Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana Book 8 Chapter 2:29-33

Book 8: Chapter 2

Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana: Book 8: Chapter 2: Verses 29-33 The lord of elephants is caught in the grip of an alligator While the lord of elephants and the alligator were thus contending and pulling each other, the one outside and the other inside, both remaining alive, a thousand years rolled by, O ruler of the earth. The gods (too) looked upon this (event) as (something) strange. After this (due to lack of nourishment, however,) there came about a great depletion of spirit, strength and vitality of the king of elephants, as it was being dragged in water for (such) a long time and was now languishing; while in the case of the alligator (that had its abode in water and derived its nourishment from water) all this (strength etc.), turned out to be otherwise (came to be redoubled). When the lord of elephants, that looked upon the body (alone) as its self, unexpectedly came face to face with this danger to life and felt (absolutely) powerless, and incapable of liberating itself (from the hold of its enemy), it pondered for a long time and presently arrived at the following conclusion. (The elephant said to itself,) "These, my kith and kin, have no power to extricate me, fallen in distress (as I am); how (then) can the female elephants do it ? (Therefore,) entrapped as I am in the snare of Providence in the shape of the alligator, even I (a beast) flee (for protection) to the Supreme, the ultimate refuge (of all). Whosoever being the almighty Lord Protects on every side a suppliant very much afraid of the powerful serpent in the form of Death, possessed of terrible speed and advancing in every direction, and from fear of whom Death (himself) runs to and fro (to devour living beings), let us approach Him as our asylum." Thus ends the second discourse, hinging on the legend of the king of elephants forming part of the story of the Manvantaras, in Book Eight of the great and glorious Bhagavata-Purana, otherwise known as the Paramahamsa-Samhita.