Adhyaya 4

Verse 1

श्रीशुक उवाच तदा देवर्षिगन्धर्वा ब्रह्मेशानपुरोगमा: । मुमुचु: कुसुमासारं शंसन्त: कर्म तद्धरे: ॥ १ ॥

Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: When the Lord delivered Gajendra, the demigods, sages, and Gandharvas—led by Brahmā and Śiva—praised Hari’s deed and showered flowers upon both the Lord and Gajendra.

Verse 2

नेदुर्दुन्दुभयो दिव्या गन्धर्वा ननृतुर्जगु: । ऋषयश्चारणा: सिद्धास्तुष्टुवु: पुरुषोत्तमम् ॥ २ ॥

Celestial kettledrums resounded, and the Gandharvas danced and sang. Great sages, the Cāraṇas, and the Siddhas offered prayers to Puruṣottama, the Supreme Person.

Verse 3

योऽसौ ग्राह: स वै सद्य: परमाश्चर्यरूपधृक् । मुक्तो देवलशापेन हूहूर्गन्धर्वसत्तम: ॥ ३ ॥ प्रणम्य शिरसाधीशमुत्तमश्लोकमव्ययम् । अगायत यशोधाम कीर्तन्यगुणसत्कथम् ॥ ४ ॥

Hūhū, the foremost of the Gandharvas, had become a crocodile by the curse of Devala Muni. Now, delivered by the grace of the Supreme Lord, he at once assumed a wondrously beautiful Gandharva form. Knowing by whose mercy this had occurred, he bowed his head in reverence to the imperishable Uttamaśloka and began to sing prayers glorifying the Lord’s fame and kīrtana-worthy virtues.

Verse 4

योऽसौ ग्राह: स वै सद्य: परमाश्चर्यरूपधृक् । मुक्तो देवलशापेन हूहूर्गन्धर्वसत्तम: ॥ ३ ॥ प्रणम्य शिरसाधीशमुत्तमश्लोकमव्ययम् । अगायत यशोधाम कीर्तन्यगुणसत्कथम् ॥ ४ ॥

Hūhū, the foremost of the Gandharvas, had become a crocodile by the curse of Devala Muni. Now, delivered by the grace of the Supreme Lord, he at once assumed a wondrously beautiful Gandharva form. Knowing by whose mercy this had occurred, he bowed his head in reverence to the imperishable Uttamaśloka and began to sing prayers glorifying the Lord’s fame and kīrtana-worthy virtues.

Verse 5

सोऽनुकम्पित ईशेन परिक्रम्य प्रणम्य तम् । लोकस्य पश्यतो लोकं स्वमगान्मुक्तकिल्बिष: ॥ ५ ॥

Favored by the causeless mercy of the Supreme Lord and restored to his original form, King Hūhū circumambulated the Lord and offered obeisances. Then, before the demigods headed by Brahmā, he returned to Gandharvaloka, freed from all sinful reactions.

Verse 6

गजेन्द्रो भगवत्स्पर्शाद् विमुक्तोऽज्ञानबन्धनात् । प्राप्तो भगवतो रूपं पीतवासाश्चतुर्भुज: ॥ ६ ॥

Because Gajendra, king of the elephants, was touched directly by the Lord’s own hands, he was at once freed from the bondage of ignorance. Thus he attained sārūpya-mukti, receiving a form like the Lord’s—clad in yellow garments and endowed with four arms.

Verse 7

स वै पूर्वमभूद् राजा पाण्ड्यो द्रविडसत्तम: । इन्द्रद्युम्न इति ख्यातो विष्णुव्रतपरायण: ॥ ७ ॥

This Gajendra had formerly been a Vaiṣṇava, the king of Pāṇḍya in the Draviḍa region. In his previous life he was known as Mahārāja Indradyumna, devoted to vows and worship of Lord Viṣṇu.

Verse 8

स एकदाराधनकाल आत्मवान् गृहीतमौनव्रत ईश्वरं हरिम् । जटाधरस्तापस आप्लुतोऽच्युतं समर्चयामास कुलाचलाश्रम: ॥ ८ ॥

Indradyumna Mahārāja withdrew from household life and lived in an āśrama on Kula-ācala (the Malaya Hills). Wearing matted locks and practicing austerity, he constantly worshiped Hari. Once, while observing a vow of silence, he became wholly absorbed in the adoration of Acyuta, immersed in the ecstasy of divine love.

Verse 9

यद‍ृच्छया तत्र महायशा मुनि: समागमच्छिष्यगणै: परिश्रित: । तं वीक्ष्य तूष्णीमकृतार्हणादिकं रहस्युपासीनमृषिश्चुकोप ह ॥ ९ ॥

Just then, by chance, the greatly renowned sage Agastya arrived there, surrounded by his disciples. Seeing Mahārāja Indradyumna seated in seclusion, silent and not offering the customary reception, the ṛṣi became exceedingly angry.

Verse 10

तस्मा इमं शापमदादसाधु- रयं दुरात्माकृतबुद्धिरद्य । विप्रावमन्ता विशतां तमिस्रं यथा गज: स्तब्धमति: स एव ॥ १० ॥

Then Agastya Muni uttered this curse upon the King: “This King Indradyumna is not gentle; he is wicked at heart and of crude understanding. Having insulted a brāhmaṇa, let him enter the realm of darkness and obtain the dull, mute body of an elephant.”

Verse 11

श्रीशुक उवाच एवं शप्‍त्वा गतोऽगस्त्यो भगवान् नृप सानुग: । इन्द्रद्युम्नोऽपि राजर्षिर्दिष्टं तदुपधारयन् ॥ ११ ॥ आपन्न: कौञ्जरीं योनिमात्मस्मृतिविनाशिनीम् । हर्यर्चनानुभावेन यद्गजत्वेऽप्यनुस्मृति: ॥ १२ ॥

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King, having thus cursed him, the venerable Agastya departed with his disciples. The rajarṣi Indradyumna, understanding it to be the will of the Supreme Lord, accepted that curse as auspicious.

Verse 12

श्रीशुक उवाच एवं शप्‍त्वा गतोऽगस्त्यो भगवान् नृप सानुग: । इन्द्रद्युम्नोऽपि राजर्षिर्दिष्टं तदुपधारयन् ॥ ११ ॥ आपन्न: कौञ्जरीं योनिमात्मस्मृतिविनाशिनीम् । हर्यर्चनानुभावेन यद्गजत्वेऽप्यनुस्मृति: ॥ १२ ॥

Thereafter he entered the womb of an elephant, a birth that destroys one’s self-remembrance. Yet by the potency of his worship of Hari, even in an elephant’s body he retained the memory of how to adore the Lord and offer prayers.

Verse 13

एवं विमोक्ष्य गजयूथपमब्जनाभ- स्तेनापि पार्षदगतिं गमितेन युक्त: । गन्धर्वसिद्धविबुधैरुपगीयमान- कर्माद्भ‍ुतं स्वभवनं गरुडासनोऽगात् ॥ १३ ॥

Having delivered the king of elephants from the crocodile’s grip—and from the crocodile-like snare of material existence—the lotus-naveled Lord granted him sārūpya-mukti and the status of an eternal attendant. As Gandharvas, Siddhas, and the devas sang of His wondrous deeds, the Lord, seated upon Garuḍa, returned to His marvelous abode, taking Gajendra with Him.

Verse 14

एतन्महाराज तवेरितो मया कृष्णानुभावो गजराजमोक्षणम् । स्वर्ग्यं यशस्यं कलिकल्मषापहं दु:स्वप्ननाशं कुरुवर्य श‍ृण्वताम् ॥ १४ ॥

O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, I have described to you Kṛṣṇa’s wondrous power, shown in the deliverance of the king of elephants. O best of the Kuru dynasty, those who hear this narration become fit for the higher worlds, gain renown as devotees, remain untouched by Kali-yuga’s taint, and are freed from evil dreams.

Verse 15

यथानुकीर्तयन्त्येतच्छ्रेयस्कामा द्विजातय: । शुचय: प्रातरुत्थाय दु:स्वप्नाद्युपशान्तये ॥ १५ ॥

Therefore, those who seek their own welfare—pure dvijas, and especially Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇas—should rise in the morning and chant this sacred narration exactly as it is, without alteration, to pacify the distress of bad dreams and other troubles.

Verse 16

इदमाह हरि: प्रीतो गजेन्द्रं कुरुसत्तम । श‍ृण्वतां सर्वभूतानां सर्वभूतमयो विभु: ॥ १६ ॥

O best of the Kuru dynasty, Hari—the all-pervading Lord, the Supersoul present within all beings—being pleased, spoke to Gajendra as all who were there listened.