Gaja means

Expressions researched:
"Gaja means"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Gaja means also elephant.

Lecture on SB 1.15.38 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1973:

So five thousand years ago the king was so perfect, and there was one king who was ruling all over the... In the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, from all parts of the world, the subordinate kings they joined to cooperate with either of the parties, Pāṇḍavas and the Kurus. So bhūmer abhyaṣiñcat. Abhiṣeka. Abhyaṣiñcat. Just like we install Deity. We bathe the Deity with so many waters. Similarly, during installation of the king, the same ceremony takes place. Before the prince or the emperor sits on the throne, the same ceremony, abhiṣeka ceremony, is performed. Therefore it is said, abhyaṣiñcat, Gajāhvaye. Gajāhvaye means Hastināpura. Hasti means elephant. So because it is Hastināpura, therefore the name... And gaja means also elephant. It is named after elephant. There were many elephants. Just like Gokula. Kṛṣṇa's planet is known as Gokula. There are many cows, surabhī cows. Go means cow. Similarly, this capital of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Hastināpura, may be taken that there were many elephants. Formerly the kings used to maintain. Otherwise who will maintain elephants? Suppose I bring one elephant, I present to you, will you accept? You will be finished. (laughs) You can keep one dog, "Gow! Gow! Gow!" but if I say, I present you one elephant, "Please keep it," "No, sir. No, sir, it is not possible." So who will maintain?

Gaja means elephant.

Lecture on SB 7.7.40-44 -- San Francisco, March 20, 1967:

They were all sons of big chieftains and ministers, and he was himself the son of the king, Hiraṇyakaśipu. Therefore he was speaking from his own standard. He says that kim u vyavahitāpatya-dārāgāra-dhanādayaḥ. Apatya means we are expanding. We are single. Now we are expanding by our children, apatya. And dāra means wife. The Sanskrit word strī... Strī means woman, and the root meaning of strī means "which expands." As soon as you have got wife, you expand yourself. You are one, and as soon as you get your wife, you become three, four, five. So strī means that helps me expanding. That is the root meaning. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that what is the use by expanding your attachment to this material world by children? Apatya-dāra. Dārāgāra. Dāra means wife, and āgāra means house. Dārāgāra-dhanadayaḥ. Dhanādayaḥ means riches. These are our expanding processes. And rājya, kingdom. Rājya. Kośa. Kośa means treasury. These are concerned with government. Government wants to expand. Rājya, kośa, and gaja. Gaja means elephant. The royal orders, they keep elephants. Especially in India, those who are princely order, they must keep at least dozens of elephants, and many thousands of horses. That is royal opulence. So rājya-kośa-gajāmātya. Amātya means minister, and bhṛtya, bhṛtya means servants, and āptā mean friends. That means, in other words, Prahlāda Mahārāja says that there is no necessity of expanding these material opulences. (end)

Initiation Lectures

Gaja means elephant.

Talk, Initiation Lecture, and Ten Offenses Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Just catch him. Oh. Aravindākṣa is Kṛṣṇa's name. So Aravinda dāsa, your name. Aravinda dāsa brahmacārī. Now we have forgotten to chant the preliminary mantras. Vande ahaṁ śrī guru... (chants mantras, devotees respond) (japa) Bow down.

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

Śrīvāsa... Now, you are finished. Take it. Your name is Gajendra.

Gajendra: Gajendra?

Prabhupāda: Yes. G-a-j-e-n-d-r-a. Gajendra. Gaja means elephant, and indra means king. King of the elephants.

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Prabhupāda: So there was a great devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa who was king of the elephants. So you shall bring some elephants for us for preaching work. Come on. You have got printed ten kinds of offenses? They should be... To avoid the offenses.

Madhudviṣa: Right here.

Revatīnandana: Here it is, Prabhupāda. Should I read, Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Gaja means elephant.

Garden Conversation -- June 8, 1976, Los Angeles:

Nalinīkaṇṭha: That's described in the third chapter: ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā.

Prabhupāda: Ah, thank you. This is the disease. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). The rascal, he is bewildered, vimūḍhātmā, on account of false egotism. Just like we are inviting everyone: Please come and learn Bhagavad-gītā. "Huh! Bhagavad-gītā, let us go the sea and swim." Surfer, surfer? They are taking so much trouble. I have not see here; in Hawaii. For hours together, struggling with waves. I've seen it South Africa also. Very fond of this surf sporting. So they are wasting so much time and laboring so hard just to become fish. Yes, they are going to be fish. Because at the time of death they'll think of "How I am jumping in the water, surfing." That is natural. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6). Because he has constantly thought over his sporting, naturally he'll think of sporting in the water. So this gross body when finished, his mental, intellectual and false ego will carry him to become a fish, and he'll have full freedom how fish is jumping within the water, going against the waves. A small fish can go against the waves. There is a Hindi poetry that a small fish can go against the big waves, whereas a big elephant is washed away. This is practical. Bahiya jāya(?) gajarāja. Gajarāja means, gaja means elephant. In big waves, if you put an elephant, he'll be washed away. But a small fish, he'll go against the waves. He's expert. This example is given that the fish, although he's very small, he's off the water. He's under the water. Therefore he's so powerful. He can go against the waves. That means āśraya. If one takes shelter of the supreme powerful, he also becomes powerful. The example is given, the small fish, it has no power, but because he has taken shelter of the water, it can go against big waves, whereas a big elephant, he'll be washed away, because he has not taken shelter. He has not taken shelter of the water. He is, on the land he is very powerful, but in the water he has no power. So according to different circumstances, we become powerful. A person, he was given the opportunity of human being to understand God, his position in relationship with God.