Gajendra Moksha (Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa)

This episode is told by Mārkaṇḍeya to Vajra in the Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa. The gandharva Hāhā, cursed by Devala, lived as the elephant Gajendra. A great crocodile seized him in a lake on the mountain Śṛṅgavanta. When every effort failed, he took refuge in Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa. He offered a lotus and sang a great stotra (hymn of praise). Bhagavān Vishṇu came at once, killed the crocodile with his cakra and freed both. The chapter gives the full Gajendra Stava, one of the great stotras of liberation in the Purāṇas.

The mountain Śṛṅgavanta and the lotus lake

In Jambūdvīpa stands the great kula-parvata (chief mountain) Śṛṅgavanta. Its three peaks rise to touch the sky, and each shines with its own precious stone. The middle peak is made of all jewels (sarvaratnamaya) and is the home of Brahmā. The golden peak belongs to Sūrya. The silver peak is the home of Candra.

The mountain cannot be reached by the ungrateful (kṛtaghnas), by the nāstikas (those who deny the sacred), or by those who have not done tapas. Only virtuous beings see it and reach it.

In the middle of Śṛṅgavanta, in a wide hollow, lies a lotus lake of rare beauty. It is deep like the mind of a sādhu (a holy man), and clear and useful to the pure. The lake sparkles with blooming red lotuses. Bees hum over it like the sound of tūrya (musical instruments). White geese glide on it. The wind scatters pollen from the open flowers. The whole lake shines like a second sky, covered with bright stars made of lotus cups and petals. The waves seem to dance, and the lake rings with the calls of krauñca birds, the songs of the bees and the laughter of the rippling water.

Gajendra and the crocodile

The gandharva Hāhā had been cursed by Devala to become an elephant. He roamed Śṛṅgavanta as Gajendra, the king of an elephant herd. One day he led his herd (yūtha) of young elephants and their female companions to the lotus lake. The whole procession filled the air with the scent of their mada as they crossed the mountain. Gajendra walked at the head, playing in great majesty.

He went into the lotus lake to drink. Hūhū the crocodile was hiding unseen in the depths. Devala had cursed him too, and he lived in that form. The grāha (crocodile) suddenly seized Gajendra’s leg with great force. Gajendra trumpeted and pulled. The crocodile held tighter and pulled the other way.

The whole herd watched and could not help. The struggle went on. Gajendra pulled with all his elephant strength (gaja-bala). The crocodile used its strength of the water (jalamaya-bala). In the water the crocodile was stronger. On land the elephant had the advantage. Neither could win. The struggle wore Gajendra out, and he came to the end of his strength.

The lotus offering and śaraṇāgati

At the last extremity Gajendra turned inward. He was devoted to Nārāyaṇa (Nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa). In an earlier existence he had been a tāpasvin (one who does tapas) of great puṇya (merit). At that moment his ātmā remembered its true refuge.

With his trunk he reached into the lake and drew out one great lotus (kamalā-rāja). He held it high and offered it in his mind, with full bhakti, to Kṛshṇa-Nārāyaṇa. This was śaraṇāgati (taking refuge). Then he began his stotra.

Gajendra Stava

Gajendra praised Bhagavān Vishṇu with these words.

Namaskāra (a bow) to Nārāyaṇa, who became Vāmana for a purpose, the destroyer of asuras. Namaskāra to the holder of the Śārṅga bow, the cakra, the sword and the mace, to that Purushottama.

Namaskāra to the Ādya (the first), the Vedasadana (the seat of all the Vedas), the Mahāsarpa (the great serpent Ananta), the Siṃha (Narasiṃha), the destroyer of all daityas. He has four arms and is praised by Brahmā, Indra, Rudra, the munis and the cāraṇas. Namaskāra to Acyuta, best of the devas, the giver of vara.

To him who loves to rest and sit on the coils of the king of nāgas. His colour is like milk, gold, a green parrot and a dark cloud. He wears yellow robes (pītāmbara). He is the slayer of Madhu and Kaiṭabha and the beloved of devotees. He holds the blazing Sudarśana Cakra. From his navel rose a lotus with four-faced Brahmā. He is adorned with a crown and armlets set with many gems. He is Sarveśvara, Vijaya and Nara. To him I bow.

To the Viśva-svarūpa (whose form is the whole world), who is himself the final cause, whose lotus eyes are wide and open, whose strength could not be tested even by Indra, the Yogīśvara, the supreme, to Mahāvarāha, I offer unending praṇāma.

To him who is the highest goal (gati) for all the worlds, the shelter of the thirty-three devatās, the goal of Brahmā himself. His own nature is ahiṃsā, satya, asteya and brahmacarya. He is the supreme end, the Dharmagati. I bow always.

The Acintya (beyond thought), the Avyakta (unseen), the Anantarūpa (of endless forms) Nārāyaṇa, the cause (kāraṇabhūta), the Ādideva, who remains at the end of all yugas, the ancient Purusha Vāsudeva, in him I take refuge.

He who cannot be seen by ordinary means, who cannot be analysed, who has no beginning, middle or end, the Brahma-nidhi (the treasury of the Vedas), the Sureśa, the eternal Purusha, in Vāsudeva I take refuge.

That Īśvara in whom the imperishable Brahman is declared by all, hearing whose name even once a living being is freed from the mouth of Mṛtyu, that supreme, perfect, pure, eternal Vishṇu, I shall reach him.

He for whom Kārya, Kriyā and Kāraṇa (the work, the act and the cause) are all himself, the Aprameya (beyond measure), whose hands hold the golden lotus, the great-armed, the Vedeśa (master of the Vedas), Suravara, Vishṇu, in him I take refuge.

With arms adorned with jewelled ornaments, with nishkas (gold ornaments) of priceless worth, with the whole body set with gems, the wearer of yellow robes, who shines with golden ornaments, the wearer of the vanamālā (garland) of lotuses, Keśava-svāmin, I take refuge.

In the Bhavodbhava (the source of all who are born), the Veda-vidvarishṭha, the Yoga-Sāṃkhya-vidvarishṭha, whose light fills Āditya, Candra, the Aśvinī devatās and all living beings, in that All-Ātman, in him I take refuge.

In the Śrīvatsa-aṅka (marked with Śrīvatsa), the Mahādeva, the secret of the Vedas, the one beyond whom none is higher, the Sūkshma (subtle), the Acala (unmoving), the giver of what the devotee’s heart wants, I take refuge. In the cause of all the worlds (Sarvaloka-kāraṇa), who appears as having guṇas (qualities) while within remaining without them (nirguṇa), the highest goal of all who are free from attachment and of the yatis, Bhagavān Vishṇu, the Surādhyaksha, the Akshara, the lotus-eyed (Pushkara-ekshaṇa), I take refuge.

In the Brahmakāla-jñāna-rūpa, the Trilokeśa (master of the three worlds), the Ādya, the One alone, the Anamaya (free from disease), the Ātman of all beings, Madhusūdana, in him I take refuge.

In the Kshetrajña (the pure witness-consciousness within the body), the Purusha (he who abides in the pura, the body), Vishṇu (he who pervades all directions), the Sarva-antaryāmin (the inner guide of all), the Triguṇātīta (beyond the three guṇas), the Avyaya Nārāyaṇa, the Aṇīyāṃsa (subtler than the subtle), Hari, I take refuge.

To the One who alone is, the Lokatantra (the weaver of the world), the Parātpara (higher than the highest), the Sahasraśiras (of a thousand heads), Ananta, the Mahātman, namaskāra.

That Vareṇya (the most worthy), that Śreshṭha (the best), whom the masters of the Vedas (veda-pāragūs) call Abhava (the birthless), the Sanātana, in him I take refuge.

O Puṇḍarīkāksha, namaskāra to you! O Bhaktābhaya-prada (giver of fearlessness to devotees), namaskāra! O Subrahmanya, namaskāra! Protect me, who have taken refuge in you.

Bhagavān Vishṇu comes and frees them

Hari, the holder of the cakra and mace, was moved by Gajendra’s bhakti and by this amogha-stava (praise that never fails). He appeared at once. He freed Gajendra from the crocodile’s grip by cutting the crocodile with his cakra. Then he freed the elephant Gajendra from all his pāśas (bonds): the crocodile’s grip and also the bonds of saṃsāra.

Gajendra, the gandharva Hāhā born again as an elephant, gave up his elephant birth (gaja-janma). He reached moksha and rose to svarga. The crocodile Hūhū, killed by the cakra of Bhagavān Vishṇu, took back his gandharva form at the same moment. He was freed from Devala’s śāpa and also went up. Both put aside their animal forms and appeared in divine form (divya-rūpa), in divine clothes. A divine vimāna (flying chariot) came for them. They boarded it and left for the upper worlds.

At that moment the devas gathered. The ṛshis chanted Vedic padas (word-verses). Indra and the groups of devas folded their hands (añjali). Bhagavān Vishṇu was praised again by all those gathered. Then he departed, and all the divine beings, devas and elephants alike, were filled with wonder and devotion.

The phalaśruti

Mārkaṇḍeya tells Vajra what comes to those who remember this account of the freeing of the elephant and the crocodile. The same holds for those who remember the mountain Śṛṅgavanta with its bamboo groves, the Aśvattha tree, Bhāskara, the Gaṅgā, Naimishāraṇya, Prayāga, Brahmatīrtha and Daṇḍakāraṇya. They will gain the grace of Bhagavān Vishṇu. They will escape the stain of evil dreams (dussapna-dosha) and be freed from all pāpa (sin). Those who recite or hear this holy account (puṇya-kathā) with śraddhā (faith) will be freed from all pāpa and reach the highest goal.

Sources

• Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapter 194: Gajendra Moksha, the Gajendra Stava and the phalaśruti