Indradyumna, King of Paandya region, once engrossed in his devotion to Lord, missed to welcome Sage Agastya on his arrival. Sage Agasthya cursed the king to become an elephant. Indradyumna got the form of an elephant immediately but was fortunate to remember his devotion to Lord.
Indradyumna became the leader of elephants, now known as Gajendra, sported with female elephants on the trikuta mountains and was living happily. One day Gajendra while roaming in the mountains, felt thirsty due to heat and went to a lake nearby, to drink water along with his female elephants.
In that lake, there was a gandarva named Huhu, who had turned in to a crocodile, cursed by sage Devala. He caught the leg of Gajendra. Indeed Lord gives difficulties to his devotees, only to bless later.
Gajendra fought with all his might for more than thousand years but still crocodile did not leave him. The time Gajendra became tired, he started singing hymns in praise of Parathman or Brahmam which he had learnt in his past life. He plucked the white lotus in the lake and offered it to the Lord.
On hearing the hymns, Brahma and Shiva did not venture to help as the sloka was addressed to Lord Hari, the nirguna Brahman . Lord immediately in his unlimited mercy, mounted on Garuda and appeared before Gajendra.
Lord held Gajendra with his lotus hands and released him from the clutches of the crocodile by severing it with the discus. The crocodile got released from the sage Devala's curse and turned back to the beautiful Gandarva form. Gajendra got the divine form similar to the Lord himself by his divine grace.
Whoever sings this Gajendra moksham or listens to this story, or thinks of Gajendran or the Parabrahmam with focused mind, especially in the dawn, will be blessed with prosperity. Whoever remembers this story at the time of death, Lord declared that he will give them pure mind.
Lord departed to Vaikunta along with Gajendra after giving the benefits of reading or singing or hearing the Gajendra moksham. Bhattathiri requests Lord who saved Gajendra from jaws of death and blessed him, to protect all devotees including him in the same way.
PS: Only in this Gajendra Moksham, Lord himself has given the Phalasruthi, the benefits of reciting, singing or listening to this charithram. - from the explanatory notes of Sengalipuram Brahmasri Anantharama Deekshithar
Lyrics of Dasakam 26
इन्द्रद्युम्न: पाण्ड्य खण्डाधिराज:
त्वत्-भक्तात्मा चन्दनाद्रौ कदाचित् ।
त्वत् सेवायां मग्नधी: आलुलोके
नैवागस्त्यं प्राप्तं आतिथ्य कामम् ॥१॥
indradyumna: paaNDya khaNDaadhiraaja:
tvadbhaktaatmaa chandanaadrau kadaachit |
tvatsevaayaaM magnadhii: aalulOke
naivaagastyaM praaptam aatithya kaamam || 1 ||
कुम्भोद्भूति: संभृत क्रोध भार:
स्तब्धात्मा त्वं हस्तिभूयं भजेति ।
शप्त्वाऽथैनं प्रत्यगात् सोऽपि लेभे
हस्तीन्द्रत्वं त्वत् स्मृति व्यक्ति धन्यम् ॥२॥
kumbhOdbhuuti: sambhR^ita krOdha bhaara:
stabdhaatmaa tvaM hasti bhuuyaM bhajeti |
shaptvaa(a)thainaM pratyagaat sO(a)pi lebhe
hastiindratvaM tvat smR^iti vyakti dhanyam || 2 ||
दुग्धाम्भोधे:-मध्य भाजि त्रिकूटे
क्रीडञ्छैले यूथपोऽयं वशाभि: ।
सर्वान् जन्तून्-अत्यवर्तिष्ट शक्त्या
त्वत्-भक्तानां कुत्र नोत्कर्षलाभ: ॥३॥
dugdhaambhOdhe: madhya bhaaji trikuuTe
kriiDan shaile yuuthapO(a)yaM vashaabhi: |
sarvaan jantuun-atyavartiShTa shaktyaa
tvat-bhaktaanaaM kutra nOtkarSha laabha: || 3 ||
स्वेन स्थेम्ना दिव्य देह्त्व शक्त्या
सोऽयं खेदान्-अप्रजानन् कदाचित् ।
शैलप्रान्ते घर्मतान्त: सरस्यां
यूथै:-साधं त्वत्-प्रणुन्नोऽभिरेमे ॥४॥
svena sthemnaa divya dehatva shaktyaa
sO(a)yaM khedaan aprajaanan kadaachit |
shailapraante gharmataanta: sarasyaaM
yuuthai: saardhaM tvat-praNunnO(a)bhireme || 4 ||
हूहू:-तावत्-देवलस्यापि शापात्
ग्राहीभूत: तज्जले बर्तमान: ।
जग्राहैनं हस्तिनं पाददेशे
शान्त्यर्थं हि श्रान्तिदोऽसि स्वकानाम् ॥५॥
huuhuu: taavat-devalasyaapi shaapaat
graahiibhuuta: tajjale vartamaana: |
jagraahainaM hastinaM paadadeshe
shaantyarthaM hi shraantidO(a)si svakaanaam || 5 ||
त्वत्-सेवाया: वैभवात् दुर्निरोधं
युध्यन्तं तं वत्सराणां सहस्रम् ।
प्राप्ते काले त्वत्-पदैकाग्र्य सिध्यै
नक्राक्रान्तं हस्तिवर्यं व्यधास्त्वम् ॥६॥
tvat-sevaayaa: vaibhavaat durnirOdhaM
yuddhyantaM taM vatsaraaNaaM sahasram |
praapte kaale tvat-padaikaagrya siddhyai
nakraakraantaM hastivaryaM vyadhaastvam || 6 ||
आर्तिव्यक्त प्राक्तन ज्ञानभक्ति:
शुण्डोत्क्षिप्तै: पुण्डरीकै: समर्चन् ।
पूर्वाभ्यस्तं निर्विशेषात्म निष्ठं
स्तोत्रं श्रेष्ठं सोऽन्वगादीत् परात्मन् ॥७॥
aartivyakta praaktana j~naanabhakti:
shuNDOtkshiptai: puNDariikai: samarchan |
puurvaabhyastam nirvisheShaatma niShThaM
stOtra shreShThaM sO(a)nvagaadiit paraatman || 7 ||
श्रुत्वा स्तोत्रं निर्गुणस्थं समस्तं
ब्रह्मेशाद्यै: नाहमित्य-प्रयाते ।
सर्वात्मा त्वं भूरि कारुण्य वेगात्
तार्क्ष्यारूढ: प्रेक्षितोऽभू: पुरस्तात् ॥८॥
shrR^itvaa stOtraM nirguNasthaM samastaM
brahmeshaadyai: naahamitya-prayaate |
sarvaatmaa tvaM bhuuri kaaruNya vegaat
taarkshyaaruuDha: prekshitObhuu: purastaat || 8 ||
हस्तीन्द्रं तं हस्त पद्मेन धृत्वा
चक्रेण त्वं नक्रवर्यं व्यदारी: ।
गन्धर्वेऽस्मिन् मुक्त शापे स हस्ती
त्वत्-सारूप्यं प्राप्य देदीप्यते स्म ॥९॥
hastiindraM taM hastapadmena dhR^itvaa
chakreNa tvaM nakravaryaM vyadaarii: |
gandharve(a)smin muktashaape sa hastii
tvat-saaruupyaM praapya dediipyate sma || 9 ||
एतत्-वृत्तं त्वां च मां च प्रगे यो
गायेत्सोऽयं भूयसे श्रेयसे स्यात् ।
इत्युक्त्वैनं तेन सार्धं गतस्त्वं
धिष्ण्यं विष्णो पाहि वातालयेश ॥१०॥
etat-vR^ittaM tvaaM cha maaM cha prageyO
gaayetsO(a)yaM bhuuyase shreyase syaat |
ityuktvainaM tena saardhaM gatastvam
dhiShNyaM viShNO paahi vaataalayesha || 10 ||
------Sri Krishnarpanam------
