7th (Brahmotsav) evam Rathayatra–2082

At the foothills of the Trikuta Mountains, on the banks of the sacred Śrīkṛṣṇāgaṇḍakī (Nārāyaṇī) River, there once existed a beautiful forest. This divine woodland was served and frequented by gods, gandharvas, yakṣas, kinnaras, siddhas, cāraṇas, and countless ṛṣis and mahāṛṣis. The forest echoed with the melodious sounds of peacocks, cuckoos, and many other birds. Numerous animals—deer, boar, antelope, rhinoceros, wild cows, porcupines, lions, tigers, monkeys, and many others—made this enchanting forest their home. As stated in the Vāmana Purāṇa: “Gandharvaiḥ Kinnarair yadhaiḥ Siddha–Cāraṇa–Guhyakaiḥ.” The Trikuta mountains were rich with mines of gold, silver, and copper. Even today, red, white, and black soils can be seen as remnants of those mineral deposits: “Raupyāyasa–Hiraṇmayaiḥ.” At the foot of Trikuta, the Gaṇḍakī River expanded like a lake. In this forest, an elephant named Gajendra was the king of all animals. All creatures, great and small, lived in fear of him. One day, Gajendra, intoxicated with the vigor of youth, arrived at the Gaṇḍakī River with his herd to play in the water. Splashing water with his trunk, he enjoyed with the elephant cows and calves. Suddenly, a powerful crocodile seized Gajendra’s leg with a fierce grip: “Grāho balīyān caraṇe ruṣā gṛhīt.” A terrible battle began between the king of the forest (the elephant) and the king of the waters (the crocodile). Other elephants and calves tried to save their king by pulling him with their trunks, but even after a long struggle, they could not free him. The fight went on for...