||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 95 – The legend of Gajendra Moksham -1

The human intellect has the inexplicable skill to search happiness and comfort in the outer world as well as within oneself, the Srimad Bhagavatham teaches about the search of happiness within oneself and achieves a balanced state of mind that could handle any challenging situation and remain untouched by happiness or sorrow. The human intellect can effortlessly switch over from happiness to sorrow, positive thoughts to negative thoughts and weakness to courage, etc. it can confront the situation with extreme fear and courage as well. 

The legend of Manvanthara talks about “who’s the eminent one?” A person who is sacrificed all the material comforts and undergoes penance in the woods, or person living in all the material comforts without giving importance to it, performing his duties and responsibilities and contemplating upon supreme Lord.

Shuka Bhramam speaks “ Oh! Rajan, Swayambhuva Manu after ruling the Kingdom wisely for several years, withdrawn to woods with Devi Shatharoopa,  in order to contemplate upon supreme Lord.  Swayambhuva Manu speaks “ Oh! Devi, The supreme Lord who illuminates the whole Universe, but the Universe cannot shed light on him, he is all-pervading, witnessing all that happening in the Universe, and even the Vedas are incapable to describe the ultimate truth, Drik and Dhrishya are two different things, He is Drik/who makes us understand what’s seen/it is neither eyes, nor the intellect, but the existence of supreme soul causes to understand what has been seen, Dhrishya is the scene.  The intellect can absorb sounds and visions, the supreme soul is beyond sounds or vision, it can be experienced, not seen or heard.  Oh! Devi, the presence of supreme Lord as a soul in us causes to experience all that happening in and around us.  The Supreme Lord who resides as a soul has no beginning or end, everything in the universe undergoes constant transformations, he is eternal, he is not bound by the changes, he is permanent truth.”

Shuka Bhrama continues “ Oh! Rajan, listen to me carefully, there was Mount Thrikoota which was flourished land with rich natural resources, inhabited by the wild animals.  The mountain was surrounded by beautiful landscapes, lush green land, rivers, ponds and streams, trees and plants in abundance.  It was the shelter place of all the wild animals, birds and reptiles; they took great pleasure in that attractive wood of Mount Thrikoota.  There was a large number of elephants led by a strong and powerful elephant Gajendra, he was Indra of Gajas indeed.  The elephants took great pleasure in the company of Gajendra and enthusiastically moved all over the woods.  The years passed, the forest started to face calamities and destruction of natural resources.  They had to face extreme famine and drought, so the elephants decided to leave the place under the guidance of Gajendra who led them to a lush green land.  As soon as they entered in the new forest, they could sense the fragrance of lotus flowers, chirping of birds, etc.., they saw a beautiful pond crammed with fully bloomed lotus flowers.  All the elephants were overjoyed and took great pleasure in the beautiful pond.  Gajendra took a trunk full of water and sprayed over the elephants accompanied and they have passed hours and hours taking great enthusiasm in the water sport while spraying water upon his children and wives, Gajendra forgot to notice sometimes wedged on his leg.  Soon he realized that it was a crocodile, he withered in pain, moved the leg here and there.  In the meantime his children and wives finished their water sport, quenched their first and got on the land, they did not notice Gajendra who was withering in pain, the water has changed its color, gave out the appearance of a pool of blood.  Gajendra understood, even though he is a powerful animal on the land, the crocodile is small in size has great strength in the water.  Gajendra put all efforts to pull out the leg from the mouth of the crocodile were ended in failure, he looked upon the large number 0f elephants on the land started to move on their way.  Suddenly, the elephants turned back and saw Gajendra in the pond filled in the blood; he has no more strength to get out of the pond.  The family of Gajendra, a group of elephants put an effort to pull him with their trunk, but nothing could get him out of the water, instead, he was drowning to water with great speed.  Ultimately elephants left their hold, finding their efforts are unsuccessful, and they pitifully looked at Gajendra and left the place.  Gajendra realized that no one could help him other than the supreme Lord; the piousness earned in the previous births reminded him to call out supreme Lord for help.  His intellect encouraged him to fight against the trap of crocodile, he understood none could help him other the supreme Lord.  Gajendra contemplated upon supreme Lord and eulogized."