Arunagirinathar in his Thiruppugazh has sung Puranic references of different deities and his speciality is connecting them beautifully with Lord Muruga. He has sung this episode of Gajendra Moksham in several Thiruppugazh songs. He describes his dearest Lord Muruga as the nephew of the great Narayana who saved the elephant Gajendra. Let us experience a few here.
Story of Gajendra is known to many. However, I am giving a short introduction about the same for ease of recapitulation.
Indradyumna, a king belonging to the Solar Dynasty was a staunch devotee of Sriman Narayana. Once Sage Agastya came to his palace. The king was in deep meditation that he was unaware of the sage’s arrival and failed to welcome him. Angered by this, Agastya cursed the king to be born as an elephant. The king realised his mistake and begged for pardon. Keeping in mind that the king was a Vishnu bhakta, he consoled Indradyumna that he will be relieved of the curse by Sriman Narayana himself. Thus, Indradyumna was born as an elephant – Gajendra in the forests amidst Trikuta mountains.
Hu-Hu, a Gandharva was bathing in a river. Sage Devala came to that river to offer his prostrations to Lord Surya. While the sage was standing in the river, offering water to Surya, the Gandharva playfully dragged the sage’s leg. Becoming furious, the sage cursed Hu-Hu to be born as a crocodile. Thus, was born a crocodile which inhabited a pond in the Trikuta mountains.
Gajendra used to come along with his herd to the pond, bathe in it and offer a lotus flower daily to Lord Vishnu (the devotion inherited from his previous birth as Indradyumna) and leave. One day, while he stepped down into the pond, he couldn’t lift his leg. He felt that his leg was frozen and the pain was terrible. Blood was also oozing out. The herd saw a huge crocodile in the pond, holding tight Gajendra’s leg. All the elephants ran away in fear. Gajendra tried his best with all the strength he had to free himself from the clutch of the crocodile. But it was all in vain.
Gajendra waved his trunk up towards the sky and shouted out “Adi Moolam!” addressing Lord Vishnu and offered a lotus. As soon as the cry was heard, Lord Vishnu from Vaikuntam descended down to the pond on his vahana – Garuda, with a conch (shankha) and disc (chakra) on his hands. He released the sudharshana chakra towards the crocodile, which cut off the crocodile’s neck and thus the clutch was released and Gajendra was freed from the sorrow. Gajendra recited some slokas in praise of Lord Narayana, which is present in Sri Bhagavata Maha Purana, Skanda 8, Chapter 3 (Slokas 2-29) as Gajendra Sthuthi.
Let us see the lines from Thiruppugazh where Arunagirinathar has narrated this incident.
சுவடு பார்த்தட வரு கராத் தலை
தூளாமாறே தான் “ஆ! நாராயணனே! நற்
துணைவ! பாற்கடல் வனிதை சேர்ப்ப!
துழாய் மார்பா! கோபாலா! கா வா” எனவே
கைக்குவடு கூப்பிட உவண மேல் கன கோடூதா
வானே போதாள்வான் மருகோனே
Suvadu paar thada varu karaath thalai
thooLaamaaRE thaan “Ah! nArAyaNanE! nal
thuNaiva! paaRkadal vanithai sErppa!
thuzhAi mArbA! gOpAlA! kA vA” enavE
kaikkuvadu kooppida uvaNa mEl kana kOdoothA
vAnE pOthu ALvAn marugOnE
Arunagirinathar praises Lord Muruga by singing the glory of Muruga’s uncle Vishnu, here in this song kavadu kOtthezhum (pothu thiruppugazh). He calls out, “Oh Muruga! You are the nephew (marugOnE) of Lord Vishnu who came flying through the sky (vAnE pOthu), blowing the conch (kana kOdoothA), on Garuda (uvaNa mEl) to protect (ALvAn) the elephant (kaikkuvadu) that called him (kooppida) as:
‘Ah! Narayana! My good friend! (nal thuNaiva – aapad bhanthava), Consort of Lakshmi! (vanithai sErppa) who arose from the milky ocean (paarkkadal), the one who wears tulsi garland on his chest! (thuzhAi mArbA), protector of cows! (gOpAlA) come and save me (kA vA)’.”
The lord came to the pond where the crocodile was holding firmly the leg of the elephant with its jaws. In fact, Arunagirinathar gives an additional information that the crocodile (karaa) carefully followed (varu) the elephant to the pond by watching its footprint (suvadu paar thada).
Thereafter, Lord Narayana, threw his disc and cut off the head of the crocodile and shattered it into pieces! (karaa thalai thooLaamaaRE thaan).
We saw that the elephant first called out “Adi Moolam” Or the one who is the first and foremost of everything in this universe. Even that is recorded by Arunagirinathar in some thiruppugazh songs.
- “மாவலி அதி மத கபோல மா மலை தெளிவினுடன் ‘மூலமே’ என முந்தச் சிந்தித்து அருள் மாயன் திருமருக”
mA vali athi madha kapOla mA malai theLivinudan ‘moolamE’ ena mundha sindhiththu aruL maayan thirumaruga
[aruNamaNi mEvu -thiruchendur]Addresses Muruga as “the nephew (marugOnE) of the great protector Vishnu who is known for his magical plays (maayan) and who came immediately (mundha) and thoughtfully (sindhitthu) to protect (aruL) the elephant which is very strong (maa vali), having cheeks studded with ferocity (athi madha kapOla) and is very huge like a mountain (maa malai) that called out “moolamE” clearly (theLivinudan moolamE ena)”
2. யானை அஞ்சல் தீரு மூல, ஆழி அங்கை ஆயன் மாயன் மருகோனே
Yaanai anjal theeru moola aazhi angai aayan maayan marugOnE
[naalum aindhu – thiruchendur]Oh Muruga! The nephew (marugOnE) of Lord Vishnu, who is the source of everything (moola), stages mystical plays (maayan), born into the clan of cowherds (aayan) and came to the rescue of Gajendra the elephant (yaanai) and removed his fear (anjal theeru) by throwing the chakra (aazhi) from His beautiful hand (angai).
3. ஆனை மடு வாயில் அன்று மூலமென ஓலமென்ற
ஆதி முதல் நாரணன் தன் மருகோனே
Aanai madu vaayil andru moolamena Olamendra
Aadhi mudhal naaraNan than marugOnE
[saala nedu naaL – kOdainagar]Oh! The nephew of (than marugOnE) Narayanan, the first and foremost one, (aadhi mudhal naaraNan) who came to the rescue of the elephant (aanai) that cried “Oh the Primordial one! Save me!” (moolamena Olamendra) standing stuck at the pond (madu vaayil andru) by the jaws of the crocodile.
4. வாரண மூலமென்ற போதினில் ஆழி கொண்டு வாவியின் மாடு இடங்கர் பாழ்படவே எறிந்த மாமுகில் போல் இருண்ட மேனியனாம் முகுந்தன் மருகோனே
vaaraNa moolamendRa pOthinil aazhi kondu vaaviyin maadu idangar paazpadavE eRindha mAmugil pOl iruNda mEniyanAm Mukundan marugOnE
[pooraNa vaara – thiruchendur]Muruga! The nephew of Mukunda (Mukundan marugOnE), dark hued as clouds (mA mugil pOl iruNda mEniyan), who saved the elephant (vaaraNa) when it cried “Adi MoolamE” (moolamendra pOthinil), by throwing the chakra (aazhi kondu eRindha), on the crocodile in the pond (vaaviyin maadu idangar) and killed it (paazpadavE).
5. ….. தடந்தனில்
ஆண்டு ஆவி துஞ்சியதென்று முதலை வாயுற்று
ஆங்கு ஓர் சிலம்பு புலம்பிட
ஞான்று ஊது துங்க சலஞ்சலம்
ஆம்பூ முழங்கி அடங்கும் அளவில் நேசம்
பூண்டு ஆழி கொண்டு வனங்களில்
ஏய்ந்தாள வென்று வெறுந்தனி
போந்து ஓலமென்று உதவும் புயல் மருகோனே
… thadandhanil
aaNdu aavi thunjiyathenRu mudhalai vaayuRRu
aangu Or silambu pulambida
gnaanRu oothu thunga chalanchalam
aamboo muzhangi adangum aLavil nEsam
pooNdu aazhi koNdu vanangaLil
yEndhALa venRu veRunthani
pOndhu OlamenRu udhavum puyal marugOnE
[maaNdaar elumbu – pothu paadal]“Once upon a time, a mountain like elephant Gajendra (aangu Or silambu) was caught in the mouth of a crocodile (mudhalai vaayuRRu) in a pond (thadam thanil), thought that it was going to die (aandu aavi thunjiyadhenRu) and screamed for help (pulambida) from Vishnu;
At that very moment (gnaanRu), Lord Vishnu blew hard (oothu) His pure conch (thunga chalanchalam) and even before its sound (aamboo muzhangi) subsided (adangum aLavil), with utmost care (nEsam pooNdu), He reached the forest (vanangaLil yEindhu) where the pond was situated, holding the disc (aazhi koNdu) readily in His hand;
Lord Vishnu came alone, all by Himself (veRum thani pOndhu), and rescued (Olam enRu uthavum) the elephant and gave refuge (aaLA venRu).
You are the nephew of that cloud like dark complexioned Maha Vishnu [puyal marugOnE].
6. ஆரு நீர்மை மடுக்கண் கரா நெடு
வாயின் நேர்பட உற்று அன்று மூலம் என்
ஆரவார மதத் தந்தி தான் உய அருள் மாயன்
aaru neermai madukkaN karaa nedu
vaayin nErpada uRRu anRu moolam en
aaravaara madha dhanthi thaan uya aruL maayan
[pAriyAna kodai – pazhani]Lord Vishnu (maayan) who gave life to (thaan uya aruL) Gajendra (aaravaara madha dhanthi) who cried out “moolam!” on that day (anRu moolam en) when caught up in between the large mouth of the crocodile (karaa nedu vaayin nErpada uRRu) in the middle of the pond (madukkaN) that was brimming with water (aaru neermai).
7. நுதி வைத்த கரா மலைந்திடு களிறுக்கருளே புரிந்திட நொடியில் பரிவாக வந்தவன் மருகோனே
nudhi vaittha karA malaindhidu kaLiruk aruLE purindhida
nodiyil parivAga vandhavan marugOnE)
[pagardhaRkaridhAna – pazhani]Oh Muruga! You are the nephew (marugOnE) of Lord Vishnu who came instantly (nodiyil parivaaga vandhavan) to shower His grace on the elephant Gajendra (kaLirukkaruLE purindhida) when the crocodile (karaa) with sharp teeth (nudhi vaittha) attacked him (malaindhidu);
Let us now see, how Arunagirinathar describes this Gajendra moksham in Kandhar Andhadhi.
- ஈரிருகண் செ பார முதலை வாவியில் சென்ற பிரான் மருகன்
eeriru kaN se baara mudhalai vaaviyil senRa pirAn marugan
[kandhar andhadhi 79]The nephew (marugan) of the Lord (piraan) who went to the pond (vaaviyil sendra) and killed the huge (baara), red coloured (se) crocodile (mudhalai) which has four eyes (eeriru kaN – 2 x 2 = 4) to save the elephant.
- கரா கம் அற மோது திகிரி செங்கை கொண்ட சீரங்கர்
karaa gam aRa mOdhu thigiri senkai koNda seerangar
[kandhar andhadhi 98]The lord of Srirangam (seerangar) [Ranganatha] who holds (koNda) a disc (thigiri) on his beautiful hand (senkai), which pounced upon (mOdhu) the head (gam) of the crocodile (karaa) and cut it (aRa).
In seerpaadha vaguppu, Arunagirinathar sings the below lines:
“மத சிகரி கதறி முது முதலை கவர் தர நெடிய
மடு நடுவில் வெருவி ஒரு விசை ஆதி மூலம் என
வரு கருணை வரதன்…”
madha sigari kadhaRi mudhu mudhalai kavar thara nediya
madu naduvil veruvi oru visai aadhi moolam ena
varu karuNai varadan…
When the huge mountain like (sigari), ferocious (madha) elephant cried out (kadhaRi) once (oru visai) “Adi Moolame” (moolam ena) out of fear (veruvi) on getting trapped (kavar thara) in between the jaws of the old crocodile (mudhu mudhalai) in the pond (madu naduvil), there came (varu) the compassionate lord (karuNai), the bestower of boons (varadan) to save the elephant.
In Kandhar Alankaram song 103, Arunagirinathar, sings as below:
“கரி கூப்பிட்ட நாள் கராப் படக் கொன்று அக் கரி போற்ற நின்ற கடவுள்”
kari kooppitta naaL karaap padak konRu ak kari pORRa ninRa kadavuL
The lord (kadavuL) who came on the day the elephant called (kari kooppitta naaL) to kill the crocodile (karaa pada konRu) and stood (ninRa) in front of the same elephant which praised (ak kari pORRa) Him.
It is interesting to note that Arunagirinathar has referred not only to Gajendra moksham but also to Gajendra sthuthi (ak kari pORRa ninRa kadavuL).
Gajendra Moksham is celebrated in many temples as a representative festival (aitheeka vizha). In Triplicane, there is one shrine for Gajendra Varadar who is seen mounted on Garuda. They call this form as Nithya Garuda Seva, as Vishnu is always seen on Garuda vahanam. Seerpaadha vaguppu as we saw earlier mentions Vishnu who came to help Gajendra as varadan (varu karuNai varadan).
The core concept behind this Gajendra moksham is Saranagati or Total Surrender to the Lord. As long as Gajendra was believing on its own strength, the lord waited. The moment he gave up, Lord rushed to help him out. It’s a lesson for us too. We have to shed all our ego etc and surrender totally to Him. We will also get his darshan as Gajendra got.