In a tranquil and enchanting place, a great lake shone with beauty. Its waters were alive with the calls of kāraṇḍava ducks and graced by the elegant presence of royal swans. Golden lotuses blossomed across its surface, mingling with hundred-petaled lilies, their colors gleaming in the sun. Around the lake’s edges, thick clusters of bamboo and reeds formed a green and sheltering embrace. Within this idyllic scene, danger lurked unseen. A mighty crocodile, fierce and ever watchful, made this lake his domain. He was an enemy to the elephants who roamed nearby, always vigilant for a moment to strike. One day, an elephant, powerful and majestic, approached the water. He was in the prime of his strength, his dark hide glistening like collyrium, his eyes unsteady with the intoxication of rut. Longing for the coolness of the lake, he moved slowly, his massive form like a walking mountain. His herd moved with him through the lotus-filled marsh, the she-elephants watching closely, their cries filled with anxious distress. Suddenly, as the elephant waded deeper, the lurking crocodile struck. In an instant, the mighty beast was caught, ensnared by the powerful jaws and the hidden snares of the water-dweller. The elephant struggled with all his strength, trumpeting in pain and desperation, but the grip only tightened. His movements were rendered helpless, and danger closed in from all sides. In that moment of utmost peril, the elephant’s mind turned inward. He remembered Hari, the Supreme Lord, and with all his heart, he sought refuge in Him. This devotion was not new—it was the fruit of countless births spent in worship of the Lord who bears Garuḍa’s banner. With his inner eye, the elephant beheld the radiant form of the Lord: bearing the conch, discus, and mace, His splendor like the foam of churned nectar. Desiring deliverance from his suffering, the elephant began to praise Him with a heartfelt hymn. He offered homage to the God who Himself takes no refuge, who is free from all desire. Again and again, the elephant bowed to the One who dwells within all beings, the sole, the unmanifest. He saluted the immeasurable, the unfathomable, the incomparable Lord, eternal and ancient, the primeval one, Govinda—the very foundation of the universe. He offered salutations to the Lord of the universe, the divine one known as Shiva and as Hari, to Nārāyaṇa, who is the universe itself and the supreme self of the gods. He praised the supreme person, the bearer of the bow, discus, sword, and mace, Acyuta—the best of gods, the granter of boons, lauded by Brahmā, Indra, Rudra, sages, and celestial beings. He bowed to the ageless one, clad in yellow garments, the destroyer of Madhu and Kaiṭabha, the universe, adorned with a beautiful crown. He praised the bestower of boons, the supreme Lord, resplendent with wondrous crowns and armlets, whose valor is ever ready to remove obstacles for the gods. The elephant offered worship to Nārāyaṇa, whose actions are for the benefit of the self, the great Boar. He sought refuge in that god of gods, the ancient person who remains at the end of the ages, in Vāsudeva, knower of the field and source of the self. He approached the secret of the gods, the eternal person, and the supreme Viṣṇu, the Lord, satisfied with unsurpassed virtues, the highest refuge. He sought shelter in Viṣṇu, Janārdana, of great strength, the treasure of the Vedas, the lord of gods. He approached Keśava, radiant in yellow garments and garlanded, shining with golden brilliance. He took refuge in Acyuta, the self-possessed Lord, whose power is that of the Ādityas, Rudras, Aśvins, and Vasus. He surrendered to the subtle, immovable, most excellent one, the giver of fearlessness; to the supreme state attained by ascetics free from attachment; to the protector of devotees, the shelter for all who seek protection. He bowed to Janārdana, the soul of yoga, the great soul, and to Nārāyaṇa, subtler than the subtle, beloved of the brāhmaṇas. Thus, with unwavering devotion and a heart full of faith, the elephant, caught in the jaws of death, poured out his prayers to the Lord, seeking deliverance and refuge in the Supreme.