Shloka 22

Gajendra's Deliverance — Gajendra’s Deliverance and the Protective Power of Remembrance (Japa)

Devanagari script

तृषितः पातुकामो ऽसौ अवतीर्णश्च तज्जलम् सलीलः पङ्कजवने यूथमध्यगतश्चरन्

Transliteration

tṛṣitaḥ pātukāmo 'sau avatīrṇaśca tajjalam salīlaḥ paṅkajavane yūthamadhyagataścaran

Translation

“Thirsty and wishing to drink, he descended into that water. Moving playfully in the lotus-grove, he wandered about, having entered the midst of his herd.”

Speakers

• Narrator voice within the Purāṇic dialogue (exact interlocutors not specified in the excerpt)

Key Themes

• Sacred waters and liminal danger
• Herd-life and vulnerability
• Setting for a sudden calamity (grāha motif)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "shringara", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What is the narrative function of the lotus-grove (paṅkajavana)?

A lotus-grove marks a rich, attractive water habitat—beautiful yet potentially perilous. In Purāṇic storytelling it often becomes the stage for hidden threats (like a grāha/crocodile) and for the revelation of a site’s sacred power.

Does “that water” (taj-jalam) imply a known tirtha?

Yes. In māhātmya chapters, demonstratives like “that water” typically refer back to a previously identified lake/pond/tīrtha in the surrounding passage. The excerpt alone preserves the action but not the proper name.

Why mention the herd (yūtha) explicitly?

It heightens pathos and realism: the animal is not isolated but among companions, which sets up communal distress and amplifies the dramatic impact of the impending attack.