Chapter Four
Gajendra Returns to the Spiritual World
TEXT 7
sa vai pūrvam abhūd rājā
pāṇḍyo draviḍa-sattamaḥ
indradyumna iti khyāto
viṣṇu-vrata-parāyaṇaḥ
SYNONYMS
saḥ—this elephant (Gajendra); vai—indeed; pūrvam—formerly; abhūt—was; rājā—a king; pāṇḍyaḥ—of the country known as Pāṇḍya; draviḍa-sat-tamaḥ—the best of those born in Draviḍa-deśa, South India; indradyumnaḥ—by the name Mahārāja Indradyumna; iti—thus; khyātaḥ—celebrated; viṣṇu-vrata-parāyaṇaḥ—who was a first-class Vaiṣṇava, always engaged in the service of the Lord.
TRANSLATION
This Gajendra had formerly been a Vaiṣṇava and the king of the country known as Pāṇḍya, which is in the province of Draviḍa [South India]. In his previous life, he was known as Indradyumna Mahārāja.
TEXT 8
sa ekadārādhana-kāla ātmavān
gṛhīta-mauna-vrata īśvaraṁ harim
jaṭā-dharas tāpasa āpluto ’cyutaṁ
samarcayām āsa kulācalāśramaḥ
SYNONYMS
saḥ—that Indradyumna Mahārāja; ekadā—once upon a time; ārādhana-kāle—at the time of worshiping the Deity; ātmavān—engaged in devotional service in meditation with great attention; gṛhīta—taken; mauna-vrataḥ—the vow of silence (not talking with anyone); īśvaram—the supreme controller; harim—the Personality of Godhead; jaṭā-dharaḥ—with matted locks; tāpasaḥ—always engaged in austerity; āplutaḥ—always merged in love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead; acyutam—the infallible Lord; samarcayām āsa—was worshiping; kulācala-āśramaḥ—he made his āśrama in Kulācala (the Malaya Hills).
TRANSLATION
Indradyumna Mahārāja retired from family life and went to the Malaya Hills, where he had a small cottage for his āśrama. He wore matted locks on his head and always engaged in austerities. Once, while observing a vow of silence, he was fully engaged in the worship of the Lord and absorbed in the ecstasy of love of Godhead.
TEXT 9
yadṛcchayā tatra mahā-yaśā muniḥ
samāgamac chiṣya-gaṇaiḥ pariśritaḥ
taṁ vīkṣya tūṣṇīm akṛtārhaṇādikaṁ
rahasy upāsīnam ṛṣiś cukopa ha
SYNONYMS
yadṛcchayā—out of his own will (without being invited); tatra—there; mahā-yaśāḥ—very celebrated, well-known; muniḥ—Agastya Muni; samāgamat—arrived; śiṣya-gaṇaiḥ—by his disciples; pariśritaḥ—surrounded; tam—him; vīkṣya—seeing; tūṣṇīm—silent; akṛta-arhaṇa-ādikam—without offering a respectful reception; rahasi—in a secluded place; upāsīnam—sitting in meditation; ṛṣiḥ—the great sage; cukopa—became very angry; ha—it so happened.
TRANSLATION
While Indradyumna Mahārāja was engaged in ecstatic meditation, worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the great sage Agastya Muni arrived there, surrounded by his disciples. When the Muni saw that Mahārāja Indradyumna, who was sitting in a secluded place, remained silent and did not follow the etiquette of offering him a reception, he was very angry.
TEXT 10
tasmā imaṁ śāpam adād asādhur
ayaṁ durātmākṛta-buddhir adya
viprāvamantā viśatāṁ tamisraṁ
yathā gajaḥ stabdha-matiḥ sa eva
SYNONYMS
tasmai—unto Mahārāja Indradyumna; imam—this; śāpam—curse; adāt—he gave; asādhuḥ—not at all gentle; ayam—this; durātmā—degraded soul; akṛta—without education; buddhiḥ—his intelligence; adya—now; vipra—of a brāhmaṇa; avamantā—insulter; viśatām—let him enter; tamisram—darkness; yathā—as; gajaḥ—an elephant; stabdha-matiḥ—possessing blunt intelligence; saḥ—he; eva—indeed.
TRANSLATION
Agastya Muni then spoke this curse against the King: This King Indradyumna is not at all gentle. Being low and uneducated, he has insulted a brāhmaṇa. May he therefore enter the region of darkness and receive the dull, dumb body of an elephant.
PURPORT
An elephant is very strong, it has a very big body, and it can work very hard and eat a large quantity of food, but its intelligence is not at all commensurate with its size and strength. Thus in spite of so much bodily strength, the elephant works as a menial servant for a human being. Agastya Muni thought it wise to curse the King to become an elephant because the powerful King did not receive Agastya Muni as one is obliged to receive a brāhmaṇa. Yet although Agastya Muni cursed Mahārāja Indradyumna to become an elephant, the curse was indirectly a benediction, for by undergoing one life as an elephant, Indradyumna Mahārāja ended the reactions for all the sins of his previous life. Immediately after the expiry of the elephant’s life, he was promoted to Vaikuṇṭhaloka to become a personal associate of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, in a body exactly like that of the Lord. This is called sārūpya-mukti.
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