Surrender unto His Lotus Feet - Part 18

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

This is in continuation of the previous offering, "Surrender unto His Lotus Feet" wherein we were meditating on Srimad Bhagavatam verse 2.6.7 and about elephant king Gajendra surrendering to Lord's lotus feet when being attacked by crocodile in the lake. In the last offering we saw the verse 8.3.12 wherein Gajendra offers his obeisances unto the Lord Who is completely peaceful, above all material qualities, Who accepts ferocious forms to protect His devotees, Who is knowledge as well as the impersonal brahman.

Now we shall see next prayer.

In verse 8.3.13 Gajendra prays

kṣetra-jñāya namas tubhyaṁ sarvādhyakṣāya sākṣiṇe
puruṣāyātma-mūlāya mūla-prakṛtaye namaḥ

I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto You, who are the Supersoul, the superintendent of everything, and the witness of all that occurs. You are the Supreme Person, the origin of material nature and of the total material energy. You are also the owner of the material body. Therefore, You are the supreme complete. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

Gajendra offers his obeisances unto the Lord Who is

1. kṣetra-jñāya - who are the Supersoul - unto the one who knows everything of the external body; 

   In 13 Chapter of Bhagavad Gita Krishna explains to Arjuna about what is kṣetra and who are the kṣetra-jñās

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya kṣetram ity abhidhīyate
etad yo vetti taṁ prāhuḥ kṣetra-jña iti tad-vidaḥ
kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata
kṣetra-kṣetrajñayor jñānaṁ yat taj jñānaṁ mataṁ mama

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: This body, O son of Kuntī, is called the field, and one who knows this body is called the knower of the field. O scion of Bharata, you should understand that I am also the knower in all bodies, and to understand this body and its knower is called knowledge. That is My opinion.

The soul and Supersoul are  kṣetra-jñā - But Supersoul is the complete kṣetra-jñā. We might have some knowledge about the pains or pleasures experienced by our body, but the overall functioning of the human body is really a mystery for the human brain. The way the veins rejoin after an injury, the way the ear, eyes, heart, brain functions is all wonderful arrangement of Supreme Lord. Also we can never understand the pains of others, no matter how much ever near and dear they are to us or inimical to us. So it is always important for us to remember that everyone is suffering in this material world. So we should not be insensitive to their pains, but we should deal with everyone in a kind manner.

Krishna knows everything. He not only knows the level of suffering, but He also knows why the living entity is suffering. In his prayers Gajendra many times glorifies the Lord as sākṣiṇe - the witness of all that occurs.

Many times when we undergo some suffering we start to wonder, "why am I suffering although I have not done anything wrong." We might have forgotten our past sins, either in this birth or the previous births. But Krishna as Supreme Witness knows our complete history. He superintends and manages all our papa and punya accounts. He knows the entire list of our sins and pious deeds and accordingly grants us suffering or pleasure. So nothing is unjust. We are undergoing what we deserve to suffer. Sometimes mercifully He reduces the suffering, but never does He give, more than what we deserve to suffer.

2. sarvādhyakṣāya - who are superintending, managing; 

3. sākṣiṇe - the witness of all that occurs

4 . puruṣāyā - the Supreme Person, The Lord with all these wonderful qualities is the only Supreme Person and enjoyer of everything. He is the owner of everything and naturally He is the rightful enjoyer of everything. He mercifully gives us some responsibilities and opportunity for enjoyment. But we should neither become proud of the responsibilities we are entrusted with nor misuse the opportunity for enjoyment.

5. ātma-mūlāya - who are the original source of everything; 

6. mūla-prakṛtaye  -  unto the puruṣa-avatāra, the origin of prakṛti and pradhāna - the origin of material nature and of the total material energy.

Lord is the source of this body, the material nature, the total material energy. He is the source for everyone and everything  - friends and enemies, favourable and unfavourable situations. Lord being our kind Father - rewards punishment to the extent we could bear. So nothing happens without His sanction or knowledge. And He grants all these in a very just manner according to our karma. So when facing miseries, we should always consider them as "God-sent", and that also "it is in small doses."

Krishna willing we shall meditate further on this topic in the subsequent offering.

Thank you very much.
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva
Sudarshana devi dasi