FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.7.16

श्रुत्वा हरिस्तमरणार्थिनमप्रमेय- श्चक्रायुध: पतगराजभुजाधिरूढ: । चक्रेण नक्रवदनं विनिपाट्य तस्मा- द्धस्ते प्रगृह्य भगवान् कृपयोज्जहार ॥ १६ ॥
śrutvā haris tam araṇārthinam aprameyaś
[shrutvaa haris tam aranaarthinam aprameyash]
cakrāyudhaḥ patagarāja-bhujādhirūḍhaḥ
[chakraayudhah patagaraaja-bhujaadhiroodhah]
cakreṇa nakra-vadanaṁ vinipāṭya tasmād
[chakrena nakra-vadanam vinipaatya tasmaad]
dhaste pragṛhya bhagavān kṛpayojjahāra
[dhaste pragrihya bhagavaan kripayojjahaara]
śrutvā — by hearing hariḥ — the Personality of Godhead tam — him araṇa-arthinam — one who is in need of help aprameyaḥ — the unlimitedly powerful Lord cakra — wheel āyudhaḥ — equipped with His weapon pataga-rāja — the king of the birds (Garuḍa) bhuja-adhirūḍhaḥ — being seated on the wings of cakreṇa — by the wheel nakra-vadanam — the mouth of the crocodile vinipāṭya — cutting in two tasmāt — from the mouth of the crocodile haste — in the hands pragṛhya — taking hold of the trunk bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead kṛpayā — out of causeless mercy ujjahāra — delivered him.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrutvā haris tam araṇārthinam aprameyaś
śrutvā
by hearing
hariḥ
the Personality of Godhead
tam
him
araṇa-arthinam
one who is in need of help
aprameyaḥ
the unlimitedly powerful Lord
cakrāyudhaḥ patagarāja-bhujādhirūḍhaḥ
cakra
wheel
āyudhaḥ
equipped with His weapon
pataga-rāja
the king of the birds (Garuḍa)
bhuja-adhirūḍhaḥ
being seated on the wings of
cakreṇa nakra-vadanaṁ vinipāṭya tasmād
cakreṇa
by the wheel
nakra-vadanam
the mouth of the crocodile
vinipāṭya
cutting in two
tasmāt
from the mouth of the crocodile
dhaste pragṛhya bhagavān kṛpayojjahāra
haste
in the hands
pragṛhya
taking hold of the trunk
bhagavān
the Personality of Godhead
kṛpayā
out of causeless mercy
ujjahāra
delivered him.
The Personality of Godhead, after hearing the elephant’s plea, felt that the elephant needed His immediate help, for he was in great distress. Thus at once the Lord appeared there on the wings of the king of birds, Garuḍa, fully equipped with His weapon, the wheel [cakra]. With the wheel He cut to pieces the mouth of the crocodile to save the elephant, and He delivered the elephant by lifting him by his trunk.

The Lord resides in His Vaikuṇṭha planet. No one can estimate how far away this planet is situated. It is said, however, that anyone trying to reach that planet by airships or by mindships, traveling for millions of years, will find it still unknown. Modern scientists have invented airships which are material, and the yogīs make a still finer material attempt to travel by mindships. The yogīs can reach any distant place very quickly with the help of mindships. But neither the airship nor the mindship has access to the kingdom of God in the Vaikuṇṭhaloka, situated far beyond the material sky. Since this is the situation, how was it possible for the prayers of the elephant to be heard from such an unlimitedly distant place, and how could the Lord at once appear on the spot? These things cannot be calculated by human imagination. All this was possible by the unlimited power of the Lord, and therefore the Lord is described here as aprameya, for not even the best human brain can estimate His powers and potencies by mathematical calculation. The Lord can hear from such a distant place, He can eat from there, and He can appear simultaneously in all places at a moment’s notice. Such is the omnipotency of the Lord.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The immeasurable Hari, hearing his desire to surrender, holding the cakra in his hand and mounted on Garuḍa, attacked the mouth of the crocodile, grabbed the elephant by his trunk and mercifully delivered him.
Commentary

Araṇārthinam means longing for surrender.

The Lord heard the elephant's distress from far-off Vaikuṇṭha and arrived at once on Garuḍa with His cakra. Distance is no problem for Him; sincerity is the only requirement. He shows up when the heart is unmistakably calling.
Reflection Questions
  • When I call on Him, am I sincerely calling or just running a routine?
  • What in me believes He is too far to come?
📝 My note

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