Text 16] Gajendra’s Prayers of Surrender 95

literatures. Because such advanced souls are transcendental, You
personally appear in their pure minds. Therefore I offer my re-
spectful obeisances unto You.

PURPORT
In Bhagavad-gita (10.11) it is said:

tesam evadnukampartham
aham ajridna-jam tamah

ndasayadmy atma-bhava-stho
Jiidna-dipena bhasvata

For a devotee who has taken the lotus feet of the Lord within his heart,
the Lord gives spiritual enlightenment, known as jridna-dipa, by special
mercy from within. This jidna-dipa is compared to the fire hidden
within arani wood. To perform fire sacrifices, great sages previously did
not ignite a fire directly; the fire would be invoked from arani wood.
Similarly, all living entities are covered by the modes of material nature,
and the fire of knowledge can be ignited only by the Supreme Personality
of Godhead when one takes Him within one’s heart. Sa vai manah krsna-
padaravindayoh. If one takes seriously the lotus feet of Krsna, who is
seated within one’s heart, the Lord eradicates all ignorance. By the torch
of knowledge, one immediately understands everything properly by the
special mercy of the Supreme Lord and becomes self-realized. In other
words, although a devotee may externally not be very well educated, be-
cause of his devotional service the Supreme Personality of Godhead gives
him enlightenment from within. If the Lord gives enlightenment from
within, how can one be in ignorance? Therefore the allegation of the
Mayavadis that the devotional path is for the unintelligent or uneducated
is untrue.

yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akificana

sarvair gunais tatra samdsate surah

(Bhag. 5.18.12)

If one becomes an unalloyed devotee of the Supreme Lord, he auto-
matically manifests all good qualities. Such a devotee is above the
