SB8.2.25

TEXT 25

vigahya tasminn amrtambu nirmalam

hemaravindotpala-renu-rusitam

papau nikamam nija-puskaroddhrtam

atmanam adbhih snapayan gata-klamah

SYNONYMS

vigahya—entering; tasmin—into the lake; amrta-ambu—water as pure as nectar; nirmalam—crystal clear; hema—very cold; aravinda-utpala—from the lilies and lotuses; renu—with the dust; rusitam—which was mixed; papau—he drank; nikamam—until fully satisfied; nija—own; puskara-uddhrtam—drawing with his trunk; atmanam—himself; adbhih—with water; snapayan—bathing thoroughly; gata-klamah—was relieved of all fatigue.

TRANSLATION

The King of the elephants entered the lake, bathed thoroughly and was relieved of his fatigue. Then, with the aid of his trunk, he drank the cold, clear, nectarean water, which was mixed with the dust of lotus flowers and water lilies, until he was fully satisfied.

SB8.2.26

TEXT 26

sa puskarenoddhrta-sikarambubhir

nipayayan samsnapayan yatha grhi

ghrni karenuh karabhams ca durmado

nacasta krcchram krpano ’ja-mayaya

SYNONYMS

sah—he (the leader of the elephants); puskarena—with his trunk; uddhrta—by drawing out; sikara-ambubhih—and sprinkling the water; nipayayan—causing them to drink; samsnapayan—and bathing them; yatha—as; grhi—a householder; ghrni—always kind (to the members of his family); karenuh—to his wives, the female elephants; karabhan—to the children; ca—as well as; durmadah—who is too attached to the members of his family; na—not; acasta—considered; krcchram—hardship; krpanah—being without spiritual knowledge; aja-mayaya—because of the influence of the external, illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

TRANSLATION

Like a human being who lacks spiritual knowledge and is too attached to the members of his family, the elephant, being illusioned by the external energy of Krsna, had his wives and children bathe and drink the water. Indeed, he raised water from the lake with his trunk and sprayed it over them. He did not mind the hard labor involved in this endeavor.

SB8.2.27

TEXT 27

tam tatra kascin nrpa daiva-codito

graho baliyams carane rusagrahit

yadrcchayaivam vyasanam gato gajo

yatha-balam so ’tibalo vicakrame

SYNONYMS

tam—him (Gajendra); tatra—there (in the water); kascit—someone; nrpa—O King; daiva-coditah—inspired by providence; grahah—crocodile; baliyan—very powerful; carane—his foot; rusa—angrily; agrahit—captured; yadrcchaya—occurring due to providence; evam—such; vyasanam—a dangerous position; gatah—having obtained; gajah—the elephant; yatha-balam—according to his strength; sah—he; ati-balah—with great endeavor; vicakrame—tried to get out.

TRANSLATION

By the arrangement of providence, O King, a strong crocodile was angry at the elephant and attacked the elephant’s leg in the water. The elephant was certainly strong, and he tried his best to get free from this danger sent by providence.

SB8.2.28

TEXT 28

tathaturam yutha-patim karenavo

vikrsyamanam tarasa baliyasa

vicukrusur dina-dhiyo ’pare gajah

parsni-grahas tarayitum na casakan

SYNONYMS

tatha—then; aturam—that grave condition; yutha-patim—the leader of the elephants; karenavah—his wives; vikrsyamanam—being attacked; tarasa—by the strength; baliyasa—by the strength (of the crocodile); vicukrusuh—began to cry; dina-dhiyah—who were less intelligent; apare—the other; gajah—elephants; parsni-grahah—grasping him from behind; tarayitum—to free; na—not; ca—also; asakan—were able.

TRANSLATION

Thereafter, seeing Gajendra in that grave condition, his wives felt very, very sorry and began to cry. The other elephants wanted to help Gajendra, but because of the crocodile’s great strength, they could not rescue him by grasping him from behind.

SB8.2.29

TEXT 29

niyudhyator evam ibhendra-nakrayor

vikarsator antarato bahir mithah

samah sahasram vyagaman mahi-pate

sapranayos citram amamsatamarah

SYNONYMS

niyudhyatoh—fighting; evam—in this way; ibha-indra—of the elephant; nakrayoh—and the crocodile; vikarsatoh—pulling; antaratah—in the water; bahih—outside the water; mithah—one another; samah—years; sahasram—one thousand; vyagaman—passed; mahi-pate—O King; sa-pranayoh—both alive; citram—wonderful; amamsata—considered; amarah—the demigods.

TRANSLATION

O King, the elephant and the crocodile fought in this way, pulling one another in and out of the water, for one thousand years. Upon seeing the fight, the demigods were very surprised.

SB8.2.30

TEXT 30

tato gajendrasya mano-balaujasam

kalena dirghena mahan abhud vyayah

vikrsyamanasya jale ’vasidato

viparyayo ’bhut sakalam jalaukasah

SYNONYMS

tatah—thereafter; gaja-indrasya—of the King of the elephants; manah—of the strength of enthusiasm; bala—the physical strength; ojasam—and the strength of the senses; kalena—because of years of fighting; dirghena—prolonged; mahan—great; abhut—became; vyayah—the expenditure; vikrsyamanasya—who was being pulled (by the crocodile); jale—into the water (a foreign place); avasidatah—reduced (mental, physical and sensory strength); viparyayah—the opposite; abhut—became; sakalam—all of them; jala-okasah—the crocodile, whose home is the water.

TRANSLATION

Thereafter, because of being pulled into the water and fighting for many long years, the elephant 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.

PURPORT

In the fighting between the elephant and the crocodile, the difference was that although the elephant was extremely powerful, he was in a foreign place, in the water. During one thousand years of fighting, he could not get any food, and under the circumstances his bodily strength diminished, and because his bodily strength diminished, his mind also became weak and his senses less powerful. The crocodile, however, being an animal of the water, had no difficulties. He was getting food and was therefore getting mental strength and sensual encouragement. Thus while the elephant became reduced in strength, the crocodile became more and more powerful. Now, from this we may take the lesson that in our fight with maya we should not be in a position in which our strength, enthusiasm and senses will be unable to fight vigorously. Our Krsna consciousness movement has actually declared war against the illusory energy, in which all the living entities are rotting in a false understanding of civilization. The soldiers in this Krsna consciousness movement must always possess physical strength, enthusiasm and sensual power. To keep themselves fit, they must therefore place themselves in a normal condition of life. What constitutes a normal condition will not be the same for everyone, and therefore there are divisions of varnasrama—brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa. Especially in this age, Kali-yuga, it is advised that no one take sannyasa.

asvamedham gavalambham
sannyasam pala-paitrkam
devarena sutotpattim
kalau panca vivarjayet