Eighth Canto Chapter Four
In this chapter, the previous birth of Elephant Gajendra is explained.
Maharishi Śuka continued, “Soon after Gajendra obtained liberation, Brahma, Rudra along with other Devatas, all the supreme Maharishis and Gandharvas greatly extolled the Supreme Lord and rained flowers upon Him. They beat the celestial kettle drums. Gandharvas danced in great joy. Maharishis, Cāraṇās and accomplished Siddhas sang hymns in His praise.
To everybody’s astonishment, the crocodile that was killed by the Lord took on a strange form. Due to a curse, King Hūhū, the best among celestials known as Gandharvas, had transformed into a crocodile. Now due to the grace of the Supreme Lord Srihari, he was relieved from his curse and he regained his earlier form as a Gandharva.
Srihari is the Lord of the universe. He is indestructible and is of great renown. He is the storehouse of all renown. His transcendental qualities are praiseworthy. His stories are most worthy of listening. King Hūhū, who was redeemed from his curse, now bowed his head in reverence before the Supreme Lord and sang His glories. Due to Srihari’s grace he was now totally absolved of all his sins. He circumambulated the Supreme Lord and even as Brahma and all other Devatas were watching, returned to his abode.
Due to the Lord’s touch, Gajendra was totally freed from the bondage called spiritual ignorance. He obtained oneness in form with the Lord. Like Srihari he too now had four arms and was decked in golden yellow clothing.
In his previous birth, Gajendra was the celebrated King by name Indradyumna, the king of Pandya kingdom, located in Southern India (dravida). He was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu and took immense delight in conducting rituals pertaining to this Lord. He diligently abided by all stringent disciplines.
This King, who possessed absolute mind control, left his kingdom and taking up the vow of silence (mouna) became an ascetic. Building a hermitage upon a mountain and growing long locks, he was engaged in strict austerities.
One morning, having completed his bath, he was completely immersed in worship of the Supreme Lord Achyuta when, due to God’s will, all of a sudden Maharishi Agastya arrived at his hermitage accompanied by all his disciples. Srihari, who resides as the Self within everyone, is also known as Achyuta.
Indradyumna, who was seated in a solitary place in absolute silence, did not even offer water and other customary offerings to the sage. In fact, he did not even greet the great sage. Seeing him, who was sitting motionless in great silence, Maharishi Agastya was angered. He cursed,
‘Since this wicked person is not of refined samskāras, he has insulted a Maharishi of my cadre. As he has a dull, slow intellect like that of an elephant, may he be reborn as an elephant and enter into the intense darkness called spiritual ignorance!” saying this Maharishi Agastya together with his disciples walked away.
King Indradyumna who heard the curse uttered by the saint, accepted it as the will of the Supreme Lord. Thereafter he was reborn as an elephant. Even as an elephant he could remember that he has to offer worship to the Supreme Lord. This could happen solely because in his past life he had offered devotional services to the Lord with great love. The Supreme Lord rescued Gajendra from the clutches of a crocodile and appointed him as one of His primary attendants. Together with Gajendra, Lord Vishnu mounted his vehicle Garuda and left for His sacred abode. Seeing this astonishing feat all the Devatas, Gandharvas, Siddhas, Cāraṇās and Maharishis glorified the Lord.
O Emperor Parikshit, you are the most supreme person of the noble Kuru lineage. I have narrated to you the glory of the Supreme Lord who granted liberation to Gajendra. Those who listen to this pious story will be rewarded with heaven and fame. This story dispels the evil effects of this Kali yuga and drives away bad dreams. The person who seeks to dispel bad dreams and obtain auspiciousness should wake up in the early hours of the day and with absolute purity should chant this glory of the Lord as it truly exists.
O Emperor! The Supreme Lord exists in the form of the innumerable living beings. Such Supreme Lord was very pleased with Gajendra. In great happiness and in the presence of all living beings He addressed Gajendra and said,
“O Gajendra! The person who wakes up in the early hours of the morning and after purifying himself, who with absolute concentration and dedication chants my divine glories will undoubtedly be redeemed from all his sins.
O Gajendra! You, this sacred pond, the mountains, the caves, forests, the gardens, the cane plants, the bamboo groves, hibiscus and other celestial trees, the abodes of Shiva, Brahma and Myself, the milk-ocean which is supremely dear to me, these 3 mountain peaks, Śvetadvīpa island which is My residence, my Kausthuba gem, my Vyjayanti māla (garland), my Srivatsa gem, my club Kaumodaki, my Sudarshana discus, conch Pancajanya, my vehicle Gaurda who is the king of birds, Adi śeṣa who is my partial aspect, Lakshmi who has sought shelter under me, Brahma, Shiva, Maharishi Nārada, Prahlada, Sun, Moon, Fire, Om-kāra, truthful speech, illusory energy, cows, learned Vedic scholars, the indestructible dharma, daughters of Daksha who are the wives of Dharma, Moon and Kaśyapa, rivers such as Ganga, Yamuna, Alaknanda and Saraswati, the mighty elephant Airavata, Dhruva, Maharishi Vasistha and other great sages, Nala and other pious human beings are my forms alone!
Those who remember all of them and those who remember My transcendental sports displayed during My incarnations such as Matsya, Kurma, Varaha and others will obtain limitless merit (punya).
O Gajendra! I will bless the person, who soon upon waking up in the early hours of the morning chants this hymn which was sung by you, with a pure intellect that destroys spiritual ignorance at the time of his death.
Having preached in this manner, Srihari, the Lord of the senses, blew his conch. He thus pleased the Devatas and then, mounting his vehicle Garuda, returned to his abode Vaikunṭha.
With this the fourth chapter of the eighth canto comes to an end.