Huhu, a Gandharva (celestial musician), was once sporting in a lake. Sage Devla too entered for a bath at that time. The haughty Gandharva pulled the sage by the leg underwater and played a prank. The sage cursed Huhu to be born as an alligator.
Gajendra, the king of elephants, was known by the name of Indradyumna in his previous birth. When Agasthya visited the kingdom, the king had shown scant respect and humiliated the sage. As the king was gripped by infatuation like an elephant, the sage cursed him to be born so. Smt. Subhadhraji said in a discourse that the lives of both the Gandharva and the king are the best examples not to incur the disrespect or wrath of true devotees of God (Bhagavatha Apachara).
The alligator indignantly seized the elephant by the foot in the lake when it came to drink water. For pulling the legs of the sage Devla and playing a prank, the alligator was destined to cling to the foot of Gajendra.
There are various ways of deriving God’s blessings, such as penance, performing yagas, and following the rituals stipulated in the scriptures (Anushtanam). For these, a person needs to be well-qualified and trained. The easiest way is to chant the name of God with deep devotion.
A sincere prayer by Gajendra prompted Lord Vishnu to transcend down and rescue the elephant. Reciting Gajendra Sthuthi gives a person the power to face any problem in life and come out of difficult situations.
