श्री शुक उवाच —
एवं व्यवसितो बुद्ध्या समाधाय मनो हृदि।
जजाप परमं जाप्यं प्राग्जन्मन्यनुशिक्षितम्॥1॥
गजेन्द्र उवाच —
ॐ नमो भगवते तस्मै यत एतच्चिदात्मकम्।
पुरुषायादिबीजाय परेशायाभिधीमहि॥2॥
यस्मिन्निदं यतश्चेदं येनेदं य इदं स्वयम्।
योऽस्मात्परस्माच्च परस्तं प्रपद्ये स्वयम्भुवम्॥3॥
यः स्वात्मनीदं निजमाययार्पितं
क्वचिद्विभातं क्व च तत्तिरोहितम्।
अविद्धदृक् साक्ष्युभयं तदीक्षते
स आत्ममूलोऽवतु मां परात्परः॥4॥
कालेन पञ्चत्वमितेषु कृत्स्नशो
लोकेषु पालेषु च सर्वहेतुषु।
तमस्तदाऽऽसीद् गहनं गभीरं
यस्तस्य पारेऽभिविराजते विभुः॥5॥
न यस्य देवा ऋषयः पदं विदु-
र्जन्तुः पुनः कोऽर्हति गन्तुमीरितुम्।
यथा नटस्याकृतिभिर्विचेष्टतो
दुरत्ययानुक्रमणः स मावतु॥6॥
दिदृक्षवो यस्य पदं सुमङ्गलं
विमुक्तसङ्गा मुनयः सुसाधवः।
चरन्त्यलोकव्रतमव्रणं वने
भूतात्मभूताः सुहृदः स मे गतिः॥7॥
न विद्यते यस्य च जन्म कर्म वा
न नामरूपे गुणदोष एव वा।
तथापि लोकाप्ययसम्भवाय यः
स्वमायया तान्यनुकालमृच्छति॥8॥
तस्मै नमः परेशाय ब्रह्मणेऽनन्तशक्तये।
अरूपायोरुरूपाय नम आश्चर्यकर्मणे॥9॥
नम आत्मप्रदीपाय साक्षिणे परमात्मने।
नमो गिरां विदूराय मनसश्चेतसामपि॥10॥
सत्त्वेन प्रतिलभ्याय नैष्कर्म्येण विपश्चिता।
नमः कैवल्यनाथाय निर्वाणसुखसंविदे॥11॥
नमः शान्ताय घोराय मूढाय गुणधर्मिणे।
निर्विशेषाय साम्याय नमो ज्ञानघनाय च॥12॥
क्षेत्रज्ञाय नमस्तुभ्यं सर्वाध्यक्षाय साक्षिणे।
पुरुषायात्ममूलाय मूलप्रकृतये नमः॥13॥
सर्वेन्द्रियगुणद्रष्ट्रे सर्वप्रत्ययहेतवे।
असताच्छाययोक्ताय सदाभासाय ते नमः॥14॥
नमो नमस्तेऽखिलकारणाय
निष्कारणायाद्भुतकारणाय।
सर्वागमाम्नायमहार्णवाय
नमोऽपवर्गाय परायणाय॥15॥
गुणारणिच्छन्नचिदूष्मपाय
तत्क्षोभविस्फूर्जितमानसाय।
नैष्कर्म्यभावेन विवर्जितागम-
स्वयंप्रकाशाय नमस्करोमि॥16॥
मादृक्प्रपन्नपशुपाशविमोक्षणाय
मुक्ताय भूरिकरुणाय नमोऽलयाय।
स्वांशेन सर्वतनुभृन्मनसि प्रतीत-
प्रत्यग्दृशे भगवते बृहते नमस्ते॥17॥
आत्मात्मजाप्तगृहवित्तजनेषु सक्तै-
र्दुष्प्रापणाय गुणसङ्गविवर्जिताय।
मुक्तात्मभिः स्वहृदये परिभाविताय
ज्ञानात्मने भगवते नम ईश्वराय॥18॥
यं धर्मकामार्थविमुक्तिकामा
भजन्त इष्टां गतिमाप्नुवन्ति।
किं त्वाशिषो रात्यपि देहमव्ययं
करोतु मेऽदभ्रदयो विमोक्षणम्॥19॥
एकान्तिनो यस्य न कञ्चनार्थं
वाञ्छन्ति ये वै भगवत्प्रपन्नाः।
अत्यद्भुतं तच्चरितं सुमङ्गलं
गायन्त आनन्दसमुद्रमग्नाः॥20॥
तमक्षरं ब्रह्म परं परेश-
मव्यक्तमाध्यात्मिकयोगगम्यम्।
अतीन्द्रियं सूक्ष्ममिवातिदूर-
मनन्तमाद्यं परिपूर्णमीडे॥21॥
यस्य ब्रह्मादयो देवा वेदा लोकाश्चराचराः।
नामरूपविभेदेन फल्ग्व्या च कलया कृताः॥22॥
यथार्चिषोऽग्नेः सवितुर्गभस्तयो
निर्यान्ति संयान्त्यसकृत् स्वरोचिषः।
तथा यतोऽयं गुणसम्प्रवाहो
बुद्धिर्मनः खानि शरीरसर्गाः॥23॥
स वै न देवासुरमर्त्यतिर्यङ्
न स्त्री न षण्डो न पुमान्न जन्तुः।
नायं गुणः कर्म न सन्न चासन्
निषेधशेषो जयतादशेषः॥24॥
जिजीविषे नाहमिहामुया कि-
मन्तर्बहिश्चावृतयेभयोन्या।
इच्छामि कालेन न यस्य विप्लव-
स्तस्यात्मलोकावरणस्य मोक्षम्॥25॥
सोऽहं विश्वसृजं विश्वमविश्वं विश्ववेदसम्।
विश्वात्मानमजं ब्रह्म प्रणतोऽस्मि परं पदम्॥26॥
योगरन्धितकर्माणो हृदि योगविभाविते।
योगिनो यं प्रपश्यन्ति योगेशं तं नतोऽस्म्यहम्॥27॥
नमो नमस्तुभ्यमसह्यवेग-
शक्तित्रयायाखिलधीगुणाय।
प्रपन्नपालाय दुरन्तशक्तये
कदिन्द्रियाणामनवाप्यवर्त्मने॥28॥
नायं वेद स्वमात्मानं यच्छक्त्याहंधिया हतम्।
तं दुरत्ययमाहात्म्यं भगवन्तमितोऽस्म्यहम्॥29॥
श्री शुकदेव उवाच —
एवं गजेन्द्रमुपवर्णितनिर्विशेषं
ब्रह्मादयो विविधलिङ्गभिदाभिमानाः।
नैते यदोपससृपुर्निखिलात्मकत्वात्
तत्राखिलामरमयो हरिराविरासीत्॥30॥
तं तद्वदार्तमुपलभ्य जगन्निवासः
स्तोत्रं निशम्य दिविजैः सह संस्तुवद्भिः।
छन्दोमयेन गरुडेन समुह्यमान-
श्चक्रायुधोऽभ्यगमदाशु यतो गजेन्द्रः॥31॥
सोऽन्तःसरस्युरुबलेन गृहीत आर्तो
दृष्ट्वा गरुत्मति हरिं ख उपात्तचक्रम्।
उत्क्षिप्य साम्बुजकरं गिरमाह कृच्छ्रा-
न्नारायणाखिलगुरो भगवन्नमस्ते॥32॥
तं वीक्ष्य पीडितमजः सहसावतीर्य
सग्राहमाशु सरसः कृपयोज्जहार।
ग्राहाद् विपाटितमुखादरिणा गजेन्द्रं
सम्पश्यतां हरिरमूमुचदुस्त्रियाणाम्॥33॥
The Gajendra Moksha Stotra is a long hymn of thirty-three verses. Its opening, the heart of Gajendra’s surrender, reads:
śrī śuka uvāca — evaṃ vyavasito buddhyā samādhāya mano hṛdi। jajāpa paramaṃ jāpyaṃ prāgjanmany anuśikṣitam॥1॥
gajendra uvāca — oṃ namo bhagavate tasmai yata etac cidātmakam। puruṣāyādibījāya pareśāyābhidhīmahi॥2॥
yasminn idaṃ yataś cedaṃ yenedaṃ ya idaṃ svayam। yo’smāt parasmāc ca paras taṃ prapadye svayambhuvam॥3॥
tasmai namaḥ pareśāya brahmaṇe’nantaśaktaye। arūpāyorurūpāya nama āścaryakarmaṇe॥9॥
so’haṃ viśvasṛjaṃ viśvam aviśvaṃ viśvavedasam। viśvātmānam ajaṃ brahma praṇato’smi paraṃ padam॥26॥
(The remaining verses follow the same metres; the full Devanagari above is the authoritative text for recitation.)
The stotra is the desperate, luminous prayer of Gajendra, the king of elephants, seized by a crocodile in a lake and praying with his last strength. Sage Shuka narrates how the elephant, fixing his mind in his heart, recited a supreme prayer remembered from a former birth.
Gajendra does not pray to any particular form. He bows to the Supreme Being who is pure consciousness, the primal seed of all, the Lord of lords; the One in whom, from whom, by whom and as whom this universe exists, yet who stands utterly beyond it. He salutes the Lord who is the self-luminous witness, the inner light unreachable by speech or mind, attainable only through purity and detachment; the peace beyond the qualities, the knower of every field, the cause of all causes who is himself causeless. He confesses that he no longer wishes merely to survive in this body of ignorance — he longs instead for the dissolution of the veil that hides the Self. "I take refuge," he cries, "in the maker of the universe, the unborn Brahman, the supreme abode."
Then, the narration concludes, while Brahma and the gods — bound to particular forms — did not come, Hari himself, the Self of all, appeared at once. Mounting Garuda, the Lord rushed to the lake, lifted the suffering elephant with his lotus hands, and with his discus split the crocodile’s jaws, granting Gajendra liberation.
The Gajendra Moksha Stotram is one of the most loved passages of the Srimad Bhagavata Purana (Eighth Canto). It tells of Gajendra, an elephant-king who, in a previous life, had been the pious king Indradyumna. Caught by a crocodile (a cursed gandharva) and unable to free himself after a long struggle, he abandons all pride and turns wholly to God — and is saved. The hymn he recites is a pinnacle of Vaishnava devotional philosophy, addressing the formless Absolute with extraordinary depth.
As an ancient Purana, the text is in the public domain and is reproduced here in full, thirty-three verses.
Gajendra Moksha is the great scriptural emblem of sharanagati — total surrender — and of the truth that God responds the instant the devotee lets go of ego and self-effort. It is recited for deliverance from seemingly hopeless situations: grave danger, illness, entanglement, bondage and the fear of death. Devotees chant it for protection of self and family, for release from long-standing troubles, and as a daily reminder that divine grace reaches those who call out in pure helplessness. Tradition holds that reciting it morning and evening removes obstacles and bestows fearlessness and ultimate liberation.
Because Gajendra Moksha is the archetypal prayer for rescue from entrapment, it is a classic remedy for the most binding planetary conditions: Rahu and Ketu afflictions and the Kala Sarpa yoga, where the native feels caught by unseen forces, as well as severe Saturn (Shani) periods and Mangal-related crises. The crocodile gripping the elephant is read as the grip of karmic and graha bondage; Vishnu’s intervention symbolises the breaking of that hold. It is also chanted during Markesh/health-threatening dasha-antardasha for protection. Thursday and Ekadashi, sacred to Vishnu, magnify its effect.
Bathe and sit facing east before an image of Vishnu or Narayana. Light a ghee lamp, offer tulsi leaves and yellow flowers, and invoke Ganesha. Recite the thirty-three verses with concentration and feeling; if time is short, the opening verses (2–9) and verse 26 may be chanted with the resolve to read the full text when able. Conclude with "Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya" and a prayer for protection. For someone in danger or illness, others may recite it on their behalf.
Thursday and Ekadashi are most auspicious; daily recitation in Brahma Muhurta, or both morning and evening, is the traditional ideal for those seeking protection. It is also recited at times of acute crisis, at any hour.
An elephant-king, Gajendra, is seized by a crocodile while bathing. After a long, futile struggle he surrenders completely to God, reciting this hymn; Vishnu appears on Garuda and liberates him. It is from the Eighth Canto of the Srimad Bhagavata Purana.
It embodies absolute surrender and the promise that divine grace rescues those who let go of pride and call out sincerely. It is chanted for deliverance from danger, illness, bondage and fear.
Ideally the full thirty-three verses are recited, but if time is limited the opening surrender-verses may be chanted with devotion and the intention to complete the full text when possible.
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