The elephant Gajendra

 

The following article is based on notes I made while preparing for Srimad Bhagavatam class here in Sridhama Mayapur India. 

 

“Now, fully desiring release from material life, I offer my respectful obeisances unto that Supreme Person who is the creator of the universe, who is Himself the form of the universe and who is nonetheless transcendental to this cosmic manifestation. He is the supreme knower of everything in this world, the Supersoul of the universe. He is the unborn, supremely situated Lord. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.”

 

This is just one verse out of the 33 verses Gajendra the elephant spoke in supplication to The Lord. Gajendra was attacked by a crocodile while sporting in the waters of a beautiful lake in the heavenly realm. It is interesting to note that authoritative scriptures give detailed descriptions of life in realms of the higher and lower planets. In the higher planetary systems there is a standard of enjoyment greater than we experience on earth but the earthly region is said to have just the right balance of happiness and distress that makes it conducive for practicing spiritual life, ie. We can’t get too comfortable here. Neither is it so distressful that we are not able to practice Krsna consciousness.

Gajendra was enjoying so much in that idyllic setting he was actually intoxicated.  There he was surrounded by his she elephants and children plus the rest of the herd, when danger struck.  Being an animal of the land he was not able to fight the crocodile, an animal of the water, with full strength.  The other elephants tried as they might to pull him free from the clutches of the crocodile but to no avail. Gajendra struggled in that distressful condition fighting for a long, long time.  But in his helpless state he suddenly remembered a prayer he had recited in a previous life.

 Previously he had been a great king, Indradyumna Maharaja, who had retired  from ruling and gone to meditate in the forest.  Agastya Rishi, a great sage, came by with his followers but the king did not notice him and greet him as is the custom. Therefore the sage cursed the king to take the dull body of an elephant.  This was actually a blessing in disguise for Indradyumna Maharaja as he would come to pray to the Lord who would finally appear to deliver him.

This is a section of the book “Brilliant As the Sun”(English).

To buy the complete book, click here

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