Text 2] Gajendra’s Prayers of Surrender 73
Sri-gajendra uvaca
ori namo bhagavate tasmai
yata etac cid-dtmakam
purusdyadi-bijaya
paresayabhidhimahi

sri-gajendrah uvaca—Gajendra, the King of elephants, said; om—O
my Lord; namah—I offer my respectful obeisances unto You;
bhagavate—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tasmai—unto
Him; yatah—from whom; etat—this body and the material manifesta-
tion; cit-Gtmakam—is moving due to consciousness (the spirit soul);
purusdya—unto the Supreme Person; ddi-bijaya—who is the origin or
root cause of everything; para-isaya—who is supreme, transcendental
and worshipable for such exalted persons as Brahma and Siva;

abhidhimahi—let me meditate upon Him.

TRANSLATION
The King of the elephants, Gajendra, said: I offer my respectful
obeisances unto the Supreme Person, Vasudeva [orn namo
bhagavate vasudevaya]. Because of Him this material body acts due
to the presence of spirit, and He is therefore the root cause of
everyone. He is worshipable for such exalted persons as Brahma
and Siva, and He has entered the heart of every living being. Let
me meditate upon Him.

PURPORT
In this verse the words etac cid-dtmakam are very important. The ma-
terial body certainly consists only of material elements, but when one
awakens to Krsna conscious understanding, the body is no longer ma-
terial but spiritual. The material body is meant for sense enjoyment,
whereas the spiritual body engages in the transcendental loving service
of the Lord. Therefore, a devotee who engages in the service of the
Supreme Lord and who constantly thinks of Him should never be con-
sidered to have a material body. It is therefore enjoined, gurusu nara-
matih: one should stop thinking of the spiritual master as an ordinary
human being with a material body. Arcye visnau sila-dhih: everyone
