0046/SB 8-1-1

By the arrangement of providence, a strong crocodile once became angry at Gajendra, the King of the elephants, and attacked his leg in the water. Pulling one another in and out of the water, the powerful elephant and the crocodile fought for one thousand years. Because of being pulled into the water and fighting for many long years, Gajendra became diminished in his mental, physical and sensual strength. The crocodile, on the contrary, being an animal of the water, increased in enthusiasm, physical strength and sensual power. At last, Gajendra saw that he was helpless, and he prayed to the Lord for release. Understanding the elephant’s awkward condition, and moved by his heartfelt prayers, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, who lives everywhere, appeared before Gajendra accompanied by the demigods, who were also offering prayers to Him. Gajendra had been forcefully captured by the crocodile in the water and was feeling acute pain, but when he saw that Nārāyaṇa, wielding His disc, was coming in the sky on the back of Garuḍa, he immediately took a lotus flower in his trunk, and with great difficulty due to his painful condition, he uttered the following words: “O my Lord, Nārāyaṇa, master of the universe, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.”