Dharma Kshetra

Gajendra, the elephant who got liberated by the Lord

Gajendra, who was the king of elephants and a great devotee of Lord Visnu in his past life, reincarnated as an elephant in the forest on the mountain of Trikuta due to a curse. Even in his new life, Gajendra continued his devotion to Lord Visnu in his heart.

One day, Gajendra, along with female elephants and their young ones, went to bathe in the lake situated in the garden called Rtumat, which belonged to the great devotee Varuna.

Just like a person who lacks spiritual knowledge and is too attached to the members of his family, similarly, Gajendra also played with his wife and children in the garden. Indeed, he raised water from the lake with his trunk and sprayed it over them. He greatly enjoyed the labor involved in this endeavor.

The inhabitants of the water were disturbed and a strong crocodile who was King Huhu in his last birth and was cursed by Devala Muni to become a crocodile, became angry at the elephant and attacked the elephant's leg in the water. The elephant was certainly strong and he tried his best to get free from the danger posed by the crocodile.

Seeing Gajendra in that grave condition, his wives felt very sorry and began to cry. The other elephants wanted to help Gajendra, but because of the crocodile's great strength, they could not rescue him. Gajendra, and the crocodile fought by pulling one another in and out of the water, for one thousand years. Upon seeing the fight, the demigods were very surprised.

Thereafter, because of being pulled into the water and fighting for many long years, Gajendra began to lose his mental, sensual, and bodily strength. The crocodile, on the contrary, being an animal of the water, increased in enthusiasm, sensual power, and bodily strength.

Gajendra then thought for a long time and finally reached the following decision. "The other elephants, who are my friends and relatives, could not rescue me from this danger. What then to speak of my wives? They cannot do anything. It is by the will of providence that I have been attacked by this crocodile, and therefore, I shall seek shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is always the shelter of everyone, even of great personalities."

Realizing his helpless situation, Gajendra finally called out to Lord Visnu with deep devotion. In his distress, he composed a beautiful hymn, the Gajendra Stuti, praising the glories of Lord Vishnu and seeking His help.

Hearing Gajendra's sincere and heartfelt prayer, Lord Visnu, mounted on Garuda, and swiftly appeared on the scene. As Lord Visnu swiftly descended, the king of the elephants, Gajendra, picked up a lotus flower from the lake and offered it to Him The Lord, holding His Sudarshana Chakra (discus), approached Gajendra. Lord Visnu severed the crocodile's head from its bodyand Gajendra was freed from the clutches of the crocodile. Overwhelmed with gratitude and devotion, Gajendra bowed before Lord Visnu.

Four kinds of pious men—namely, one who is in danger, one who needs money, one who is inquisitive for the truth, and one who has obtained the truth—begin to take shelter from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Bhagavad Gita 7:16)

Gajendra, in his condition of danger, decided to seek shelter in the lotus feet of the Lord. After considerable thought, he intelligently arrived at the correct decision. Such a decision is not reached by a sinful man. Therefore in Bhagavad-gita, it is said that those who are pious (sukrti) can decide that in a dangerous or awkward condition, one should seek shelter in the lotus feet of krsna. Meanwhile, the sinful (duskrti) do not take shelter of the lotus feet of krsna even under distress.

Even though Gajendra was cursed and was in the body of an elephant, he remembered his prayers and offered them to the Supreme Lord. This demonstrates that devotion to the Supreme Lord is never lost and continues into successive lives. The story also emphasizes the kind and merciful nature of Lord Visnu, who promptly responds to the genuine plea for help from his devotee. Lord Visnu not only liberated Gajendra but also the crocodile who regained his Gandharva body.

(From S´ri¯mad-Bha¯gvatam, Canto 8, Chapter 2)

Credit: https://stories.shabda.co/2024/03/15/the-elephant-gajendras-crisis/