Tribute To Girija

This is a Tribute To Girija

The following words by Albert Schweitzer are excerpted from Chapter 26 of The Philosophy of Civilization and from REVERENCE FOR LIFE
I am life which wills to live, in the midst of life which wills to live. As in my own will-to-live there is a longing for wider life and pleasure, with dread of annihilation and pain; so is it also in the will-to-live all around me, whether it can express itself before me or remains dumb. The will-to-live is everywhere present, even as in me. If I am a thinking being, I must regard life other than my own with equal reverence, for I shall know that it longs for fullness and development as deeply as I do myself. Therefore, I see that evil is what annihilates, hampers, or hinders life. And this holds true whether I regard it physically or spiritually. Goodness, by the same token, is the saving or helping of life, the enabling of whatever life I can to attain its highest development.
In me the will-to-live has come to know about other wills-to-live. There is in it a yearning to arrive at unity with itself, to become universal. I can do nothing but hold to the fact that the will-to-live in me manifests itself as will-to-live which desires to become one with other will-to-live.
Ethics consist in my experiencing the compulsion to show to all will-to-live the same reverence as I do my own. A man is truly ethical only when he obeys the compulsion to help all life which he is able to assist, and shrinks from injuring anything that lives. If I save an insect from a puddle, life has devoted itself to life, and the division of life against itself has ended. Whenever my life devotes itself in any way to life, my finite will-to-live experiences union with the infinite will in which all life is one.
An absolute ethic calls for the creating of perfection in this life. It cannot be completely achieved; but that fact does not really matter. In this sense reverence for life is an absolute ethic. It makes only the maintenance and promotion of life rank as good. All destruction of and injury to life, under whatever circumstances, it condemns as evil. True, in practice we are forced to choose. At times we have to decide arbitrarily which forms of life, and even which particular individuals, we shall save, and which we shall destroy. But the principle of reverence for life is nonetheless universal and absolute.
Such an ethic does not abolish for man all ethical conflicts but compels him to decide for himself in each case how far he can remain ethical and how far he must submit himself to the necessity for destruction of and injury to life. No one can decide for him at what point, on each occasion, lies the extreme limit of possibility for his persistence in the preservation and furtherance of life. He alone has to judge this issue, by letting himself be guided by a feeling of the highest possible responsibility towards other life. We must never let ourselves become blunted. We are living in truth, when we experience these conflicts more profoundly.
Whenever I injure life of any sort, I must be quite clear whether it is necessary. Beyond the unavoidable, I must never go, not even with what seems insignificant. The farmer, who has mown down a thousand flowers in his meadow as fodder for his cows, must be careful on his way home not to strike off in wanton pastime the head of a single flower by the roadside, for he thereby commits a wrong against life without being under the pressure of necessity.
At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.

By having a reverence for life, we enter into a spiritual relation with the world By practicing reverence for life we become good, deep, and alive. Albert Schweitzer

By respect for life we become religious in a way that is elementary, profound and alive. be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve. I can do no other than be reverent before everything that is called life. I can do no other than to have compassion for all that is called life. That is the beginning and the foundation of all ethics.

Shankh or the Conch Shell and Significance

Dakshinawarti Shankh(sinistral turbinella pyrum)


The sea shell which open towards left hand are commonly available but rare the seashells which open towards Right Side. Shells are obtained from the water-animals especially form snails, which live in the seas. Dakshina means the south side or when holding the sankh , Right Side. Therefore it is called Dakshinavarti Shankh. Dakshinavarti Shankh is available in white colour and with brown lines on it. Dakshinavarti Shankh is the symbol of Maa Lakshmi. Godess Lakshmi photo always depicts Dakshinavarti Shank in her hands. Dakshinavarti Shankh shankh shall be kept in Puja Ghar or Locker during any auspicious occasionor festival, Dakshinavarti Shankh brings good luck and prosperity to the individual and his family. In the Puranas, the gods and goddesses are depicted as holding a shell, whenever they are happy or setting out on war.Whenever the shell is blown it is said to purify the environment form all evil effects. Even the scietists have agreed othe fact that the blowing of a conch increases the positive qualities in the atmosphere such as courage, hope, determination, will -power, optimism,etc. It is always recommended that every house shall have Dakshinavarti Shankh for wealth, prosperity and Good Luck. It is belived that who keeps this Shell in their locker , they would never face any dearth of money in there life. Dakshinavarti Shankh shall be kept on white cloth in puja Ghar or Wrapped in white cloth, if need to be kept in locker. One shall light incense in front of dakshinavarti shankh and offer white rice and milk.Ordinarily the conches are Vamvarti i.e their bulge opening towards left side(facing North). Some shells are Dakshinvarti, their bulge opening towards the right side i.e facing south and even their sprial lines run towards the right . South is the direction of Kuber, the God of wealth, Tantrik Shastra has given great importance ot such types of shells. Dakshinvarti shells are very reare and are found only in a very few palces . Their sizes differ, starting form the size of a wheat gram ot as large as coconut. Mostly these shells ar available only at Kanya Kumari. A completely white coloured-one is very rearely found.Dakshina varti shankh not only bring wealth but also purifies the atmosphere. All the negatives energies are drain out of the place. about Dakshinavarti Shankh. Classification according to its length: Yavakar- These shells ar very small in size i.e as small as the size of a wheat gain and are dark grey in colour. They are quite strong and connot be crushed eaisly. Ellakar These are a little bigger in almost size of a cardamom, round supari ora lemaon. These shells ar mostly found in lakes. These shells are alos known as Hira shankh. These are as expensive as dimonds and considered very valuable among the shells.Benefits of Dakshinvarti Shankh
1. Prosperity to the house or office
2. No shortage of food, money or clothes.
3. Brings peace to the premises.
4. If kept in the bedroom, it brings harmony among the couple.
5. If kept during a religious gathering, it brings knowledge by evoking Goddess Saraswati.
6. Enlightens the students with knowledge and sharpens their memory.
7. Fill it with Ganges water and sprinkle it on a person or in a premises. Malefic planetery effects and black magic evils disappear.
8. Removes ill-effects of Brahmhatya, Gau-hatya and Bal-hatya (Dosha due to killing of a priest, cow or a child in the previous births).
Shankh is a conch shell. This instrument has a strong association with the Hindu religion. It is said that when it is blown it announces the victory of good over evil. This instrument has limited musical applications.

In Shaivite temple in South India there are Shankha Abhishekham performed to Lord Shiva with 1008 conch shells and rudram is recited.

The significance of blowing the conch shell during pujas and other ceremonies is to denote the evil thoughts and actions to be blown away before the auspecious events take place.

Swami Vivekananda's Message To Youth

For All The Young Generation The Insperational Thoughts

When I Asked God for Strength
He Gave Me Difficult Situations to Face
When I Asked God for Brain & Brown
He Gave Me Puzzles in life to Solve
When I Asked God for Happiness
He Showed Me Some Unhappy People
When I Asked God for Wealth
He Showed Me How to Work Hard
When I Asked God for Favors
He Showed Me opportunities to Work Hard
When I Asked God for Peace
He Showed Me How to Help Others
God Gave Me Nothing I Wanted
He Gave Me Everything I Needed
- Swami Vivekananda

The Ultimate Aim Of Human Life

Radhey Shyam
The ultimate aim of human life
The goal of human life is to attain Divine love which is only possible with the Grace of God. To receive His Grace you have to wholeheartedly surrender yourself at His lotus feet and love Him selflessly. This is called divine love devotion. In fact our desired object, the Divine love, is Divine by nature which is beyond the material world, so there cannot be any direct approach to it, neither through our material intellect nor senses.
In this material world every person is born with certain tendencies and likings. As he grows, his likings take the shape of desires, and to fulfill those desires he works for his whole life. The life ends but desires never end. Everyone is devoid of real happiness, that is why they run after everything that pleases them.
This world has been created in such a way that every living being perceives two kinds of objects and situations; one is soothing to the senses and the mind, and the other is non-soothing. When a person perceives such an object which is soothing to his mind, his brain nerves feel a sweet comfort, and this feeling strengthens his faith that the world is sweet. This faithful imagination gives more imaginary pleasure which further multiplies his faith, and thus, this cycle of misunderstanding goes on forever.
You feel happy when you are having a good time, but at the same time your inner conscience declares a discontent that appears in the shape of a ‘desire to have more.’ The happiness that you receive from the world reaches to a certain depth in your mind, but the proclamation to receive total contentment comes from the very bottom of your mind which is next to your soul. Material joy, happiness, pleasure and felicity can never reach the very bottom of your heart and mind. There remains a big gap, and that gap can be observed by you if you sincerely think over it alone. This is the fact of life, and the truth of material happiness.
Material truth is the experience and perception of temporary discontented pleasures of the material life with a growing hope for future fulfillment that can never happen because ‘the present’ is always wholly or partially discontented. The Divine truth is God Himself Who is loving, kind, and friendly; Who is eternally yours and always with you in every situation.
Your innermost conscience is already desiring God’s love and His association. The moment your conscious mind begins to believe this fact, you begin to feel a kind of secure fulfillment in your life. This is the beginning of your spiritual life.
The nature of human mind is that it becomes attached to the object or person it faithfully remembers, and adopts the qualities of that where it is attached. When the mind is attached to material phenomena it develops only good and bad qualities, and always remains bound to the material dimension. When your mind is attached to God it develops devotional qualities and, in time, you may receive God realization with the Grace of God and your Divine Spiritual Master.
Thus, your ultimate goal of life is only God realization.

Guru Poornima

Full Moon

Guru Purnima, also referred as Sage Veda Vyasa Poornima, is celebrated on the full moon day in the Hindu month of Ashada (July). The day is dedicated to Guru and he/she is honored and given due respect. Sage Vyasa is considered the Adi Guru or the first Guru in Hinduism and therefore the day is also known as Vyas Poornima. In 2008, the date of Guru Purnima is July 18.
The Guru Gita in the Skanda Purana hails guru in this famous verse:
Guru brahma Guru vishnu Gururdevo MaheshwarahaGuruhu sakshaat Parambrahman tasmai Shrigurave namaha
‘Guru is Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva,Veneration to the Guru who has manifested as Parabrahman.’
While venerating the Guru we must also be cautious as the world today is filled with fake gurus and swamis – who make a living out of spirituality.
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa says about true guru like this
He alone is the true teacher who is illumined by the light of true knowledge.
Bees come of themselves to the full-blown flower when the breeze wafts its fragrance all around. Ants come of themselves to the spot where sweets are placed. No one needs to invite the bee or the ant. So when a man becomes pure and perfect, the sweet influence of his character spreads everywhere, and all who seek the Truth are naturally drawn towards him. He need not go in search of an audience to listen to him.
The true Guru is a transmitting medium, a transporting agent and transparent embodiment of the divine grace and compassion, the focal point of the timeless eternity and finite time*.
A real Guru not only points the direction to the goal but takes the consciousness of the surrendered disciple into his consciousness and makes the inflow of the Higher into the lower continuously, till the three consciousness of the Isvara, the Guru and the Atman of the disciple become one undifferentiated whole*.
It is very hard to find a true Guru but luckily the great Gurus of ancient world have stored their wisdom in the Upanishads, Yoga Vashista and Gita. Guru Purnima day is rightly termed as Veda Vyasa Poornima because Guru Vyasa is the greatest editor and compiler of holy texts in Hinduism. He has provided all the necessary elements needed to understand Brahman; only we need to find time and have patience to read and digest the unparalleled holy texts in Hinduism.
A Guru need not always be a person clad in saffron or white, it can be a book, an incident, a small child or any aspect in nature. Any person or incident that removes darkness and fills with light or Brahman realization is a Guru.
*Extracts from the preface of Prabodhasudhakara published by Samata Books.

Jai Shri Krishna

Krishna

Jai Shri Krishna

The Bhagavad-Gita talks of many ways, or paths, in which we can reach the Almighty. For seekers of knowledge, there is the path of knowledge called ‘gyan yoga’. For people who have love and devotion towards God, there is the path of devotion called ‘bhakti yoga’. The majority of us are treading the path of ‘karma yoga’, the path of action.We are not sanyasi’s (ascetics). We are householders and we can learn from the Bhagavad-Gita how to live a fruitful, peaceful and happy life. We can learn how to enjoy all that life has to offer in a tasteful manner, while at the same time offering everything we have to the Almighty.We always prefer sweetness, whether in taste or in smell. We dislike bad odours and bad tastes. In many ways, we are like flies! However, the Gita teaches us that we should learn to live like the fly that sits on sugar, and not like the fly that sits on honey. Both of these flies enjoy sweetness; but the former is free to fly away after enjoying the sugar while the latter gets stuck in the honey and loses its freedom to fly.We need not feel sorry for being in the world. Nor should we blame life for various deceitful bonds. Nor do we need to pray to God for setting us free from this world. Instead of such negative thoughts, we should gladly accept the life bestowed upon us.People often say that this world is an illusion, but our longing for physical comforts does not cease, or even decrease! Why this fallacy? One should thank God for everything that He has given to us. One should accept it as a kind gift to be used humbly and to be offered back to Him with the same humility. Thinking negatively without renunciation is hypocrisy.There are devotees who do not like the world. They constantly say,”O God, You are good; but the world created by you is bad.” How correct are they in saying this? Is this their love for God? God will certainly not like someone talking ill of His creation. How can we speak negatively of all the things of this world that we ourselves long for throughout our lives? We should live the life given to us joyfully.The life and the teachings of Shri Krishna show us how to live. We need to be like the fly that enjoys the sweetness of the world without becoming attached to it. That way, we will enjoy all that we face and carry out all our actions in a fruitful manner. This is the secret to being a true karma yogi.I pray that such divine messages and facets of advice given in our scriptures can be applied into our lives and take us further in our journey to God.

With blessings,Bhaishri

Agnihotra

Agnihotra
Courtesy

Niradhara Marie c.2006, Ananda Ashram Information compiled from the following sources:+Satsang Homa Therapy Talk by Vasant, Bangalore, India – Dec 2005+Dr Shantala Priyadarshini, Mysore Ayurvedic Medical College – Feb 2005+Ma Bhaskarananda, Senior Teacher of Sanskrit and Agnihotra+Bharati E Balmes, Director of Ananda Ashram and of its Sanskrit School+Recorded teachings of Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati+Personal daily sadhana practice of performing Agnihotra

Transformational Chemistry of AgnihotraHoma Therapy comes to us from the Vedas, an utmost ancient body of knowledge given in the mother of tongues, the Sanskrit language. The foundational tool in Homa Therapy is Agnihotra. “Agnihotra” is a compound word. Its two parts mean “Agni” or “fire” from Yajna the fire deva in the Vedas, and “hotra” or “healing”. The healing effect of Homas was used in spheres such as bioenergetics, psychotherapy, medicine, agriculture, environmental and climate technology, and inter-planetary communication since before the writing of the Vedas. As a result of carelessness towards our Mother Earth, today we live in a world of massive ecological and psycho-spiritual pollution. Agnihotra practitioners mostly concern themselves with remedying these issues at this time. There are layers of significance to the Agnihotra ritual from the material, to the sublte, to the sublime. On the surface, Agnihotra is a small fire you prepare with offering dried cow dung, ghee and rice in a copper pyramid receptacle of proscribed proportion (called a “kund”) and performed with a timing tuned to the biorhythm of sunrise and sunset (for optimum effect). Sun is our sustainer of light in the daytime (without which we have no life) and at night we have the power of fire, a natural release of the stored solar energy in all of the elements used in this ritual. Agnihotra is the transformation full circle of that sunlight on every energetic level. In a polluted environment. there are fine material changes during Agnihotra which can be seen with Kirlian photography. In Agnihotra we render these offerings to the fire as sacred transformational tools. Agni is an aspect of the Holy Name who puts us in the space to temporarily give up our own agendas, let the Divine will be done. Sometimes we invoke the name of Shiva for this ritual as Agni is an aspect of Shiva who is one of the triad of main functions of the Devas. (creating, preserving, transforming) Cow dung contains pure chlorophyll. Sacred cow eats only vegetarian diet of green grasses. Her dung is pure sunlight in dark matter. Ghee is also produced by mother cow. Cow is a mother / provider by nature. Her milk is the essence of her nurturing grace, and the ghee is made by further purifying, removing the solids from the butter produced from that milk by heating with fire and straining to retain only the essence of the essence of the cow’ sgrace. The ghee is also pure sunlight, processed not through the stomachs but by her maternal breast, or udder. Ghee also has properties of detoxification. During combustion, nutrients for plants are released. Ghee dissolves toxic compounds. It is the only substance known to modern science which defies certain laws of chemistry. When ghee is burned its weight does not alter. We chant “SVAHA” as we offer ghee and Akshata throughout the Agnihotra ritual.After arranging 3 pieces of sacred cow dung in the bottom of the kund with ghee and havan samagri, We begin the ritual with holy mantras, as the fire is lit, we offer ghee and rice to increase the flame and to unite our intention and bring up, in ascension, the vibration for silent meditation. The sound of silence that you hear ringing in your ears is nadam, the voice of the Cosmos, the Universal song. It’s a powerful gig with the Devas. To engage fully in it, slip off the outer skin, your body and mind – go beyond all language and manifestations.AGNI HOTRA MANTRASMorning prayerOm I vibrate in union with the absolute God I-AMSuryaya the sun, radiant source of effulgient lightSvaha (I offer this oblation to the Sun-God) I let go and let God, offer it up to the Divine in perfect unionSuryaya again (I give praise to) the sunIdam na mama Thy will not mine be donePraja-pataye Cosmic Consciousness, Lord of all creationSvaha again the sacred oblationPraja-pataye again Cosmic ConsciousnessIdam na mama thy will not mine be doneEvening prayerOm I vibrate in union with the absolute God I- AMAgnaye the God who makes Fire, holy transformation (in the interest of Lord Shiva)Svaha (I offer this sacred oblation to Agni) I give it all up to GodAgnaye again the Fire-GodIdam na mama Thy will be done, this is not just for me alonePraja-pataye Cosmic Consiousness of all creationSvaha I offer this holy offering to let go and let God Praja-pataye Cosmic Consiousness that created all of thisIdam na mama Thy will be done not mine alonethe vibrations of mantras are enclosed in the ash making that ash even more effective.to offerings of ghee, we add a few grains of rice, just enough to pinch in your thumb and middle fingers. This is ordinary rice but it is also “Akshata” or “Unbroken” rice. “Akshata” is a Sanskrit word, it means “with no wound on its body”. The subtle structure which exists around that grain which is unbroken is most suitable for healing processes. Many ethereal oils are released during the process of combustion and its chemical contributions are set off. Rice has a balancing yin/yang effect. The added sacrifice of Havan Samagri (herbal preparations) is also a sublimation for what occurs on the spiritual plane.Fire ascends, BHUR BUVAH SVAH from earth to atmosphere to ether. These organic chemicals permeate our bodies by entering our prana mingling in the air, and so carry us to the gods – the energies of Agni are inside the human organism and surrounding us. As we make offerings – SVAHA – we lighten our load and ascend with the flame. Trance on it and be transfigured into it.Along with holy mantras, we offer this holy food into the mouth of the fire, and we can also offer our egos into the mouth of the Divine who burns lifetimes of our karmas away. Agnihotra is not just for special puja. It is done sunrise and sunset every day. It is also an opportunity for us to gather together, the focus of our intention is magnified by our joining. Everyone loves to gather around a fire in winter.The purification of the atmosphere through Homa leads to intensification of prana (life energy), this influences both the physical health of all living beings and the human psychic constitution. The state of psyche is directly dependent on the quality and quantity of prana available. Atmosphere, prana and mind are connected. Prana is the breath of life, some traditions call this “Spirit”. We are all connected via this nexus of subtle energies. Agnihotra produces a powerful energy field supporting and strengthening this nexus. Agnihotra is being practiced in the rain forests for repair to the vegetation and trees lost to pollution, tree diseases and to illegal cutting. There is a strong group of Agnihotis working in Antarctica as well, for replenishing of the ozone. According to ancient guru tradition, the rays of the sun should pass through a carpet of nutrition and that is what the various Homas create. Factories and automobiles producing acid rain have been destructive to our soils everywhere. Homa farming is being practiced now world wide to remedy this. All spoilages of water and subsoil water from pollutants are reached and remedied via the atmospheric cycle that introduces Agnihotra. Humans have tested the Earth to her limits with greed induced pillages of environmental resources, It is by Divine Will that these Homa therapies are being resuscitated and practiced again all over the world by intention of giving back to the Earth – we heal the atmosphere and the healed atmosphere heals everyone and everything connected by its pranic nexus.

There is an intresting piece of information that the practising Agnihotris living near the Bhopal gas tragedy area were not affected by the gas leak this is something to do with their practice of Agnihotra.

Sharadha Ceremony

Shardha Ceremony Performed By An Individual

Today as we have totally forgot about father's thithi, and it was Sheojee's visit to Seenu's house which materialised in the form of a call in the morning from Seenu and we were reminded about the thithi during my prayer time in the morning and visited the temple and had sankalpa shardaha, which gave lot of satisfaction and how God has been kind to us to remind us of our obligation to our parents who have brought us to this world. As always Sheojee is has been great friend of ours.

Here is a posting which will be of intrest to you regarding Shradha ceremony.

Sraaddham
ceremony

According to Hinduism, when a person dies, he either travels to heavenly worlds or to the ancestral worlds depending upon his previous deeds. the departed souls can be elevated to higher planes of existence and pushed further on the scale of evolution if their direct descendents on earth, especially the male progeny perform some annual rites and make sacrificial offerings to them. With such rites, not just one but the entire family of ancestors would be benefited and spiritually uplifted.So when a Hindu departs from this world, his descendents make ritualistic offerings as prescribed in the sacred texts so that the departed one makes further spiritual progress in those worlds also.The obligation towards the departed souls is thus a part of ones ordained duties, or obligatory karma, the performance of which brings happiness not only to the departed soul, but also to the ones who performed it.Sraaddha ceremony is way of repaying ones debt towards ones parents and ancestors. A person is indebted to his parents and ancestors because they were responsible for his birth on earth. Without even one of them in the ancestral line, he would never have been. He is thus greatly indebted to them for his corporeal existence. He can repay this debt only by performing annual rites for the departed ancestors. He is therefore expected to perform these ceremonies without fail and save himself and every one before him from misery.
Shradham Can be performed in three ways :
1, Paarvanam (Lighting fire& Feeding Priest/Shastri)
2,Sankalpam (Feeding Priest/Shastri) 3,Hiranya Shradham(Giving Food items to Priest/Shastri

Gajendra Moksha

Gajendra Moksha Courtesy Smt.Shakun Narain

Dhyaan dharey man sey mera karey na chit udaasSamjhey mujhko har samay hardam apney paas Ghat ghat mein sansaar key vyaapak main bharpoorPrem sey nitya sameep hoon, prem nahin to door

ध्यान धरे मन से मेरा करे न चित उदास्संझेय मुझको हर समय हरदम अपनी पास घाट घाट में संसार के व्यापक में भार्पूर्प्रेम से नित्य समीप हूँ, प्रेम नहीं तो दूर
These lines belong to the Bhagvad Geeta in Hindi by Pandit RadheyShyam from Bareily. This Scripture, I have been reading and teaching youngsters since the last 22 years.
The lines above are my favorite and they are spoken by Krishna to Arjuna during the latter’s darkest hour.
Krishna says that man should meditate upon the Lord, not feel dejected and think of the Lord, as always being at hand.
Krishna claims that He is present in abundance in every atom of the world.
To those who have love (and faith) in their heart, God is close by, to the others He seems to be far away!
The following story that I am about to narrate is ‘Gajendra Moksha’ and is a part of the Shrimad Bhaagvad.
It is written, that he who reads the story of Gajendra, his mind will be purified and he will be received by the Lord God Himself at the time of his death.
Gajendra was the King of elephants.
One hot day, he proceeded to the lake with his family to cool off in its fresh waters.
But from within the lake a crocodile appeared who attacked him and would not let go of him.
When the family and relatives saw ‘death’ coming close to Gajendra, and everyone realised that everything was lost, they left Gajendra alone.
The symbolism so far:
· Man is Gajendra
· The world, is the lake where he plays the game of life with family and others.
· The crocodile is ‘Death and Difficulties’ which attack man.
The Lesson:
· Neither family nor friend can liberate one from the clutch of death.
· God answers your prayers.
It is said that ‘Nirbal key bal Ram’
Which means that God is the Strength of the Weak!
A lot of us make preparations for a journey from which one is meant to return; yet we make none for death!
Most of us cry out to God when caught in hopeless situation.
And that is what Gajendra did!
You will notice that in the Bhaagvad, there are stories with a moral and symbolisms.
Most stories have a beautiful prayer!
Gajendra prayed:
‘Please help me O Lord! Save me from the clutches of Death!’
How can an ordinary mortal recognize You, when great sages find it hard to achieve You? You are all merciful.
Take me to a place where there is no fear and death!
I am not asking you to save me from the clutch of the crocodile, or that I should survive this attack! I am aware that I not only have a body of an elephant but also a fat mind of an elephant! What is the use of keeping this life? I want to be liberated from my Ignorant Mind which hides the resplendent soul! I can only be saved by Your Grace!
It is said that if one recites the Gajendra Prayer, one achieves liberation and freedom from frightening dreams!
The Lord rushed to Gajendra’s aid. The latter offered the Lord a lotus flower.
God attacked the crocodile and saved His Loved One.
Gajendra, in his previous life was a great devotee called Indradyumna who was also a great king. One day, Agastya, a great sage came to visit the king. Indradyumna did not receive the Sage with the respect that the latter expected. The enraged Agastya cursed the king to become an elephant in his next birth, as he sat heavy on his seat and did not rise to greet him.
The crocodile in its last life was a king called HuHu in the Gandharva planet. Once while enjoying himself in the waters, he pulled the leg of a sage. The enraged sage cursed the king to become a crocodile in his next life. The repentant HuHu asked for pardon. The Sage proclaimed that though he could not retrieve the curse, the crocodile would be liberated from the cycle of birth and death when Gajendra would be saved by the Lord God Himself.
Those readers who have been with me so far will wonder why I quoted the lines from the Geeta at the beginning of this note.
Well, those lines, as well as the story of Gajendra state that:
The Lord is close to those who call out to Him in full faith.
It does not matter if you have the body or intellect of an animal, all you require is a loving heart and the conviction that God is closer than we can possibly believe!
Gajendra Moksha Stuti (Prayer)
AUM NAMO BHAGAWATE TASMAY YAT ETCCHIDATMAKAM
PURUSHAAYAA DIBIJAAY PARESHAAYAABHI DHEEMAHEE
YASMINNIDUM YETASCCHEDUM YENEDUM EEDUM SWAYAMYOSMAAT PARASMAASCH PARAH TUMPRAPADYE SWAYAMBHOOWAM
By Sri. Ananathapadnabha Chariar

Courtesy The Hindu
God’s accessibility
The mark of spiritual maturity is remembering God during the last moments of worldly life, which is a sure way to be liberated from rebirth. As spiritual evolution spans countless births, the soul’s accumulated spiritual merit from its previous lives helps when the time for liberation draws near by dint of the latent tendencies (Vasana) in the mind to remember God and pray to Him. The deliverance of Gajendra, the king of elephants, which prayed to the Almighty when it was drowning after a crocodile caught it, highlights that spiritual striving is never in vain.
Gajendra’s prayer to the Lord addressing Him as the cause of creation was an eye-opener in that the elephant did not call Him to save itself from the clutches of the crocodile but for delivering it from bondage. In its previous life the elephant was a king by name Indradyumna, and he was a great devotee. The manner in which the Almighty came rushing to its rescue highlights His benevolent traits of compassion and easy accessibility to those who surrender to Him. Why should the Lord come in such haste to save an elephant which He could have done from His supreme abode by His mere will?
Commentators aver that the Almighty’s punitive measures are effected by His will while His singular acts of benediction towards His devotees will be in person because to behold His resplendent form and serve Him are the ultimate yearnings of a true devotee, which only He can fulfil.
Whether man or beast only true devotion matters to the Lord and Gajendra in that dying moment had wanted to offer the lotus it had gathered at His feet. Tondarippodi Azhwar in his hymn Tirumalai underscores that it was this act of service that a devotee should emulate, “Even gods cannot understand the radiant Lord. Heeding an elephant, He came rushing against a flesh-eating crocodile. Need we carry our burden! Meaner than dogs we are cared for by Him. If I am not to serve Him, for what was I born?” Parasara Bhattar in a verse declared that he paid obeisance not to the Lord but to the speed with which He rushed to save Gajendra