Image: Krishna – Puskar Paintings
Indradyumna had experienced enough of his worldly and materialistic life as a king. The Pandya ruler wanted to spend the remainder of his life immersing himself in the worship of Sriman Narayana.
So, he decided to retire to the forest and live in a humble hermitage. He ate minimally, dressed simply, and primarily engaged himself in service of the Lord. One day, as Indradyumna was meditating upon Sriman Narayana, an extraordinary sage named Agastya came to see him.
Indradyumna noticed the sage’s arrival yet remained seated. He too was an ascetic, the king reasoned. Why did he have to stand up and honor Agastya by disturbing his own meditation? But Indradyumna failed to realize that he was in no way equal to the great sage Agastya.
The compassionate Agastya took pity on Indradyumna. In spite of being so virtuous, the king had fallen into the trap of pride. Agastya decided to give Indradyumna a second chance. “Oh, king, your next birth shall be that of an elephant, an animal known for its pride,” he declared.
Indradyumna immediately realized his mistake. He rushed from his seat and fell at the feet of Agastya, begging for forgiveness.
Agastya, being compassionate once again, softened the curse. “Dear king, at the end of your animal birth, Sriman Narayana himself shall rescue you from the clutches of this world.”
As per the curse of Agastya, Indradyumna was born as an elephant. His characteristics from his previous royal life had come along with him, so the elephant quickly proved himself to be the most suitable leader of his group. He lived happily with his herd, until one day…
Continue reading the story: Gajendra’s Surrender
