Hūhū Gandharva

Hūhū was a gandharva, a celestial singer. The ṛṣi Devala cursed him to become a crocodile (makara). In that form Hūhū seized the leg of the great elephant Gajendra at the lake on Trikūṭa mountain. This began the long struggle that ended when Bhagavān Viṣṇu came down and freed Gajendra. The Vāmana Mahā Purāṇa tells this in Chapter 58.

The curse

Hūhū was bathing in a holy lake when the ṛṣi Devala came. The Vāmana Purāṇa records that Hūhū behaved improperly in the ṛṣi’s presence during the bath. Devala was angry. He cursed Hūhū to become a makara (crocodile). The celestial gandharva had to live as a fearsome reptile in the waters. (Vāmana Mahā Purāṇa, Chapter 58)

As the crocodile

In his crocodile form, Hūhū lived in the great lake on Trikūṭa mountain. The noble elephant Gajendra, who was himself under an earlier curse, came to the lake with his herd. Hūhū caught Gajendra’s leg in his strong jaws.

The elephant and the crocodile then fought for thousands of years. Gajendra’s strength was nearly gone when he called on Bhagavān Viṣṇu. (Vāmana Mahā Purāṇa, Chapter 58)

Liberation

Bhagavān Viṣṇu came down to rescue Gajendra. He killed the crocodile. At the moment the crocodile died, Hūhū was freed from the curse and had his gandharva form again.

Bhagavān Viṣṇu’s one act set both free. The elephant was freed from the crocodile. The gandharva was freed from the birth as a reptile. (Vāmana Mahā Purāṇa, Chapter 58)

Sources

• Vāmana Mahā Purāṇa, Chapter 58