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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.7.16
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A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 16
- śrutvā haris tam araṇārthinam aprameyaś
- cakrāyudhaḥ patagarāja-bhujādhirūḍhaḥ
- cakreṇa nakra-vadanaṁ vinipāṭya tasmād
- dhaste pragṛhya bhagavān kṛpayojjahāra
śrutvāby hearing — by hearing; hariḥthe Personality of Godhead — the Personality of Godhead; tamhim — him; araṇaone who is in need of help-arthinamone who is in need of help — one who is in need of help; aprameyaḥthe unlimitedly powerful Lord — the unlimitedly powerful Lord; cakrawheel — wheel; āyudhaḥequipped with His weapon — equipped with His weapon; patagathe king of the birds (Garuḍa)-rājathe king of the birds (Garuḍa) — the king of the birds (Garuḍa); bhujabeing seated on the wings of-adhirūḍhaḥbeing seated on the wings of — being seated on the wings of; cakreṇaby the wheel — by the wheel; nakrathe mouth of the crocodile-vadanamthe mouth of the crocodile — the mouth of the crocodile; vinipāṭyacutting in two — cutting in two; tasmātfrom the mouth of the crocodile — from the mouth of the crocodile; hastein the hands — in the hands; pragṛhyataking hold of the trunk — taking hold of the trunk; bhagavānthe Personality of Godhead — the Personality of Godhead; kṛpayāout of causeless mercy — out of causeless mercy; ujjahāradelivered him — 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.