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TEXT 9
manye dhanabhijana-rupa-tapah-srutaujas-
tejah-prabhava-bala-paurusa-buddhi-yogah
naradhanaya hi bhavanti parasya pumso
bhaktya tutosa bhagavan gaja-yutha-paya
SYNONYMS
manye—I consider; dhana—riches; abhijana—aristocratic family; rupa—personal beauty; tapah—austerity; sruta—knowledge from studying the Vedas; ojah—sensory prowess; tejah—bodily effulgence; prabhava—influence; bala—bodily strength; paurusa—diligence; buddhi—intelligence; yogah—mystic power; na—not; aradhanaya—for satisfying; hi—indeed; bhavanti—are; parasya—of the transcendent; pumsah—Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhaktya—simply by devotional service; tutosa—was satisfied; bhagavan—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; gaja-yutha-paya—unto the King of elephants (Gajendra).
TRANSLATION
Prahlada Maharaja continued: One may possess wealth, an aristocratic family, beauty, austerity, education, sensory expertise, luster, influence, physical strength, diligence, intelligence and mystic yogic power, but I think that even by all these qualifications one cannot satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. However, one can satisfy the Lord simply by devotional service. Gajendra did this, and thus the Lord was satisfied with him.
PURPORT
No kind of material qualification is the means for satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As stated in Bhagavad-gita, only by devotional service can the Lord be known (bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]). Unless the Lord is pleased by the service of a devotee, the Lord does not reveal Himself (naham prakasah sarvasya yoga-maya-samavrtah [Bg. 7.25]). This is the verdict of all sastras. Neither by speculation nor by material qualifications can one understand or approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
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