What is the story of Gajendra Moksha? Gajendra, king of the elephants, was seized by a crocodile in a lake and fought until his strength was gone. He lifted a lotus and called on the Lord, and Vishnu came on Garuda and freed him.
The story
Gajendra, king of the elephants, went with his herd to a lotus lake on Mount Trikuta. A crocodile seized his leg in the water. The herd tried to pull him out and could not, and they left him one by one.
The struggle went on until Gajendra’s strength was gone. Knowing that nothing he had could save him, he lifted a lotus in his trunk and called out to the Lord who has no beginning. The prayer he offered is the Gajendra Stuti, which many people still recite in times of trouble.
Vishnu came on Garuda and cut the crocodile with the Sudarshana chakra. Both were freed. The crocodile had been a Gandharva under a curse, and the elephant had been King Indradyumna, cursed by sage Agastya. Gajendra rose to Vishnu’s own realm.
What it teaches
Sources
- Bhagavata Purana, Book 8.
The puja families link with this story
Questions devotees ask us
Where does the story of Gajendra Moksha come from?
It is told in the Bhagavata Purana, Book 8. Retellings differ in small details from region to region.
What does this story teach?
When your own strength runs out, turn to God.