Mount Trikuta stood proud with its three mountain peaks,
Glinting with iron, gold and silver streaks.
Dense forests with trees lined,
Lush, green meadows, conifers and pines.
Waterfalls gushed, streams trickled,
The playful sunbeams bounced off and sparkled.
In the valley below, a lake shimmered,
The shadow of blooming lotuses glimmered.
Clear as nectar and refreshingly cool,
A favourite haunt was the waters of this pool.
Gajendra, the elephant king his herd led,
Through the forests, the elephants stomped, they tread.
Fruits and leaves they chomped on the way,
Till they came to the lake by the bay.
The young ones tumbled in like birds free,
Sucked and squirted the water with glee.
Gajendra looked on indulgently,
Let his burly legs in cautiously, gently...
Something in the water stirred and slowly advanced by stealth,
It was 'Makara' the crocodile from the murky depths.
His teeth sank into Gajendra's leg, cutting, sharp,
Caught unawares, Gajendra let out a gasp.
Gajendra's raw power which made others quake
This vicious, tenacious grip failed to shake.
The great Gajendra his might used,
Makara's teeth further into his skin fused.
Makara, the crocodile in a vice-like grip,
Held on to his leg and Gajendra began to slip.
He lifted his trunk with a stifled wail,
The poignant call through the air sailed.
The other elephants at once rushed to his aid,
To rescue him every attempt they made.
They pushed and pulled, with all their strength they tried,
From the clutches of Makara, Gajendra's leg could not be prised.
The herd, its protests, vociferous at first,
Petered off to a feeble outburst.
Sensing the situation as hopeless,
The elephants soon became restless.
One by one they began to leave,
When no imminent change they could perceive.
Gajendra's queen the last reserves drew,
Gathering her drained energy anew.
She worked ceaselessly without a pause,
Not willing to abandon as a lost cause.
She arched her body like a bow,
Balancing her feet, refusing to let go.
Gajendra and his queen gazed into each other's eyes,
Deep sadness within they could not guise.
"The children are afraid, they know not what is in store,.
Your duty is to them, they need you more.
Go without turning dear one,
I promise to join you before the dawn of the sun."
The ears drooped, the eyes lacklustre,
Enough hope from his words, the queen could not muster.
The outline of her babies she could faintly view,
She turned despondently and followed their cue.
Gajendra let out his wounded cries,
Severing it seemed all his earthly ties.
The queen turned not, his words she did abide,
She knew this moment was his alone, he did not want her by his side...
For a thousand years the moons flitted by,
Across the expanse of the darkened sky.
Against the horizon stretching for miles,
The silhouette of Gajendra and the wily crocodile,
Engaged in a struggle futile.
The great Gajendra began to ruminate,
On his present status to contemplate...
" The king I was, mighty once,
Subjects to me paid obeisance.
Where oh where are they now?
No one to do my bidding or before me bow.
My sons, my heirs, my beautiful queen,
Disappeared at my behest.. like an illusion..a 'has been'...
My strength, my power which 'awe' brought,
A 'shadow' now, reduced to naught.
Here I stand alone and bereft,
There is nothing but sheer emptiness left.
Yet ...within me something stirs,
A name, a prayer, a chant in verse..
Deep within it seems to reside,
A soothing calm fills me inside.
From his gut the chant arose,
In musical tones, in waves it rose.
"Aadimoolame! In you I seek refuge!
The protector of the universe from deluge!
Thou art compassionate, merciful, tender,
At your feet, I humbly surrender.
Aadimoolame! Aadimoolame!" Gajendra repeated,
Throughout 'Vaikuntha' this chant reverberated.
Carefully a golden lotus he plucked,
Raised it as an offering in his curled trunk tucked.
Lord Vishnu urgently summoned 'Garuda' his mount,
And before the next second one could count,
He sat on Garuda and hastily flew,
This was the call from a devotee true.
His devotee for Him waited,
Not a moment there was to be wasted.
The conch, the disc dazzling, the body shining blue,
For all the world, a spectacular view.
The disc with lightning speed spun
Makara's mouth split, he lay stunned!
A 'Gandharva', a heavenly musician from the crocodile emerged,
Cleansed of his sins, purified, purged.
He had dared to pull a sage under water,
Was cursed to be a crocodile thereafter.
In Lord Vishnu's hands, he had attained release,
He bobbed up to the clouds with a sense of peace.
Lord Vishnu took a giant leap.
Tenderly He tended to Gajendra's wounds deep.
'Why oh why did I come so late?
Why did I allow my devotee to suffer this fate?" He bemoaned.
"My dear Gajendra, I did not hear you quickly enough,
The going for you has been exceedingly tough.
If I could undo, I would in a trice,
My heart with pain wrenches and cries."
Moved beyond words by the Lord's compassion,
His heart welling with overflowing emotion,
Gajendra to the Lord said,
"My Lord there was one thing I did dread!
Had I without offering you the lotus died,
Of what use would this life have been ?" he cried.
"Writhing you are in this pitiful condition,
Yet you care not, filled as you are with utter devotion.
In the previous life too, you were my devotee,
With great dedication you performed your duty.
Indradyumna, a king you were,
Devout, generous and sincere.
Sage Agasthya was angered, insulted he felt,
Absorbed you were... on me your thoughts dwelt.
'In your next birth," he cursed,
You will be an elephant for better or worse!'
" Blessed I am to be cursed like this!
For you I can see, your feet I can kiss!"
What have I done to gain this honour!
The lotus to you I can humbly offer!"
The Lord then, the lotus with care did lift,
Placed it in His heart for Goddess Lakshmi to sit.
" Unmatched you are in the devotion you show,
Limitless blessings on you I bestow!
In 'Vaikuntha' with honour you will be greeted,
In the centre of my being you will be seated.
From the cycle of birth and death you are released,
To grant '
moksham', 'salvation' to you I am pleased!
A shower of lotus petals on Gajendra rained!
The highest form of 'moksham' from the Lord Himself he had gained.
Footnotes
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Vaikuntha - Lord Vishnu's heavenly abode
Moksham - Release, salvation
Garuda - An eagle which is the mount of Lord Vishnu
Aadimoolam - Name of Lord Vishnu, the protector.
