॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Thursday, 2 February 2023 VIII.04 - The story of how Gajendra had been born and his final journey. Bhagavan's instruction to the world.
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Shuka now explains that the crocodile himself was a Gandharva called Huhu who had been under a curse. He was now liberated by Bhagavan, did ardent obeisance to Him, and proceeded to his former abode.
What about Gajendra? His story is very interesting. In his previous birth, Gajendra was the king of Dravida Pandya Desha (current-day southern Tamil Nadu!) and was called Indradyumna. He was a great devotee of Bhagavan. In his later years, he decided to become an ascetic and relinquished his kingdom. He was meditating in the forest one day when he was visited by the great Sage Agastya with his disciples. Immersed in deep meditation, the king did not even acknowledge the arrival of the great sage, let alone offer to him the essential ceremonious hospitality. Sage Agastya was incensed. I think the sage had not indeed approved of the king's taking up the ascetic life even, running away from his kingly duties. Now, this slight was too much to bear. Therefore Sage Agastya cursed him:
तस्मा इमं शापमदादसाधुरयं दुरात्माकृतबुद्धिरद्य ।
विप्रावमन्ता विशतां तमिस्रं यथा गज: स्तब्धमति: स एव ॥
T: Agastya said:" This King Indradyumna is not at all gentle. Being low and uneducated, he has insulted a sage.. May he therefore enter the region of darkness and receive the dull, dumb body of an elephant."
Indradyumna, a devotee, accepted the curse cheerfully and took birth as an elephant. He remembered nothing except continuing to cherish in his bosom a devotion to Bhagavan Sri Hari.
Bhagavan's touch instantly released Gajendra now from his animal janma and he became a Parshada of Bhagavan Maha Vishnu, i.e. the status of an attendant in Vaikuntha of the Lord. He assumed a divine body with four-arms. He gloriously paryed to the Lord, and as all the gods from Brahma and Shiva were celebrating this great act of compassion from Bhagavan in coming to release his devotee Gajendra and grant him the high status of a Parshada, Gajendra in his new form was ushered into Vaikuntha by Garuda himself.
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Before the episode concluded, Bhagavan wanted to close with an instruction to all.
इदमाह हरिः प्रीतो गजेन्द्रं कुरुसत्तम ।शृण्वतां सर्वभूतानां सर्वभूतमयो विभुः ॥
T: "King Parikshit! Bhagavan who was very pleased now spoke these words to Gajendra and all the gods present as well as for the benefit of all creatures."
श्रीभगवानुवाच
ये मां त्वां च सरश्वेद॑ गिरिकन्द्रकाननम् ।वेत्रकीचकवेणूनां गुल्मानि सुरपादपान ॥
शुज्नाणीमानि धिष्ण्यानि ब्रह्मणो मे शिवस्य च ।क्षीरोद॑ मे प्रियं धाम श्वेतद्वीपं च भास्वरम् ॥
श्रीवत्सं कौस्तुभं मालां गदां कौमोदकी मम ।सुदशन पाञ्चजन्यं सुपर्ण पतगेश्वरम् ॥
दोष॑ च मत्कलां सूक्ष्मां श्रियं देवीं मदाश्रयाम् ।ब्रह्माणं नारदमृषिं भवं प्रह्मदमेव च ॥
मत्स्यकूर्मवराहायैरवतारैः कृतानि मे । कर्माण्यनन्तपुण्यानि सूर्य सोम॑ हुताशनम् ॥
प्रणव॑ सत्यमव्यक्त गोविप्रान धर्ममव्ययम् ।दाक्षायणीर्धर्मपत्नी: सोमकश्यपयोरपि ॥
गज्जां सरस्वती नन््दां कालिन्दीं सितवारणम् ।ध्रुव बह्मऋषीन सप्त पुण्यछोकांश्व मानवान् ॥
उत्थायापररात्रान्ते प्रयताः सुसमाहिताः ।स्मरन्ति मम रूपाणि मुच्यन्ते होनसो इईखिलात् ॥
ये मां स्तुवन्त्यनेनाज्ञ प्रतिबुध्य निशात्यये ।तेषां प्राणात्यये चाहं ददामि विमलां मतिम् ॥
श्रीशुक उवाच
इत्यादिश्य हृषीकेशः प्रध्माय जलजोत्तमम् ।हषयन् विबुधानीकमारुरोह खगाधिपम् ॥
T: Bhagavan Sri Hari spoke:
"Gajendra! Those who in their morning prayers remind themselves of Me, of you, this lake, and this forest with its caves, trees and thickets of bamboo and cane—Will be freed from all sins. One should remember these mountains."
"Also worthy of remembrance for the purification of one's mind are the following: these mountain peaks constituting the stations of Brahma, Shiva and Myself (hence called Trikuta); the milk Ocean where I have my abode; the luminous continent of Swetadveepa so dear to Me, the Srivatsa mark on My chest. the Kaustubha My necklace, Vanamala My floral garland, Kaumodaki My mace, Sudarsana My discus. Panchajanya My conch, Garuda My vehicle, Shesha My subtle part, and Sridevi My Power Inseparable from me, My son Brahma, My devotee Rishi Narada."
"My part Shiva (Bhava) and (he greatest of the Bhagavatas, Prahlada, My incarnations like fish, tortoise, boar and others and the countless acts of spiritual glory performed by these incarnate divinities; and My manifestations consisting of the sun. moon and fire; the Mantra Om, the cosmic truth. the Pradhana or root matter too shall be remembered."
"Also cows. holy men, and the eternal Dharma; the daughters of Daksha who married the Rishi Dharma, Chandra and Rishi Kasyapa; the rivers Ganga, Saraswati, Nanda and Kalindi (Yamuna) and the white elephant Airavata; Dhruva, the Saptarshis, the Brahmarshis and other holy men..."
"—if all the above-mentioned places, objects and personages are remembered in the morning with the firm conviction that they are My parts, those who do so will be freed from all their sins."
"To those who extol me at the close of the night i.e. before day-break, with this hymn that you have sung just now, I grant a pure understanding before the end of their lives!"
This is the essence of prayer according to the Srimad Bhagavatam, told in Bhagavan's own words!
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Sri Shuka concluded the story by saying that after this conversation with Gajendra and everyone else present, Bhagavan Maha Vishnu, the Prime Mover of all consciousness, mind, senses, and everything else, sounded His divine conch to the great delight of the Devas and then ascended Garuda, His vehicle, to depart to Vaikuntha.
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
