The adbuction of the lotus-flower by the king of elephants

[Ashok Aklujkar]

As I recall, no reference has so far been made to the following in the
responses so far given to help Dr. Vielle with his query:

In Bhaagavata Puraa.na 8.2-3 (and possibly other sources) occurs the story
of Gajendra-mok.sa (which is frequently referred to in making the point that
God/Vi.s.nu protects his devotees in distress and is thus quite well-known).
A king of elephants finds his leg/foot in the jaws of a graaha or nakra. No
matter how hard he tries, he cannot extricate the leg/foot. He begins to
pray to Vi.s.nu. As he sees Vi.s.nu approaching, he offers to him, even
while he is in great distress, the lotus he has taken in his trunk
(utk.sipya saambuja-karam ...).

ashok aklujkar


On 9/14/05 12:11 PM, "Christophe Vielle" <vielle at ORI.UCL.AC.BE> wrote:

> about a king abducting a princess, I come across the following simile:
> 
> jahaara raajatanayaaM  gajaraa.d iva padminiim
> 
> I do not know any mythological story about a king of elephants abducting a
> lotus-flower (of course, a possible meaning of padminii is "female
> elephant", but the male elephant usually do not abduct the female).
> Has somebody already come across this simile in kaavya, or such a story in
> any kathaa?