Enchanting Pastimes

In this canto we hear the fascinating tale of Gajendra, king of elephants in the celestial realm, who was a saintly king in his previous life. Assailed by a mighty crocodile, he recalls his former devotion to Krishna and invokes his presence with heartfelt prayers. Then begins a long account of a conflict between the gods and Asuras, resulting in several divine incarnations, including Mohini, the Lord's form as an exquisite female, and Vamana, a dwarf brahmin. The Asuras conquer the heavens and seize control of the universe, only for Vamana to trick the Asura king, Bali, into giving everything back to the gods on the plea of begging for just three paces of land. Finally we hear about Matsya, the Lord's fish incarnation, who comes to the rescue of King Satyavrata during a great deluge that inundated the worlds. Krishna Dharma and Chintamani Dhama Dasi vividly bring these stories to life while bringing out the profound devotional teachings they evince.