Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.2.23-24
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Mighty Leader Also Needed Water
“Surrounded by the herd’s other elephants, including females, and followed by the young ones, Gajapati, the leader of the elephants, made Trikūṭa Mountain tremble all around because of the weight of his body. He was perspiring, liquor dripped from his mouth, and his vision was overwhelmed by intoxication. He was being served by bumblebees who drank honey, and from a distance he could smell the dust of the lotus flowers, which was carried from the lake by the breeze. Thus surrounded by his associates, who were afflicted by thirst, he soon arrived at the bank of the lake.”
What the purport teaches
- Gajapati was surrounded by the herd, including females, and followed by the young elephants. His bodily weight made Trikūṭa Mountain tremble.
- He was perspiring, liquor dripped from his mouth, and intoxication overwhelmed his vision. Bumblebees drinking honey attended him.
- He smelled lotus-flower dust carried from the lake by the breeze. With his thirsty companions around him, he soon reached the lake’s bank.
Try this today
Pause today to notice thirst in yourself or someone with you, and make water available.
Ask yourself
What do you notice about the bodily needs of this powerful elephant and his companions?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.