63- The Full Story of Gajendra Moksha: How Bhagwan Vishnu Rescued the Elephant King from a Crocodile

• Manu's name was Swarochisha. He was the son of Agnidev, and his sons included Dhuman, Sushen, Rochishman, and others.
• The Indra of that Manvantara was named Rochan. The gods were the Tushitgan, and the Saptarishis were sages like Urjastambh.
• In that Manvantara, Bhagwan incarnated as Vibhu from the womb of Tushita, the wife of the sage Vedashira. He remained a brahmachari (celibate) for life, and due to His influence, 88,000 sages also adopted the vow of celibacy.

• Manu's name was Uttam. He was the son of Priyavrat. His sons were Pavan, Sanjay, Yagyahotra, and others.
• The Indra of that Manvantara was Satyajit. The gods were Satya, Vedashrut, Bhadra, etc., and the Saptarishis included Pramad and others (sons of Vashishthaji).
• In this Manvantara, Bhagwan took birth as Satyasen, the son of Dharma and Soonrita. Along with Indra Satyajit, He destroyed the wicked Yakshas, Rakshasas, and Bhutganas (ghostly beings).

• The name of the Manu was Tamasa. He was the brother of Uttam Manu. He had ten sons, including Path, Khyati, Nara, Ketu, and others.
• The Indra of that Manvantara was Trishikh. The gods were Satyak, Hari, Veer, etc., and the Saptarishis included Jyotirdham and others.
• In this Manvantara, the group of deities known as Vaidhriti preserved the Vedas.
• Bhagwan incarnated as Hari, born to Harini, the wife of the sage Harimedha, and He rescued Gajendra (the elephant king) from the clutches of a grah (crocodile).

The Battle Between Gajendra and the Crocodile

Praise of Bhagwan by Gajendra (Gajendra Moksha Stotram)

• Gajendra said:
  I bow to Bhagwan, who is the fundamental cause of the entire universe. He dwells in the hearts of all beings in the form of Purush (the cosmic being) and is the Lord of the whole creation alone. Because of Him, this world appears conscious and active. I meditate on Him with love.
• This entire universe is established in Him, visible through His existence. He Himself pervades this creation and manifests as it, yet He remains completely beyond nature and the world. He is the Self-luminous, self-realised Supreme Soul — I seek refuge in Him.
• This world exists in His Maya (divine illusion) — sometimes visible, sometimes hidden — yet the Supreme Soul always remains an impartial witness. He is the root of all, even His own cause; there is no cause beyond Him. He is beyond all causes and actions — may He protect me.
• When dissolution (Pralaya) occurs, worlds, deities, and their causes perish, leaving only dense darkness; even then, that infinite Supreme Soul remains, transcending all — may that Lord protect me.
• His divine plays (Leelas) are mysterious and unknowable. He assumes many forms, like a drama; neither gods nor sages can fully comprehend His true nature. How can anyone else? May He protect me.
• Great souls, to have His vision, renounce all attachments in the world, observe vows like Brahmacharya (celibacy), and by seeing the soul within all beings, work for the welfare of all. That omnipotent Lord, the God of sages, is my refuge.
• He has no birth, actions, name, or form — so how can qualities and faults be imagined in Him? Yet by His Maya, He assumes these and creates and destroys the universe. I bow to that infinitely powerful Supreme Soul.
• Though formless, He is many-formed; His works are wondrous — I bow to His feet. He is Himself the light and the witness of all — I salute Him. He is beyond mind, speech, and intellect — such a Supreme Soul I repeatedly bow to.
• By renunciation of action or surrender, those wise souls who purify their hearts and attain Him — they are eternally free, of the nature of supreme bliss and knowledge, and capable of liberating others — I bow to that Lord.
• Who embody the three gunas (qualities) — Sattva (pure), Rajas (active), and Tamas (inert) — residing in peaceful, fierce, and deluded states respectively, they are the undifferentiated, impartial, and knowledge-filled Lord. I repeatedly bow to them. You are the Lord of all, knower of all fields, and the all-witness — I salute You.
• You Yourself are the cause — You are the root form of Purush and Prakriti (premordial nature) — I repeatedly bow to You. You perceive all senses and their objects, are the basis of all perceptions — from Your existence, this world of Maya appears — You shine in all — I bow to You.
• You are the cause of all, yet Yourself causeless — and still without any defect — hence You are a unique cause — I repeatedly bow to You.
• Just as all rivers merge into the ocean, You are the essence of all Vedas and scriptures — You are the embodiment of liberation — saints seek refuge in You — I bow to You.
• Just as fire is hidden inside the wood, so have You concealed Your knowledge beneath the veil of qualities — through the disturbance of qualities, You create many universes. Yogis and renunciates who transcend scriptures by experiencing the Self within have You appear in their hearts — I bow to You.
• Just as a compassionate person frees a creature caught in a net, You cut the bonds of devotees who seek refuge — You are eternally free, supremely compassionate, and affectionate towards devotees — I bow at Your feet.
• You reside in the hearts of all as the soul — You are all-powerful, infinite, and full of glory — I salute You. Those attached to body, sons, teacher, home, wealth, etc., find You hard to attain — because You are free from attachment to qualities — but the liberated ones constantly meditate on You in their hearts — I bow to You.
• For the attainment of Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha, people worship You and receive all. You grant them even the imperishable body like Your own — You are supremely merciful — please save me.
• Your exclusive devotees ask nothing from You—not even liberation—they remain immersed only in Your auspicious divine plays. You are infinite, indestructible, omnipotent, beyond the senses, and subtle—attainable through Jnana Yoga (knowledge) and Bhakti Yoga (devotion). I bow to You.
• From a mere fraction of Your self, Brahma, the Vedas, the moving and non-moving creations, and countless names and forms emerge, just as flames arise from fire and rays from the sun, merge again — similarly, intellect, mind, senses, and body arise from You and merge into You again.
• You are neither deity nor demon, neither male nor female, neither hermaphrodite nor ordinary or extraordinary being, no qualities, no actions, no work, no cause. When all negations end, what remains is You — You are everything — manifest for my salvation.
• Now I do not want to live — this elephant’s body is covered inside and outside by the veil of ignorance — what can I do with this? I want to be free from that ignorance which covers the self-luminous soul — this is possible only by Your grace and true knowledge — therefore I take refuge in You — You who are unborn, the Supreme Abode, beyond the universe yet manifest as it — I bow to You.
• Through Yog, yogis burn away actions, desires, and their fruits and attain the vision of the Lord of Yog with a pure heart—I bow to them.
• O Lord! You are the mighty mover of the three gunas — Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. You appear as objects of the senses — those whose senses are not restrained cannot attain You. Your power is infinite, You are the protector of the surrendered — I repeatedly bow to You.
• Your Maya covers the nature of the soul with ego, due to which the soul does not know its own nature — Your glory is boundless — I seek refuge in that all-powerful Bhagwan.

Gajendra's Deliverance from the Clutch of the Crocodile

The Past Lives of Gajendra and the Crocodile