22 verses
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King! There was a beautiful, huge mountain called Trikūṭa, ten thousand yojanas high, surrounded by the ocean of milk.
anyaiś ca kakubhaḥ sarvā ratna-dhātu-vicitritaiḥ nānā-druma-latā-gulmair nirghoṣair nirjharāmbhasām
The length and breadth of the mountain were of the same measurement as the height. Its three principal peaks, which were made of iron, silver and gold, beautified all directions and the milk ocean. Other peaks, which were full of jewels and minerals and were decorated with trees, creepers and shrubs, with sounds of the waterfalls echoing on the mountains, decorated the eight directions.
The width was the same as the height. The meaning of Trikūṭa is given: it has three main peaks. Other smaller peaks decorated all eight directions. The verb of the first verse is understood for the second verse also. The sound of the waterfalls, echoing on the mountains peaks, increased the beauty
The mountain whose base is washed by waves of milk became green because of the emeralds scattered in all directions.
The mountain whose base is washed all around by the milk ocean becomes green land by the emerald gems scattered in the eight directions (harit).
The Siddhas, Cāraṇas, Gandharvas, Vidyādharas, serpents, Kinnaras and Apsarās played in the caves of the mountain
When the caves resounded with the singing of the Kinnaras, the lions, proud of their strength, roared with unbearable envy, thinking that another lion was roaring.
The proud (ślaginaḥ) lions roared out of intolerance and fear of another lion, directed to the place where the caves resounded with music of the Kinnaras.
The mountain had valleys filled with flocks of various forest animals and with birds singing sweetly in gardens of the devatās filled with colorful trees.
The mountain has singing birds in gardens of the devatās filled with colorful trees.
Trikūṭa Mountain had many lakes and rivers, with clear water and banks made of gems as sand. The air and water was fragrant with the perfumes from the heavenly women bathing there.
The mountain had air and water endowed with fragrance from the perfumes of the heavenly women bathing.
sarvato 'laḍkṛtaṁ divyair nitya-puṣpa-phala-drumaiḥ mandāraiḥ pārijātaiś ca pāṭalāśoka-campakaiḥ
cūtaiḥ piyālaiḥ panasair
āmrair āmrātakair api
kramukair nārikelaiś ca
kharjūrair bījapūrakaiḥ
madhukaiḥ śāla-tālaiś ca
tamālair asanārjunaiḥ
ariṣṭoòumbara-plakṣair
vaṭaiḥ kiṁśuka-candanaiḥ
picumardaiḥ kovidāraiḥ
saralaiḥ sura-dārubhiḥ
drākṣekṣu-rambhā-jambubhir
badary-akṣābhayāmalaiḥ
In a valley of Trikūṭa Mountain was the playground of the heavenly women, garden belonging the great devotee Varuṇa, called Ṛtumat, endowed with trees bearing flowers and fruits at all times. There were mandāras, pārijātas, pāṭalas, aśokas, campakas, cūtas, piyālas, panasas, mangoes, āmrātakas, kramukas, coconut trees, date trees and pomegranates. There were madhukas, palm trees, tamālas, asanas, arjunas, ariṣṭas, uòumbaras, plakṣas, banyan trees, kiṁśukas and sandalwood trees. There were also picumardas, kovidāras, saralas, sura-dārus, grapes, sugarcane, bananas, jambu, badarīs, akṣas, abhayas and āmalakīs.
The name of the garden was Ṛtumat.
kumudotpala-kahlāra- śatapatra-śriyorjitam matta-ṣaṭ-pada-nirghuṣṭaṁ śakuntaiś ca kala-svanaiḥ
haṁsa-kāraṇòavākīrṇaṁ
cakrāhvaiḥ sārasair api
jalakukkuṭa-koyaṣṭi-
dātyūha-kula-kūjitam
matsya-kacchapa-sañcāra-
calat-padma-rajaḥ-payaḥ
kadamba-vetasa-nala-
nīpa-vañjulakair vṛtam
kundaiḥ kurubakāśokaiḥ
śirīṣaiḥ kūṭajeḍgudaiḥ
kubjakaiḥ svarṇa-yūthībhir
nāga-punnāga-jātibhiḥ
mallikā-śatapatraiś ca
mādhavī-jālakādibhiḥ
śobhitaṁ tīra-jaiś cānyair
nityartubhir alaṁ drumaiḥ
The mountain was covered with bilva, kapitha, jambīra and bhallātaka trees. There was a large lake with shining golden mud, resplendent with lotuses, water lilies, śatapatras and resounding with the buzzing of bees and cries of birds. The lake was filled with swans and ducks, and resounds with the cries of cakravākas, cranes, water hens, lap wings, and gallinules.
The water was colored with pollen falling from lotuses shaken by the movements of turtles and fish. The lake was surrounded by canes, reeds, kadambas, nīpas, and vañjulakas. Kundas, kurubakas, aśokas, śirīṣas, kūṭajas, iḍgudas, kubjakas, svarṇa-yūthīs, nāgas, punnāgas, jātīs, mallikās, śatapatras, jālakās, mādhavī-latās, and other trees with flowers growing in all seasons grew on the lakes bank.
The word vṛtaḥ should actually be vṛtam, as a modifier of udyanam in verse 9. This is done to distinguish the two entities: the mountain was described and on that mountain there was a lake, where Gajendra would bath. This is described in five and a half verses. Śakuntaiḥ means with birds. The lakes waters were covered with pollen dropping from lotus moved about by the turtles and fish. The trees had all seasons manifested to give fruits and flowers at all times.
The leader of the elephants who lived in the forest of Trikūṭa Mountain once wandered about with his female elephants, breaking huge trees, bamboos, and reeds having thorns.
The sentence continues for five verses. Moving about, eating and having his wives eat, he broke many trees.
Simply by catching scent of that elephant, all the other elephants, the lions, and the other ferocious animals, such as tigers, rhinoceroses, great serpents and black and white sarabhas, camarī deer, fled in fear.
Harayaḥ means lions.
By the mercy of this elephant, animals like wolves, buffalos, bears, boars, gopucchas, porcupines, jackals, monkeys, rabbits, and deer moved about in the forest without fear.
Smaller animals moved without fear by his mercy. However, other animals avoided his glance.
saro 'nilaṁ paḍkaja-reṇu-rūṣitaṁ jighran vidūrān mada-vihvalekṣaṇaḥ vṛtaḥ sva-yūthena tṛṣārditena tat sarovarābhyāsam athāgamad drutam
Surrounded by the herd's other elephants, including females, and followed by the young ones, Gajendra, perspiring, with liquid oozing from his temples, which swarms of bees drank as nectar, made Trikūṭa Mountain tremble all around because of the weight of his body. From a distance he could smell the pollen of the lotus flowers, carried from the lake by the breeze. Surrounded by his associates, who were afflicted by thirst, he quickly came to the lake as was his custom.
He came to the lake as was his custom (tat sarovarābhyāsam). This means without fear he would bathe there.
The king of the elephants, bathing in that water, drank with the tip of his trunk the cold, clear, sweet water, which was mixed with the pollen of lotus flowers and water lilies. Bathing himself with the water, he felt relieved of fatigue.
He drank using the tip of his trunk (nija-puṣkaroddhṛtam).
Like a human being who lacks spiritual knowledge and is too attached to the members of his family, the elephant, illusioned by the external energy, had his wives and children bathe and drink the water with water raised by his trunk, without considering it an endeavor.
He bathed his wives (kareṇuḥ) and children (karabhāṇ).
O King! By fate, a strong crocodile, angry at the elephant, bit the elephant's leg in the water. The strong elephant, put into danger by fate, then showed his prowess.
Seeing suffering Gajendra suddenly pulled away by the strong crocodile, his distressed wives began to cry. The other assistant elephants could not rescue him.
The female elephants, distressed in mind, seeing him being pulled away, just cried. Those who were helping him get free (pārṣṇi-grahāḥ) were unable to free him.
O King! As the elephant and the crocodile fought in this way without dying, pulling one another in and out of the water, one thousand years passed. Upon seeing the fight, the devatās were very surprised.
Thereafter, because of being pulled into the water for many years, the elephant became depleted of his mental, physical and sensual strength. The crocodile, on the contrary, being an animal of the water, increased completely in enthusiasm, physical strength and sensual power.
The crocodile, a water animal, was the opposite. Instead of decreasing in physical, mental and sense strength, he increased in strength. Sakalam means he became completely full in his strength, not partially strong.
When the king of the elephants saw that he was helpless by fate, that he could not save himself, and that his life was in danger, he thought for a long time and finally got intelligence.
He thought, This is my karma. When he thought in that way, he suddenly got intelligence.
The other elephants, who are my friends and relatives, could not rescue me from this danger. What then to speak of my wives? It is by the will of providence that I have been attacked by this crocodile, and therefore I shall seek shelter of the Supreme Lord, who is the shelter of everyone.
This verse explains his intelligence. These elephants cannot free me, what to speak of my wives. Because I am caught in the noose of fate, in the form of the crocodile, I surrender to the Supreme Lord, the supreme shelter, even though (aham ca) I am an ignorant animal.
I take shelter of the Supreme Lord whose powers cannot be understood, who protects the surrendered souls who are afraid of the strong, quick snake of time which constantly pursues them and from which death itself flees.
Who is the person to whom you surrender? This verse describes the Lord. Śruti says:
bhīṣāsmād vātaḥ pavate bhīṣaòeti sūryaḥ
bhīsāsmād agniś candraś ca mṛtyur dhāvati pañcama
The wind blows out of fear of the Lord. The sun rises out of fear of the Lord. Fire, the moon, and death, the fifth person, flee out of fear of the Lord. Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.8
Thus ends the commentary on the Second Chapter of the Eighth Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.
The Second Chapter describes the garden and lake at Trikūṭa Mountain, and Gajendras remembrance of the Lord when attacked by the crocodile. Āsīt means there was.