CHAPTER FOUR
Gajendra Returns to the Spiritual World
This Fourth Chapter describes the previous birth of Gajendra and the
crocodile. It tells how the crocodile became a Gandharva and how
Gajendra became an associate of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

There was a king on the Gandharva planet whose name was Huahi.
Once this King Hahi was enjoying with women in the water, and while
enjoying he pulled the leg of Devala Rsi, who was also taking a bath in
the water. Upon this, the sage became very angry and immediately
cursed him to become a crocodile. King Hahi was very sorry when
cursed in that way, and he begged pardon from the sage, who in compas-
sion gave him the benediction that he would be freed when Gajendra was
delivered by the Personality of Godhead. Thus the crocodile was
delivered when killed by Narayana.

When Gajendra, by the mercy of the Lord, became one of the Lord’s
associates in Vaikuntha, he got four hands. This achievement is called
saripya-mukti, or the liberation of receiving a spiritual body exactly like
that of Narayana. Gajendra, in his previous birth, had been a great devo-
tee of Lord Visnu. His name was Indradyumna, and he was the King of
the Tamila country. Following the Vedic principles, this King retired
from family life and constructed a small cottage in the Malayacala Hills,
where he always worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead in
silence. Agastya Rsi, along with many disciples, once approached King
Indradyumna’s dsrama, but because the King was meditating on the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, he could not receive Agastya Rsi prop-
erly. Thus the rsi became very angry and cursed the King to become a
dull elephant. In accordance with this curse, the King was born as an
elephant, and he forgot all about his previous activities in devotional ser-
vice. Nonetheless, in his birth as an elephant, when he was dangerously
attacked by the crocodile, he remembered his past life in devotional ser-
vice and remembered a prayer he had learned in that life. Because of this
prayer, he again received the mercy of the Lord. Thus he was

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