Canto 8: Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations | Chapter 3: Gajendra's Prayers of Surrender |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 8.3.26
so 'haḿ viśva-sṛjaḿ viśvam
aviśvaḿ viśva-vedasam
viśvātmānam ajaḿ brahma
praṇato 'smi paraḿ padam
SYNONYMS
saḥ — that; aham — I (the person desiring release from material life); viśva-sṛjam — unto He who has created this cosmic manifestation; viśvam — who is Himself the whole cosmic presentation; aviśvam — although He is transcendental to the cosmic manifestation; viśva-vedasam — who is the knower or ingredient of this universal manifestation; viśva-ātmānam — the soul of the universe; ajam — who is never born, eternally existing; brahma — the Supreme; praṇataḥ asmi — I offer my respectful obeisances; param — who is transcendental; padam — the shelter.
TRANSLATION
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.
PURPORT
Sometimes when bhakti-yoga, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is preached to the common man, people argue, "Where is Kṛṣṇa? Where is God? Can you show Him to us?" In this verse the answer is given that if we are sufficiently intelligent, we must know that there is someone who has created the entire cosmic manifestation, who has supplied and has become the ingredients for this cosmic manifestation, who is eternally existing, but who is not within the cosmic manifestation. Simply on the basis of this suggestion, one can offer respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord. This is the beginning of devotional life.
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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness