SrI:
Dear Srivaishnavas,
Quite an interesting discussion.
The pages which cover this topic 'gajendra
moksham' under the caption 'The flying squad' from the book "The
Choice is Yours - Part1" of SrI.K.Sadagopaniyengar, are here .... With
author's kind permission, adiyen is sending this for your reading
pleasure.
The author has written (and is writing) many such
interesting articles. He is one of the members of Srirangasri advisory
board.
-dAsan
Dear Bhagavathas,
Jai Sreemannarayana.
I listened to
this episode of Gajendra about 50 years back in my child hood at the age of 6
or 7. That time the chrocodile was villan and the elephant was a humble
devotee and he should have been rescued and recognised by Lord Vishnu much
much earlier. THE LORD DELAYED. Probably I was biassed that elephant was
string, yet vegitarian and chrodile snaches everyithing that innocently
crosses accross its stream. Adding 50 more years of "ALL KINDS OF KNOWLEDGE",
still I am biassed to Gajendra. I am not able to accept vegitarians /
non-vegitarians, strong / weak, all races, animals, living and non living
things are all His creation and for the Lord IT IS "OUR OWN DEEDS, KARMA and
PHALAM" (cause, process and effect) across many lives of the ATHMAN. There was
great response to your query on this web post(all valid) to your
inquisitiveness, still I wanted to add little more. If you observe carefully
over past 2000 or 3000 years mankind has struggled to pass on the knowlege
they gained to next generations in various forms. Thus VEDAS was born and
episodes, stories, music and songs, art and paintings, theatre, efective ways
to remember and continue His WILL and process of creation. Yet complete or
incomplete (no one knows), but He is complete.
You can look at the
episode of GAJENDRA in may ways. With my limited knowledge, I venture to show
FIVE ways, you may understand this. (1) Gajendra strugled a lot, until his
energies are OVER and in other words his egos are killed. Then he said --
"Neeve thappa ithah paramberuga(
Pothanna Teulgu Bhagavatham)" --
meaning I do not know any thing other than You (Lord) and You (Lord) alone.
(2) Gajendra fought with the chrocodile for length of time taking a enemy
attitude. Not realising the other creature is also His. You will see at the
end of the episode even the crocodile was given moksham by Lord
Sreemannarayan. (3) Probably Gajendra was aware of his strengths and wished
not to trouble Lord and exausted his energies in fighting the creature for
1000 years (1000 is only symbolic for long time), not knowing the strengths of
other. (4) Lord has (PASS) tested his devotee and given him ad US such a
MESSAGE that He is the ultimate and with energy or without, we are His. (5)
Finally SARANAGATHI - sarva dharman parithyajya - maamekam saranam vraja - to
teach this in the form of a ever memorable GAJENDRA MOKSHAM. Gajedra, when
nearing Lord RANGANATHA - left all his kingdom, wives, property, energy and
ego to realize Lord RANGANATHA (Vishnu). Our ALWARS who were sepearated by
Lord's will came to earth to enlighten US, preached BHAKTHI, through their
DIVYAPRABANDHAM s and never wanted anything other than His Lotus feet and
reunion with HIM (our only Lord RANGANATHA. And BHAKTHI alone is the way to
Lord. Saint Thyagaraja also says "Sangeetha gyanamu - Bhakti vinaa - Vere
sanmargamu galade". Meaning - Knowledge of music (samavedam) and devotion to
Lord is the way of life and nothing wlse is life.
Wishing you al the
best for making many like me to think a little on Lord Ranganatha and Alwars.
Ever humble to all devotees - Peesapati V V S Chari
Web site -
http://etemples.net
P V V S Chari