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Canto 8 · Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations · 24 chapters

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How to study this verse, in six steps
  1. 1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
  2. 2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
  3. 3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
  4. 4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
  5. 5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
  6. 6Write down what touched you. Note the main points in your own notebook.
Read the full guide: how to hear the Bhāgavatam ›
Canto 8 · Chapter 3: Gajendra’s Prayers of Surrender
8.3.318.3.33

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.3.32

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 8.3.30inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

सोऽन्त:सरस्युरुबलेन गृहीत आर्तो

द‍ृष्ट्वा गरुत्मति हरिं ख उपात्तचक्रम् ।

उत्क्षिप्य साम्बुजकरं गिरमाह कृच्छ्रा-

न्नारायणाखिलगुरो भगवन् नमस्ते ॥ ३२ ॥

so ’ntaḥ-sarasy urubalena gṛhīta ārto

dṛṣṭvā garutmati hariṁ kha upātta-cakram

utkṣipya sāmbuja-karaṁ giramāha kṛcchrān

nārāyaṇākhila-guro bhagavan namas te

Translation

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.”

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Turn Difficulty Into Sincere Prayer

  1. 1

    Although Gajendra was in acute pain, he eagerly offered a lotus and respectful obeisances when he saw Nārāyaṇa approaching. His voice was feeble, but his eagerness to honor the Lord was strong.

  2. 2

    A devotee regards danger as an opportunity to think of the Lord sincerely and with undiverted attention. In this way, even danger can be seen as the Lord’s mercy.

  3. 3

    Rather than accusing the Lord, the devotee considers suffering a result of past misdeeds and gives thanks for the opportunity to pray. The purport says that living in this way assures one’s return home, back to Godhead.

Key points from the purport
  • 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.
  • He does not accuse the Supreme Personality of Godhead for having let His devotee fall into such a dangerous condition.
  • 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.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

Connected verses· 1

The purport of SB 8.3.32 quotesSB 10.14.8

Tat te ’nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam. He does not accuse the Supreme Personality of Godhead for having let His devotee fall into such a dangerous condition.

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

How it feels

Helplessness → Surrender and rescue. A mighty animal finally realizes the limits of strength.

Chapters 1–4 of Canto 8: Gajendra's struggle and prayers. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 3: Gajendra’s Prayers of Surrender

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

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.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.3
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. saḥhe (Gajendra)
  2. antaḥ-sarasiin the water
  3. uru-balenawith great force
  4. gṛhītaḥwho had been captured by the crocodile
  5. ārtaḥand severely suffering
  6. dṛṣṭvāupon seeing
  7. garutmation the back of Garuḍa
  8. harimthe Lord
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Īśānukathā · The science of God

    Who is the Lord, and how do His devotees live? · Subject 7 of 10

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 8.3

    In this verse: “suffering”

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 8.3

    In this verse: “danger”

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 8.3

    In this verse: “mercy”

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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How could a present difficulty become an opportunity for more sincere prayer?

Practice

During one difficulty today, pause and offer respectful obeisances to the Lord, giving Him your undivided attention for a moment.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

The purport quotesSB 10.14.8

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 8.3's connections

Live this todayTurn Difficulty Into Sincere PrayerThis verse's lesson: one practice and one question for today

Study points are short summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport on Vedabase.

Ask the BhāgavatamHave a question about SB 8.3.32? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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