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Gajendra's Prayers of Surrender
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whose description;  nirviśeṣam —not directed to any particular person (but to the Supreme, although he did not know who the Supreme is);  brahmā-ādayaḥ —the demigods, beginning with Brahmā, Śiva, Indra and Candra;  vividha —varieties;  linga-bhidā —with separate forms;  abhimānāḥ —considering themselves separate authorities;  na —not;  ete —all of them;  yadā —when;  upasaṣṛpuḥ —approached;  nikhila-ātmakatvāt —because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Supersoul of everyone;  tatra —there;  akhila —of the universe;  amara-mayaḥ —consisting of the demigods (who are only external parts of the body);  hariḥ —the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who can take away everything;  āvirāsīt —appeared (before the elephant).
TRANSLATION
Śri 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.
PURPORT
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.  Hariṁ vinā naiva mṛtiṁ taranti : no one can rescue anyone from the dangers of birth, death, old age and disease. It is only the Supreme Personality of Godhead who can rescue one from the dangers of material existence. Therefore an intelligent person, to get free from this dangerous existence, approaches the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not any demigod. As confirmed in  Bhagavad-gītā  (7.20),