Surrender unto His Lotus Feet - Part 22

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 8.3.15 wherein Gajendra glorifies the Lord Who is the source of the parampara system of Vedic knowledge, ocean of knwoledge, Who can give deliverance or liberation, Who is the shelter of transcendentalists.

In verse 8.3.16 Gajendra prays

guṇāraṇi-cchanna-cid-uṣmapāya
tat-kṣobha-visphūrjita-mānasāya
naiṣkarmya-bhāvena vivarjitāgama-
svayaṁ-prakāśāya namas karomi

My Lord, as the fire in araṇi wood is covered, You and Your unlimited knowledge are covered by the material modes of nature. Your mind, however, is not attentive to the activities of the modes of nature. Those who are advanced in spiritual knowledge are not subject to the regulative principles directed in the Vedic literatures. Because such advanced souls are transcendental, You personally appear in their pure minds. Therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

Here Gajendra glorifies the Lord

1. guṇāraṇi-cchanna-cid-uṣmapāya - Just like fire is hidden in the arani wood, knowledge about Krishna is covered by the modes of material nature.  

2. tat-kṣobha-visphūrjita-mānasāya - Whose mind is not attentive to the modes of material nature

3. svayaṁ-prakāśāya - Who is personally manifest in the minds of pure devotees

Srila Prabhupada in his wonderful purport to the above verse, quotes the seed verse 10.11 wherein Krishna says

teṣām evānukampārtham
aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ
nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva stho
jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā

For a devotee who has taken the lotus feet of the Lord within his heart, the Lord gives spiritual enlightenment, known as jñāna-dīpa, by special mercy from within. This jñāna-dīpa is compared to the fire hidden within araṇi wood. To perform fire sacrifices, great sages previously did not ignite a fire directly; the fire would be invoked from araṇi 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.

In the previous verse we saw that Krishna is source of all knowledge, He is the ocean of knowledge/ Also He is nirguna, above material modes of nature. And He gives this quality of being transcendental to the modes of nature, as well as spiritual enlightenment to those who are surrendered unto His lotus feet. He personally appears in the pure minds of His devotees and by His presence He dispels all the darkness of ignorance on the hearts of such devotees.

People in general might consider devotees to be less intelligent or less efficient. But that is not true. By the power of devotional service and blessings of great devotees, Krishna makes the devotees transcendental to the modes. We see Dhruva and Prahlad Maharaj were just small boys. But because they were able to please Krishna, by His prayers they could offer very beautiful prayers to Lord.         

We see the examples of so many disciples of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. They were from a culture wherein all bad qualities like smoking. intoxication were all considered to be normal act. But by the causeless mercy of Srila Prabhupada, when they surrendered unto the lotus feet of their spiritual master,  Lord enlightens them so much that they become expert in designing big temples, building temples, carving deities, designing clothes and other paraphernalia for the Deities.   

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