being; he is neither an attribute (guṇa) nor an action (Karma); he is neither effect nor cause; he is the substratum of what is left after negating these all and yet constitutes them all (by his Māyā).

25. I do not wish (to get my body) extricated from the clutches of the alligator and) to survive here (in this body). What interest have I with this elephant-life which is enveloped internally and externally with the darkness of ignorance? I crave for emancipation (lifting up of) from that Veil of ignorance which shrouds the spiritual light of the Soul, and which cannot be destroyed merely by (lapse of) time but only by the knowledge of the (Ātman).

26.^[11] Being thus desirous of getting liberated I (who do know the Lord) simply bow down to that all pervading spirit, who is the creator of the universe; whose body is the universe and yet who is beyond and other than it; who uses the universe as his instrument, yet is the soul of it (as its Inner controller); who is unconditioned by birth and is the highest resort of all.

27. I have bowed^[12] unto the Lord of yoga (who confers the fruit of yogic practice), whom the yogins visualize in their hearts purified by burning down of their Karmas by yoga (or devotion unto the Lord).

28. I salute to you again and again. The force of your three-fold power (of three Guṇas viz. sattva, rajas and tamas) is irresistible; who manifest yourself as the object of all senses; who protect those who have resorted to you for shelter and are of unfathomable powers; whose path is inaccessible to those whose senses are directed to external objects.

29. I have sought the protection of the Lord whose glory is unsurpassable and enveloped by whose Māyā power expressed as the ego-sense, this Jīva docs not realize (the real nature of) his self.

Śrī Śuka said:

30. When all these gods like Brahmā and others who identified themselves with their special forms and attributes (such as four-headedness, three-eyedness in the case of gods Brahmā, Śiva etc.) did not approach (to rescue) the Lord of elephants who thus glorified the Supreme Lord as being devoid of (and hence without any reference to) any particular form or attribute,^[13] Lord Hari, being the Soul (ātman) of all, and the embodiment of the aggregate of all gods, manifested himself there.

31. Knowing that the elephant was in that distressed condition and having heard his hymn of prayer (mentally addressed to him), the Lord, the abode of the universe, equipped with his weapon the discus sudarśana and riding Garuḍa, the embodiment of the (sāma-) veda (and capable of ranging anywhere with any speed according to his will) and accompanied by celestials singing his praise, instantaneously appeared on the spot, where the Lord of elephants was (in that wretched plight).

32. Beholding in the sky Lord Hari, seated on Garuḍa and with his discus upraised (in his hand), the elephant, though greatly distressed, as he was seized by a very powerful alligator inside the lake, lifted up his trunk holding a lotus (as an offering for worshipping his feet!) and uttered with great difficulty the words “Oh glorious Lord Nārāyaṇa!” the Father (or Preceptor) of all the universe! I (reverentially) bow to you.”

33. Seeing the elephant greatly afflicted, Lord Hari, the birthless God (feeling the speed of Garuḍa as too slow) at once alighted (from Garuḍa), and immediately dragging out the elephant out of the lake along with the alligator, out of compassion, rescued the lord of the elephants from its jaws by rending them open with the discus, while gods stood simply looking on.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Vide infra Ch. IV. 7-12.

[2]:

Though Hari and the universe are different, He is identified with it as the universe is under His perfect control; Who is superior (and transcendental) to this phenomenal world as well as from those who have attained Liberation—Padaratnāvalī

[3]:

Bhāgavata Candrikā: tamas—the extremely subtle sentient material (cid-dravya) that exists after the dissolution of the universe (tamaḥ śabdaḥ niratiṣaya- sūkṣma-daśāpanna-cid-dravya-vācī). So also Bhaktamanorañjanī

Para abhivirājate—The Lord, as a controller of this tamas or subtle composite principle, exists in His glory. Bhāgavata Candrikā derives para from Pṛ to protect.

Padaratnāvalī: Pare abhivirājate—Who through His form called Time, stays self- refulgent in the region least affected by and thus beyond tamas

Kramasandarbha.:—Para—In the great Vaikuṇṭha regions.

[4]:

Padaratnāvalī classifies the various incarnations of Viṣṇu on guṇa basis and offers them salutations. He regards the last epithet—jñānaghana—as a refutation of the formlessness of Viṣṇu (arūpasya śūnyatvaṃ nivārayati)

[5]:

Salutations to You to Whom the kṣetrajña (individual soul) is like a body, the Supreme Ruler of all beings, the Witness to all; Who are the Inner Controller (of all); and Who are self-existent (not created by any other cause) and are the primary material cause (of all) as well.—Bhāgavata Candrikā

[6]:

Padaratnāvalī reads a combination of vv. 16 and 18.

[7]:

ālayāya—By resorting to whom the devotee never meets destructions—Bhāgavata Candrikā

[8]:

svāṃśena sarvatanubhṛt etc.: Who are realized as being identical with the jīva in the heart of every being as the jīva is essentially a part of your body—Bhāgavata Candrikā

[9]:

(i) May remove all obstacles in my God-realization—Bhāgavata Candrikā (ii) May relieve me from the misery of saṃsāra—Padaratnāvalī (iii) Siddhāntapradīpa, Bālaprabodhini, Bhaktamanorañjanī follow Bhāvāratha Dīpikā

[10]:

This asserts the eternality of the stream of the universe (guṇa—saṃpravāhaḥ...anena jagat-p[ravāhasya nītyatvaṃ jñāpitam)—Padaratnāvalī

[11]:

Being desirous of removing the veil of ignorance that obscures the vision of the soul, I bow to You Who are the Wealth or the highest goal in the life (of people) in the universe, who enter the universe to protect it: Whose manifestation is not conditioned by Karmas, yet is full of good attributes; Who are absolutely inaccessible I merely bow to Him as I do not know any other way of propitiating Him—Bhāgavata Candrikā

[12]:

The yogic way being now impossible I can simply bow to Him.—Bhāgavata Candrikā

[13]:

And as he has under-rated gods like Brahmā in verse 22 above—Anvitārthaprakāśikā.