Gajendra Moksha (2)

 Srimad Bhagavatam - Gajendra Moksha (2)     

A thousand years passed, Gajendra, the elephant leader, caught by the alligator, struggled to free itself. Gajendra recollected his spiritual progress acquired in the previous birth as King Indradyumna. 

King Indradyumna of the Pandya dynasty was well versed in scriptures. He ruled the kingdom for a long time and later relinquished it to his sons. Once, Sage Agastya visited him to facilitate his spiritual enhancement. However, Indradyumna failed to recognise it and all the more ignored him. Sage Agastya cursed him to become an elephant.

The prayers offered by Indradyumna in Gajendra's body are as follows:

Since I cannot speak, I offer mental salutations to you, represented by the syllable ‘OM’. 

The entire creation that we see is created by You. You existed before the creation and will exist after it ceases (Chaitanya Swaroopa).

This creation is various forms of You. Yet, You are unattached to it. Your actions are hard to understand for ordinary mortals.

This world will last for a few more period and our time is very much less. Everything and everyone will perish, and what remains is mere darkness. You live alone away from darkness.

Even great Sages are unable to fully know about You. How will I, an elephant, be able to understand You? 

Though You see us, we are unable to recognise You. 

We do not know when You were born, Your characteristics or actions.

You take innumerable forms and have unlimited strength.

 We can attain You with our minds. However, the mind should not be involved in any action, be it mental or physical.

You are the source of everything and act as a shade. You are like a fire hidden in the wood.

I surrender to You, the Nithya Mukta. I do not know anything about devotion and its form. A single minded devotee enjoys the bliss and asks for no boons. I am not mature enough to attain that stage.

I do not seek freedom from this alligator. I have given up the desire to live. What will I achieve in this elephant life?

I seek freedom from ignorance and pray to know the ultimate truth of the unborn Supreme Spirit.

Hearing the heartfelt prayers of Gajendra, Lord Srihari instantly left Vaikunta on Garuda. Other Gods too accompanied Him. Seeing Srihari from a distance, Gajendra takes a lotus from the pond and offers it to Him. 

Seeing Gajendra afflicted with pain, Srihari gets down from Garuda swiftly and, out of compassion, pulls Gajendra from the pond. Srihari kills the alligator using His discus and releases Gajendra.   

 

This alligator was in its previous birth a gandharva by name, ‘Huhu’. The gandharva, along with many others, were sporting in a lake. Just then, Sage Devala entered the lake for a bath. The haughty gandharva pulled Sage’s leg under the water. The sage cursed him that he would be thrown into the womb of an alligator. This curse was released by Srihari.

Source: Bhagavatha Mahapurana