Taalab mein ek haathi khel raha tha — haathiyon ka raja, apne parivaar ke saath. Kamal ke phoolon ke beech, thande paani mein, harnon ki chhaya mein. Us din use kya pata tha ki paani ke neeche maut uske pairon ka intezaar kar rahi hai.
Yeh tha Trikuta parvat — us par Ritumat ka divya udyaan, aur udyaan mein ek sundar sarovar — kamal-dalon se bhara, hanson se goonjta. Wahan rehta tha Gajendra — haathiyon ka raja. Vishaal, balwaan, sundar — hazaaron haathi uske anuyaayi the. Woh sarovar mein utarta to paani hilorein leta — itna pratapi tha woh.
Lekin Gajendra pehle haathi nahi tha. Woh tha Raja Indradyumna — dakshin ka dharmatma raja, Vishnu ka parambhakt. Ek din woh pooja mein leen tha — aankhein band, man Bhagwan mein. Tabhi rishi Agastya aaye — dvaar par khade rahe. Raja ne unhe dekha tak nahi — dhyaan itna gehra tha. Agastya ko krodh aa gaya — 'Haathi jaisi jadi-buddhi paao — smritiheen yoni mein jaao!' Aur raja haathi ban gaya. Katha kehte hain — shraap bhi kabhi-kabhi mukti ka dwaar hota hai.
Haathi ban kar bhi Gajendra ne apni bhakti nahi chhodi. Roz subah woh sarovar se kamal tod kar — soondh se upar utha kar — mano Bhagwan ko arpit karta. Haathiyon ka raja tha — lekin man se ab bhi wahi Raja Indradyumna tha — Vishnu ka bhakt.
Us sarovar mein ek magarmachchh rehta tha — pehle janm mein woh Gandharva Huhu tha, rishi Devala ke shraap se magar bana tha. Dono shraapit — dono apni mukti ka intezaar kar rahe the — bina jaane ki ek-doosre ki mukti ka dwaar banenge. Us din Gajendra ne soondh se kamal ka phool toda — tabhi magar ne uska pair pakad liya. Lohe jaisi pakad — chhudaaye na chhoote. Gajendra ne jhatka — magar aur kassa. Paani laal hone laga.
Yuddh shuru hua — kehte hain, hazaar saal tak chala. Gajendra apne poore bal se ladta raha — soondh se maarta, pairon se raundta, chinghaadta. Uska parivaar pehle madad ko aaya — hathniyan chillaayin, bachche ghabraaye. Phir dheere-dheere sab chhod kar kinaare chale gaye. Paani magar ka ghar tha — wahan haathi ka bal kaam nahi aata tha. Gajendra ka shareer tootne laga — pairon mein dard, saans phoolne lagi. Hazaar saal ki ladai — aur ant mein ek sach samajh aaya: bal se badi koi cheez hai.
Ek pal aisa aaya — jab uski soondh paani mein doobne lagi. Usne apne parivaar ki taraf dekha — sab kinaare khade the, bebas. Tab use apne guru ki baat yaad aayi — 'Jab sab saath chhod dein, to samajhna — Bhagwan bula rahe hain.'
Tab Gajendra ne aakaash ki taraf dekha. Usne soondh se ek kamal ka phool toda — upar uthaaya — aur poori aatma se pukaara: 'Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya!' Wahi Gajendra-stuti — sharanagati ki sabse pavitra pukaar. 'Main haar gaya, Prabhu. Ab tum hi ho.' Haathi ki aankhon mein aansu the — pehli baar usne 'main' ko chhoda tha.
Vaikuntha mein Vishnu ne pukaar suni. Kehte hain — ve aasan se uth khade hue — daud pade. Garud par sawaar hokar ek pal mein sarovar ke upar pahunche. Gajendra ko doobte dekha — to Garud se kood pade. Unhone Sudarshan Chakra chalaaya — magar ka sir dhad se alag ho gaya. Magar ke shareer se Gandharva Huhu nikla — shraap se mukta, divya roop mein. Usne Vishnu ko pranaam kiya — aur swarg chala gaya.
Phir Vishnu ne Gajendra ko swayam sparsh kiya — apne haathon se use paani se nikaala. Use saaroopya-mukti mili — Vishnu jaisa divya roop, Vaikuntha mein sthan. Ek haathi — jo raja tha, phir shraapit hua, phir bhakt bana — aakhir mein Bhagwan ke dhaam pahuncha. Agastya ka shraap — mukti ban gaya.
Gajendra-stuti aaj bhi mandiron mein padhi jaati hai — subah ki aarti mein, sankat ke samay. Kehte hain — jo ise shraddha se padhta hai, uski pukaar Vaikuntha tak pahunchti hai. Kyunki yeh stuti shabdon ki nahi — samarpan ki hai.
Gajendra ne hazaar saal apne bal par lada — haara. Ek pal samarpan kiya — jeet gaya. Jab tak 'main' ladta hai, Bhagwan dekhte hain; jis pal 'main' haath jod le, ve daud padte hain. Yahi Gajendra-moksha ka paath hai — sharanagati hi sabse badi shakti hai.
Dakshin ke kai mandiron mein Gajendra-moksha ki moorti hai — haathi, magar, aur Garud par sawaar Vishnu. Bhakt uske saamne haath jodte hain — 'Jaise Gajendra ki suni, hamari bhi suno.'
Is katha ke paatra
- Gajendra
- Vishnu
- Garuda
- Indradyumna
- Agastya
