Have you read the first part of this story yet? Indradyumna: Falling into the Pit of Pride
Gajendra charismatically ushered his herd to the nearby river. Like any honorable leader, the elephant king patiently waited for each one of his subjects to quench their thirst.
At last, Gajendra waded in and began drinking. As he gleefully frolicked in the river, he suddenly felt something sharp in his feet.
Surprised, he bent down to witness a massive crocodile having taken hold of his feet. The crocodile’s grasp was so powerful that Gajendra was unable to even move his legs. His loyal herd promptly worked hard to try and rescue him from the crocodile’s clutches. One behind the other, they formed an elephant chain and pulled formidably.
But their efforts were fruitless. One crocodile’s strength surpassed that of hundreds of elephants. Gajendra was left to deal with his problem all alone.
Years passed and neither did the crocodile let go nor was Gajendra able to escape. All of a sudden, one day—prompted by the merits of his past life that had been dedicated to Him—Gajendra recited a cry of surrender to the Lord. Knowing Him to be beyond names and forms, beyond time and space, Gajendra held up a beautiful full-bloomed lotus with his trunk and cried out to the One—the origin of all creation, the all-knowing who did not need to be informed of his plight, and the all-powerful who could redeem him from this suffering.
The ever-compassionate Sriman Narayana—the undisputable object of Gajendra’s prayer—flew to Gajendra’s rescue on his vehicle Garuda, the mighty eagle. Majestically releasing his Sudarshana Chakram, Sriman Narayana beheaded the crocodile and rescued Gajendra not only from the clutches of the reptile but also from the clutches of the world.
As they blissfully conversed, Sriman Narayana and Gajendra, the Lord and devotee, mounted Garuda side-by-side and ascended to Srivaikuntham.
Well, who’s this mysteriously powerful crocodile? Find out here!
This story is found in the eighth canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam.
