Gajendra's Call

In the middle of the Ocean of Milk stood a beautiful mountain called Trikut. In its valley was a garden of Varun Dev, with a big lake among trees full of flowers and fruit. In that forest lived Gajendra, the king of the elephants, with his family. He was very strong.

One hot day, Gajendra came to the lake with his herd. He drank the cool water that smelled of lotus flowers. He filled his trunk and gave his little ones and the other elephants a shower, and they all played happily.

Suddenly a big crocodile that lived in the lake caught Gajendra's leg and held on tight. Gajendra pulled with all his strength, but his leg would not come free. The other elephants tried hard to help, but no one could free him. Gajendra pulled towards the bank, and the crocodile pulled towards the water. The story says this tug-of-war went on for a thousand years.

Slowly Gajendra grew tired. Then he understood: "My strength, my family, my friends, none of them can save me. Now only Bhagwan is my support." In an earlier life, Gajendra had been a king named Indradyumna, a devotee of Vishnu. A prayer from that life now woke up in his heart. With his whole heart he called out, "O Lord, you are the support of all. I come to you for shelter."

Hearing his devotee's true call, Bhagwan Vishnu came at once, riding on Garuda. When Gajendra saw him coming, he lifted a lotus flower high with his trunk and said softly, "Narayan, teacher of the whole world, I bow to you."

Bhagwan came down from Garuda and pulled Gajendra, crocodile and all, out of the water. Then, with his Sudarshan chakra, he opened the crocodile's jaws and set Gajendra's leg free.

At that very moment, something wonderful happened. The crocodile was really a gandharva named Huhu, who had become a crocodile because of a rishi's curse. By Bhagwan's grace, he was freed from the curse. He returned to his own beautiful form, bowed to Bhagwan and went back to his own world.

Bhagwan blessed Gajendra too. Gajendra received a shining form just like Bhagwan's own, and he went with Bhagwan to Vaikunth.

Even today, many devotees remember Gajendra's prayer in difficult times. It is called the Gajendra Stuti.