Srimad Bhagavatam: Canto 8

S'rî S'uka said: 'Oh King, there was a very big mountain countless miles high, known as Trikûtha ['three peaks']. It was surrounded by an ocean of milk [or plant-juice see 5.20: 18].

S'rî S'uka said: 'There was a very big mountain countless of miles high, o King, known as Trikûtha ['three peaks'] surrounded by an ocean of milk [or plant-juice see 5.20: 18]. (Vedabase)

Text 2-3

With its three peaks full of silver, iron and gold in its circumference being as wide as it was long, it, as an island, lush with trees, creepers and shrubs and the sounds of waterfalls, stood radiant against the sky in every direction, with even more peaks on all sides containing precious stone and minerals.

With its three peaks all around as wide as it was long was it as an island, lush with trees, creepers and shrubs and the sounds of waterfalls in all directions, standing radiant against the sky. It was composed of silver, iron and gold, with more peaks on all sides full of precious stone and minerals. (Vedabase)

Text 4

At its foot, being washed by the waves of the sea all around, the earth had turned dark green from green emerald stones.

At its foot, always washed dark green by the waves of the sea all around, was the earth green with emerald stones. (Vedabase)

Text 5

The souls of perfection, the venerable souls, the heavenly singers, the souls of knowledge and the great souls of the world of snakes, the souls of a superhuman nature and the dancing girls, enjoyed it in the valleys there to be engaged in pastimes.

The perfected, the venerable, the heavenly singers, the ones of knowledge and the great of the world of snakes, the ones of superpower, the dancing girls and the sportive enjoyed there the valleys. (Vedabase)

Text 6

The caves there resounded with the sounds of singers, that made the stout lions enviously roar for a mate.

The glens resounding with the sounds of the singers made the stout lions of envy roar out for a mate. (Vedabase)

Text 7

The dales harbored great numbers of all thinkable jungle animals and the gardens, that were tended by the enlightened souls living there, were beautifully decorated with all types of trees and chirping birds.

The dales harbored great numbers of all thinkable jungle animals and the gardens maintained by the enlightened there were beautifully decorated with all types of trees and chirping birds. (Vedabase)

Text 8

In the rivers and lakes filled with crystal clear water, the damsels of the godly souls were bathing who, [entering the water] at the sand banks glittering with gems, enriched the air and the water with the fragrance of their bodies.

In the rivers and lakes full of crystal clear water, were from the by gems glittering sand beaches the damsels of the godly bathing, enriching the air and the water with the fragrance of their bodies. (Vedabase)

Text 9-13

In one valley there was a garden of the great soul, the mighty personality of Varuna, that was named Ritumat. It was a sporting place of the Sura ladies that everywhere, to honor the divinity, was most beautifully tended with flowers and fruits and mandâra and pârijâta, pâthala, as'oka and campaka trees. There were fruits like cûtas, piyâlas, panasas, mangoes, âmrâtakas, kramukas and pomegranates as also coconut and date trees. One found there madhukas, palm trees, tamâlas, asanas, arjunas, arishthas, udumbaras, plakshas, banyans, kims'ukas and sandelwood trees as also picumarda flowers, kovidâra fruits, sarala- and sura-dâru trees, grapes, sugar cane, bananas, jambu, badarî, aksha, abhaya and âmalakî fruits.

In one valley was there of the great soul, the mighty personality of Varuna, a garden with the name Ritumat which was a sporting place of the sura ladies. It was everywhere in honor of the divine most beautifully tended with flowers and fruits and mandâra and pârijâta, pâthala, as'oka and campaka trees. There were fruits like cûtas, piyâlas, panasas, mangoes, âmrâtakas, kramukas and pomegranates as also coconut and date trees. There stood madhukas, palm trees, tamâlas, asanas, arjunas, arishthas, udumbaras, plakshas, banyans, kims'ukas and sandelwood trees. Also were there found picumarda flowers, kovidâra fruits, sarala- and sura-dâru trees, grapes, sugar cane, bananas, jambu, badarî, akhsa, abhaya and âmalakî fruits. (Vedabase)

Text 14-19

In that garden there was a very large lake, full of shining golden lotuses, surrounded by bilva, kapittha, jambîra, bhallâtaka and other trees. Next to the great beauty of the kumuda, kahlâra, utpala and s'atapatra flowers, the intoxicated bees were humming around accompanied by the most melodious songs of the birds. It was crowded with swans and kârandavas, cakrâvakas, flocks of water chickens, koyashthis and dâtyûhas who all made their noises. The water, surrounded by kadamba, vetasa, nala, nîpa and vañjulaka flowers, agitated by the movements of the fish and tortoises, stirred the lotuses, so that the pollen falling from them covered the surface. The trees growing on the banks, like kundas, kurubakas, as'okas, s'irîshas, kûthajas, ingudas, kubjakas, svarna-yûthîs, nâgas, punnâgas, jâtîs, mallikâs, s'atapatras, mâdhavî-latâs, jâlakâs and others, adorned the place [bearing fruits and flowers] abundantly during all seasons.

In that garden there was a very large lake full of shining golden lotuses surrounded by bilva, kapittha, jambîra, bhallâtaka and other trees and of the great beauty of the kumuda, kahlâra, utpala and s'atapatra flowers were the bees intoxicated humming along with the most melodious songs of the birds. It was crowded with swans and kârandavas, cakrâvakas, flocks of water chickens, koyashthis and dâtyûhas all making their noises. The water, surrounded by kadamba, vetasa, nala, nîpa and vañjulaka flowers, did, agitated by the movements of the fish and tortoises stir the lotuses of which the pollen falling from them covered the surface. The kundas, kurubakas, as'okas, s'irîshas, kûthajas, ingudas, kubjakas, svarna-yûthîs, nâgas, punnâgas, jâtîs, mallikâs, s'atapatras and the mâdhavî-latâs and jâlakâs and other trees growing on the banks adorned it in all seasons abundantly. (Vedabase)

Text 20

The leader of the elephants, who in the company of his wives lived in the forest, one day wandered around on that mountain and [searching for water] broke through many thickets full of thorns, creepers and all kinds of trees and plants.

Once did on that mountain the leader of the elephants living in that forest in the company of his wives wander there breaking through many thickets full of thorns, creepers and all kinds of trees and plants. (Vedabase)

Text 21

Just his smell was enough to make all the lions and other beasts of prey, the other elephants, the rhinoceroses, big snakes and the white and black camarî deer flee in fear.

Just the smell of him made the lions and other predators and fiery beasts, the other elephants, the rhinoceroses and the big snakes as also the white and black camarî deer all flee in fear. (Vedabase)

Text 22

By his mercy the foxes, boars, buffaloes, bears, porcupines, gopucchas and other deer, wolves, monkeys and small animals like rabbits and such, could freely roam without fear.

Because of his mercy could the foxes, boars, buffaloes, bears, porcupines, gopucchas and other deer, the wolves, monkeys and other small animals like rabbits and others, roam unafraid. (Vedabase)

Text 23-24

Dripping from his temples and agitated [in musth] he, surrounded by intoxicated, drinking bees and followed by the other he and she elephants and the young in their midst, made the earth all around the mountain tremble. From a distance smelling the water with the pollen of the lotus flowers carried by the breeze he, with his thirsty company and his vision clouded under the influence, hurried for the bank of that lake.

He perspiring, with saliva dripping and surrounded by nectar drinking bees, made, followed by the other he and she elephants and the young in their midst, all around the mountain the earth tremble. From a distance smelling the dust of the lotus flowers carried by the breeze was he, with his company obsessed in being thirsty of an intoxicated vision, hurrying for the bank of that lake. (Vedabase)

Text 25

Entering its pellucid, cool water he with his trunk drank his fill from the nectarean lotus pollen mixture, took a good bath and was thus relieved of all fatigue.

Entering its pellucid, cool water drank he to his fill from the nectarean lotusdust mixture and was he relieved of all fatigue taking a good bath in it. (Vedabase)

Text 26

Drawing the water with his trunk and spraying it over him, he inspired his wives and children also to take a bath and drink. Thus being engaged he, like a concerned householder being overly attached to his family, took under the control of the deluding material world, no heed of any possible danger.

Sucking the water in with his trunk and spraying it over him inspired he his wives and children to bathe as well. Thus engaged took he, like a concerned householder all too attached to his family, under the influence of the external energy no heed of any possible danger. (Vedabase)

Text 27

Then the lot fell to him that his foot, oh King, right there was caught by a mighty and angry crocodile. The elephant thereupon with all his strength strenuously tried to get out of this dangerous position.

He like anyone else resorting under the divine ordination then met with the fate that his foot, o King, there and then was captured by a mighty and angry crocodile [- of mâyâ], whereupon the elephant with all the strength he had in him strenuously tried to free himself from the dangerous position he had landed in. (Vedabase)

Text 28

When the wives saw that their leader was suddenly attacked and captured, they in shock started to lament. But the other elephants trying to free him from behind, were equally helpless.

The wives, who saw that their leader was attacked and captured by that force, began, daunted, to cry over the danger, while the other elephants trying from behind trying to free him, couldn't manage either. (Vedabase)

Text 29

While the elephant and the crocodile this way were fighting, pulling one another in and out of the water, a thousand years passed in which they both stayed alive. That, oh King, was a thing the immortal souls considered most wonderful.

With the elephant and the crocodile this way fighting, pulling one another in and out of the water, passed a thousand years in which they both stayed alive, and that, o King, was something which by the immortals was considered most wonderful. (Vedabase)

Text 30

Gajendra, the elephant king, in the period thereafter more and more lost his strength because of the fatigue of having fought so long against being pulled into the water. The crocodile by contrast, was at home in the water and became more frantic, strong and powerful over the years.

In the time thereafter lost Gajendra, the elephant king, because of the exhaust of for years of prolonged fighting being pulled into the water [to elsewhere thus], more and more his strength while on the contrary the crocodile that was at home in the water all together became more frantic, strong and powerful. (Vedabase)

Text 31

When Gajendra saw that his life was in danger and that he, by the will of providence, could not free himself from this helpless condition, he thought for a long time and reached the following conclusion:

When he, Gajendra, in his life, this way by providence having run into this form of danger, found himself unable to save himself from such a helpless condition, had he to think for a long time and reached he thereupon this decision: (Vedabase)

Text 32

'Neither all these relatives can deliver me from my distress, nor can I as an elephant expect to be freed by my wives from this fate of being captured tightly by the crocodile [of passion]. I, just like anybody else, therefore have to take shelter of Him who is the transcendence and the refuge of the most exalted souls [compare 7.9: 18].

'When all these relatives aren't able to deliver me as an elephant from my distress, and I from my wives neither may expect to be freed from the tight grip of the crocodile [of passion], must even [a stout elephant as] I, as good as anybody else, take shelter of that [Supreme of the Lord] which is the transcendental and the refuge of the exalted [compare 7.9: 18]. (Vedabase)

Text 33

He, the Lord, protects anyone who is of surrender. He protects those who are afraid of death against the so very strong serpent of time that chases someone endlessly with its terrifying force [see B.G. 11: 32]. I surrender to Him, who is the refuge and for whom even death flees away.'

Against the so very strong serpent of death [time, see B.G. 11: 32], which with its fearful force chases someone endlessly, will He who is someone's Controller, protect him who, afraid of death, is of surrender; I will seek my refuge with Him who is the actual shelter of everyone and for whom even death itself runs scared.' (Vedabase)