Story of Airāvata

A large elephant, son of Irāvatī.

Genealogy.

Descended from Viṣṇu in this order:—Viṣṇu-Brahmā-Kaśyapa-Bhadramatā-Irāvatī-Airāvata. Kaśyapa married Dakṣa’s daughter, Krodhavaśā who bore him ten daughters. They were: Mṛgī, Mṛgamandā, Harī, Bhadramatā, Mātaṅgī, Śārdūlī, Svetā, Surabhī, Sarasā and Kadru. Of these Bhadramatā had a daughter named Irāvatī and Airāvata was her son. Airāvata was not human in shape; he was a large elephant. (See Sarga 14, Araṇyakāṇḍa, Rāmāyaṇa).

Indra’s Vāhana.

Indra made Airāvata his conveyance (vāhana). Indra was Kaśyapa’s son by Aditi. Airāvata also was descended from Kaśyapa. So Indra took Airāvata as his vāhana.

Airāvata caused the churning of the ocean of Milk.

There is a story of how Airāvata was responsible for the churning of the milk-ocean (Kṣīrābdhi-mathanam). Once some maidens of devaloka presented a garland of flowers to sage Durvāsas. When Durvāsas visited Indra’s court he gave that garland to Indra. Indra put it on the tusks of his vāhana, Airāvata. The fragrance of the flowers attracted a swarm of bees which became an intolerable nuisance to Airāvata. So Airāvata tore the garland off his tusks and hurled it away. When Durvāsas heard this, he took it as an insult. In his anger he cursed all the gods—the curse was that all gods should become subject to old age and the decrepitude and infirmities of old age. But though Durvāsas cursed the gods, he also prescribed a remedy. The gods could redeem themselves from the curse by drinking Amṛtam obtained from the ocean of Milk (Mahāviṣṇu lies on the serpent, Śeṣa on this ocean). The curse began to operate and the gods lost their perennial youth. The gods then befriended the Asuras and with their help they churned the ocean of Milk. They got the nectar (Amṛtam), drank it and regained their youth. (See under the word AMṚTAM).

4) There is another story about Airāvata—A story of how he also rose out of the ocean of Milk. It is said that when the devas and asuras churned the ocean of Milk, Airāvata also came up along with the other good things. This story is narrated in the 18th Chapter of Ādi Parva of the Mahābhārata. The explanation given is that when Durvāsas cursed the gods, Airāvata was oppressed with a sense of guilt because he was responsible for the curse. So he took refuge in the ocean of Milk and there started propitiating Mahāviṣṇu. There is however no warrant for such an explanation in the purāṇas. But the explanation sounds plausible because it explains the absence of Airāvata during the interval between Durvāsas’s curse and the churning of the sea. Airāvata is represented as a white elephant. It is probable that he became white after his long residence in the ocean of Milk. This lends some additional plausibility to the above explanation.

Airāvata, the Lord of the elephant.

In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa we are told how Airāvata was made the chief of all elephants. When the Maharṣis had crowned Pṛthu as the sovereign King, Brahmā gave new posts of honour to many of the devas. He made SOMA (Moon) the lord of the Stars and Planets, of Brahmins, Yajñas and herbs. Kubera was made the overlord of all Kings; Varuṇa was made the master of the seas and all water; Viṣṇu, the lord of the Ādityas and Pāvaka (Fire) the lord of the Vasus. Along with these Brahmā made Airāvata the lord of all elephants. (Chapter 22, Viṣṇu Purāṇa).

The breaking of Airāvata’s tusks.

There is a story of how the tusks of Airāvata were broken narrated in the Āsurakāṇḍa of Skanda Purāṇa. Once an asura (demon) named Śūrapadma attacked devaloka. A fierce battle ensued between the gods and asuras. In the course of this battle, Jayanta, Indra’s son, was hit by an arrow and at once he fell dead. Enraged by this Airāvata rushed at Śūrapadma’s chariot and shattered it to pieces. Airāvata then attacked Śūrapadma who broke his tusks and hurled him down to the earth. Airāvata lay paralysed for a long time; then he got up, retired to a forest and prayed to Lord Śiva. With the grace of Śiva Airāvata regained his lost tusks and was able to return to devaloka.

Other details about Airāvata.

(1) There is a belief that Airāvata is one of the eight elephants guarding the eight zones of the universe. These eight elephants are called the Aṣṭadiggajas. Airāvata is supposed to guard the eastern zone. (Chapter 66, Ādi Parva, Mahābhārata).

(2) Airāvata and three other diggajas are supposed to reside in Puṣkara Island. (Chapter 12, Bhīṣma Parva, Mahābhārata).