0030. The Elephant and the Crocodile

From Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita, online at: Internet Archive.

Notes. You can read more about the "Liberation of Gajendra," or Gajendramoksha, at Wikipedia.

Summary: This is the story of Gajendra, the elephant devoted to the god Vishnu.

Read the story below:

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THE ELEPHANT AND THE CROCODILE

(Brooklyn Museum)

There dwelt a royal elephant on the slopes of Triple Peak. He wandered through the forests with his herd of wives. Fevered with the juice exuding from his temples, he plunged one day into a lake to quench his thirst; after drinking deep, he took water in his trunk and gave it to his wives and children. But just then an angry crocodile attacked him, and the two struggled for an endless time, each striving to draw the other toward himself. Piteously the elephants trumpeted from the bank, but they could not help. At last the royal elephant grew weak, but the crocodile was not yet weary, for he was at home in his own element.

Then the royal elephant prayed ardently and with devotion to the Adorable, the Supreme Being; at once came Vishnu, seated upon Garuda, attended by the devas. He drew forth the crocodile and severed its neck with a cast of his discus, and so saved the royal elephant.

This was the working out of an old curse; the elephant was a gandharva who in another life had cursed a rishi who disturbed him at play. That rishi was the crocodile. By another rishi's curse the gandharva had become an elephant.

The elephant of the story stands for the typical human soul of our age, excited by desires; given over too much to sensual pleasure, the demon would have carried him away, he knew not where. There was no salvation for him until he called on Vishnu, who speedily saves all those who call upon him with devotion.