Gajendra Moksha Stotra — Lyrics with Meaning

Verse 1

Shri Shuka uvacha Evam vyavasito buddhya samadhaya mano hridi | jajapa paramam japyam prag-janmany anushikshitam ||1||

Shukadev says: having made up his mind, the elephant king fixed his mind in his heart. He then began to recite the supreme prayer he had learned in his previous birth.

Verse 2

Gajendra uvacha Om namo bhagavate tasmai yata etach chid-atmakam | purushayadi-bijaya pareshayabhidhimahi ||2||

Gajendra says: I bow to that Lord from whom this conscious world comes forth. I meditate on Him, the first Person, the original seed of all and the Supreme Lord.

Verse 3

Yasminn idam yatash chedam yenedam ya idam svayam | yo'smat parasmach cha paras tam prapadye svayambhuvam ||3||

In Him this world rests, from Him it comes, by Him it is made, and He Himself is this world; yet He is beyond it and beyond its cause. I take refuge in that self-existent Lord.

Verse 4

Yah svatmanidam nija-mayayarpitam kvachid vibhatam kva cha tat tirohitam | aviddha-drik sakshy ubhayam tad ikshate sa atma-mulo'vatu mam paratparah ||4||

By His own power He places this world within Himself; sometimes it appears, sometimes it disappears, and He watches both as a clear-sighted witness. May He, who is His own root and higher than the highest, protect me.

Verse 5

Kalena panchatvam iteshu kritsnasho lokeshu paleshu cha sarva-hetushu | tamas tadasid gahanam gabhiram yas tasya pare'bhivirajate vibhuh ||5||

When in time all the worlds, their guardians and all causes dissolve completely, only a thick, deep darkness remains. Beyond even that darkness shines the all-pervading Lord (may He protect me).

Verse 6

Na yasya deva rishayah padam vidur jantuh punah ko'rhati gantum iritum | yatha natasyakritibhir vicheshtato duratyayanukramanah sa mavatu ||6||

Even the gods and sages do not know His true nature, so how can an ordinary being reach or describe Him? Like an actor in many costumes whom the audience cannot recognise, His ways are hard to grasp; may He protect me.

Verse 7

Didrikshavo yasya padam sumangalam vimukta-sanga munayah susadhavah | charanty aloka-vratam avranam vane bhutatma-bhutah suhridah sa me gatih ||7||

Longing to see His blessed feet, saintly sages free of attachment keep pure and difficult vows in the forest, seeing all beings as their own self and being friends to all. That Lord is my refuge.

Verse 8

Na vidyate yasya cha janma karma va na nama-rupe guna-dosha eva va | tathapi lokapyaya-sambhavaya yah sva-mayaya tany anukalam ricchati ||8||

He has no birth, no action, no name or form, no qualities or faults. Yet for the creation and dissolution of the world, He takes these on from time to time by His own power.

Verse 9

Tasmai namah pareshaya brahmane'nanta-shaktaye | arupayoru-rupaya nama ashcharya-karmane ||9||

I bow to that Supreme Lord, the Brahman of endless power. I bow to Him who is formless yet has countless forms, and whose deeds are wonderful.

Verse 10

Nama atma-pradipaya sakshine paramatmane | namo giram viduraya manasash chetasam api ||10||

I bow to the self-luminous One, the witness, the Supreme Self. I bow to Him who is far beyond the reach of words, mind and thought.

Verse 11

Sattvena pratilabhyaya naishkarmyena vipashchita | namah kaivalya-nathaya nirvana-sukha-samvide ||11||

I bow to Him whom the wise reach through a pure mind and selfless action. I bow to the Lord of liberation, who is the experience of the bliss of perfect peace.

Verse 12

Namah shantaya ghoraya mudhaya guna-dharmine | nirvisheshaya samyaya namo jnana-ghanaya cha ||12||

I bow to Him who, through the three qualities of nature, appears as calm, fierce or dull. I bow to Him who is without distinctions, the same in all, and pure knowledge itself.

Verse 13

Kshetrajnaya namas tubhyam sarvadhyakshaya sakshine | purushayatma-mulaya mula-prakritaye namah ||13||

I bow to You, the knower within every body, the ruler and witness of all. I bow to You, the Supreme Person who is His own source and the root of nature itself.

Verse 14

Sarvendriya-guna-drashtre sarva-pratyaya-hetave | asatachchhayayoktaya sad-abhasaya te namah ||14||

You are the seer of all the senses and their objects, and the cause of every experience. As a shadow points to the object, this passing world points to You; I bow to You who shine as the real.

Verse 15

Namo namas te'khila-karanaya nishkaranayadbhuta-karanaya | sarvagamamnaya-maharnavaya namo'pavargaya parayanaya ||15||

Again and again I bow to You, the cause of everything, Yourself without cause, the wondrous cause. I bow to You, the great ocean of all scriptures and Vedas, liberation itself and the final refuge of the good.

Verse 16

Gunarani-chhanna-chid-ushmapaya tat-kshobha-visphurjita-manasaya | naishkarmya-bhavena vivarjitagama- svayam-prakashaya namaskaromi ||16||

Like fire hidden in wood, You remain as consciousness covered by the qualities of nature, and when they stir, You will creation into being. I bow to You who shine by Yourself in the hearts of those free from the bonds of action.

Verse 17

Madrik-prapanna-pashu-pasha-vimokshanaya muktaya bhuri-karunaya namo'layaya | svamshena sarva-tanu-bhrin-manasi pratita- pratyag-drishe bhagavate brihate namas te ||17||

I bow to You who cut the bonds of a surrendered animal like me, You who are ever free, deeply compassionate and never slow to help. I bow to the great Lord who, through a portion of Himself, is felt as the inner witness in the mind of every being.

Verse 18

Atmatmajapta-griha-vitta-janeshu saktair dushprapanaya guna-sanga-vivarjitaya | muktatmabhih sva-hridaye paribhavitaya jnanatmane bhagavate nama ishvaraya ||18||

I bow to the Lord who is hard to reach for those attached to body, children, friends, home, wealth and people, and who is Himself untouched by the qualities of nature. I bow to the Lord of pure knowledge, on whom the liberated meditate in their hearts.

Verse 19

Yam dharma-kamartha-vimukti-kama bhajanta ishtam gatim apnuvanti | kim chashisho raty api deham avyayam karotu me'dabhra-dayo vimokshanam ||19||

Those who seek righteousness, wealth, desires or liberation worship Him and reach the goal they wish for; He gives not only blessings but even an imperishable form. May that Lord of boundless mercy set me free.

Verse 20

Ekantino yasya na kanchanartham vanchhanti ye vai bhagavat-prapannah | atyadbhutam tach charitam sumangalam gayanta ananda-samudra-magnah ||20||

His single-minded devotees, fully surrendered to Him, ask for nothing at all. They simply sing His wonderful, blessed deeds and stay immersed in an ocean of joy.

Verse 21

Tam aksharam brahma param paresham avyaktam adhyatmika-yoga-gamyam | atindriyam sukshmam ivatiduram anantam adyam paripurnam ide ||21||

I praise that imperishable Supreme Brahman, the unmanifest Lord, reached only through inner yoga. He is beyond the senses, subtle, as if very far away, endless, the first and complete in every way.

Verse 22

Yasya brahmadayo deva veda lokash chara-charah | nama-rupa-vibhedena phalgvya cha kalaya kritah ||22||

Brahma and the other gods, the Vedas and all the moving and unmoving worlds, with their many names and forms, are made from just a tiny fraction of His power.

Verse 23

Yatharchisho'gneh savitur gabhastayo niryanti samyanty asakrit sva-rochishah | tatha yato'yam guna-sampravaho buddhir manah khani sharira-sargah ||23||

Just as flames rise from fire and rays from the sun, again and again going out and returning, so this whole stream of nature, intellect, mind, senses and bodies, comes out from Him and returns to Him.

Verse 24

Sa vai na devasura-martya-tiryan na stri na shandho na puman na jantuh | nayam gunah karma na san na chasan nishedha-shesho jayatad asheshah ||24||

He is not a god, a demon, a human or an animal; not woman, man or neither, nor any creature. He is not a quality or an action, not effect or cause; He is what remains when all is denied, and He is everything. Victory to Him.

Verse 25

Jijivishe naham ihamuya kim antar bahish chavritayebha-yonya | ichchhami kalena na yasya viplavas tasyatma-lokavaranasya moksham ||25||

I do not wish to live on in this elephant body, covered inside and out by ignorance; what use is it? I long for freedom from the veil that hides the light of the Self, which time alone does not destroy.

Verse 26

So'ham vishva-srijam vishvam avishvam vishva-vedasam | vishvatmanam ajam brahma pranato'smi param padam ||26||

So I bow down to the Lord who creates the universe, who is the universe and yet beyond it. I bow to the knower and soul of the universe, the unborn Brahman, the highest goal.

Verse 27

Yoga-randhita-karmano hridi yoga-vibhavite | yogino yam prapashyanti yogesham tam nato'smy aham ||27||

Yogis whose karmic bonds have been burnt away by yoga see Him in their hearts, made pure by yoga. I bow to that Lord of yoga.

Verse 28

Namo namas tubhyam asahya-vega- shakti-trayayakhila-dhi-gunaya | prapanna-palaya duranta-shaktaye kad-indriyanam anavapya-vartmane ||28||

Again and again I bow to You, whose three powers move with unbearable force and who appear as all objects of the mind. I bow to the protector of the surrendered, of endless power, whose path cannot be found by those ruled by their senses.

Verse 29

Nayam veda svam atmanam yach-chhaktyaham-dhiya hatam | tam duratyaya-mahatmyam bhagavantam ito'smy aham ||29||

Because of His power, the soul, caught in the sense of 'I', cannot know its own true Self. I have come for refuge to that Lord whose greatness is beyond all measure.

Verse 30

Shri Shuka uvacha Evam gajendram upavarnita-nirvishesham brahmadayo vividha-linga-bhidabhimanah | naite yadopasasripur nikhilatmakatvat tatrakhilamara-mayo harir avirasit ||30||

Shukadev says: when Gajendra praised the formless Lord this way, Brahma and the other gods, each identified with their own form, did not come forward. Then Shri Hari, the soul of all and the sum of all the gods, Himself appeared there.

Verse 31

Tam tadvad arta upalabhya jagan-nivasah stotram nishamya divijaih saha samstuvadbhih | chhandomayena garudena samuhyamanash chakrayudho'bhyagamad ashu yato gajendrah ||31||

The Lord in whom the world dwells saw Gajendra in such distress and heard his prayer. Riding Garuda, who embodies the Vedas, with the gods singing His praise, Hari with His discus rushed to where Gajendra was.

Verse 32

So'ntah-sarasy uru-balena grihita arto drishtva garutmati harim kha upatta-chakram | utkshipya sambuja-karam giram aha krichchhran narayanakhila-guro bhagavan namas te ||32||

Held in the lake by the mighty crocodile and in great pain, Gajendra saw Hari in the sky on Garuda, discus in hand. Raising his trunk holding a lotus, he cried with great effort, "O Narayan, teacher of all, O Lord, I bow to You!"

Verse 33

Tam vikshya piditam ajah sahasavatirya sa-graham ashu sarasah kripayojjahara | grahad vipatita-mukhad arina gajendram sampashyatam harir amumuchad uchchhriyanam ||33||

Seeing him in pain, the unborn Lord quickly came down and, out of mercy, pulled Gajendra out of the lake along with the crocodile. Then, as the gods looked on, Hari split the crocodile's jaws with His discus and set Gajendra free.