Footsteps of Gajendra

Expressions researched:
"following the footprints of gaja-yutha paya, the king of elephant"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

So Prahlāda Mahārāja thought it that, although he was born in a family, asura family, ugra, ugra-jātam, still, if he decides to serve Kṛṣṇa, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, with bhakti, following the footprints of gaja-yūtha pāya, the king of elephant

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Mayapur, March 1, 1977: If your life is dedicated for yajña, for serving Kṛṣṇa, then the inevitable sinful activities which we commit without any knowledge, we are not responsible. Manye mithe kṛtaṁ pāpaṁ puṇyaya eva kalpate (?). So our life should be dedicated simply for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then we are safe. Otherwise we must be entangled with so many reaction of our activities and bound up in the repetition of birth and death. Mām aprāpya nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani [Bg. 9.3].

nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma

yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti

na sādhu manye yato ātmano 'yam

asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ

[SB 5.5.4]

The safest position is let us always be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then we make spiritually advance and safe from the reaction of sinful life. So Prahlāda Mahārāja thought it that, although he was born in a family, asura family, ugra, ugra-jātam, still, if he decides to serve Kṛṣṇa, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, with bhakti, following the footprints of gaja-yūtha pāya, the king of elephant... He was animal. You know the story, that he was attacked by a crocodile in the water. So there was struggle for existence between the two, and after all, the crocodile is the animal in the water. He had great strength. And the elephant, although he's also very big, powerful animal, but he was not a animal of the water. So he was very helpless. So at last, he began to chant the holy name of the Lord and prayed, so he was saved. He was saved, and because the crocodile caught up the leg of the elephant, he was also saved because he was Vaiṣṇava. And this animal, crocodile, he was under the feet of a Vaiṣṇava, so he was also saved. (laughter) This is the story, you know. So therefore, chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava sevā. He indirectly gave service to the Vaiṣṇava, and he also became delivered.