Srimad Bhagavatam. Canto 8: Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations

Chapter 4: Gajendra Returns to the Spiritual World. Text 6

गजेन्द्रो भगवत्स्पर्शाद् विमुक्तोऽज्ञानबन्धनात् ।
प्राप्तो भगवतो रूपं पीतवासाश्चतुर्भुजः ॥६॥

gajendro bhagavat-sparÅ›Äd
vimukto 'jñÄna-bandhanÄt
prÄpto bhagavato rÅ«paá¹
pÄ«ta-vÄsÄÅ› catur-bhujaḥ

 gajendraḥ - the King of the elephants, Gajendra; bhagavat-sparÅ›Ät - because of being touched by the hand of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vimuktaḥ - was immediately freed; ajñÄna-bandhanÄt - from all kinds of ignorance, especially the bodily concept of life; prÄptaḥ - achieved; bhagavataḥ - of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; rÅ«pam - the same bodily features; pÄ«ta-vÄsÄḥ - wearing yellow garments; catuḥ-bhujaḥ - and four-handed, with conchshell, disc, club and lotus.


Text

Because Gajendra, King of the elephants, had been touched directly by the hands of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he was immediately freed of all material ignorance and bondage. Thus he received the salvation of sÄrÅ«pya-mukti, in which he achieved the same bodily features as the Lord, being dressed in yellow garments and possessing four hands.

Purport

If one is favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead by having his gross body touched by the Lord, his body turns into a spiritual body, and he can go back home, back to Godhead. Gajendra assumed a spiritual body when his body was touched by the Lord. Similarly, Dhruva MahÄrÄja assumed his spiritual body in this way. ArcanÄ-paddhati, daily worship of the Deity, provides an opportunity to touch the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and thus it enables one to be fortunate enough to get a spiritual body and go back to Godhead. Not only by touching the body of the Supreme Lord, but simply by hearing about His pastimes, chanting His glories, touching His feet and offering worship — in other words, by serving the Lord somehow or other — one is purified of material contamination. This is the result of touching the Supreme Lord. One who is a pure devotee (anyÄbhilÄá¹£itÄ-śūnyam), who acts according to the Å›Ästra and the words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, certainly becomes purified. Like Gajendra, he assumes a spiritual body and returns home, back to Godhead.