Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.8.5
ऐरावणादयस्त्वष्टौ दिग् गजा अभवंस्तत: ।
अभ्रमुप्रभृतयोऽष्टौ च करिण्यस्त्वभवन्नृप ॥ ५ ॥
airāvaṇādayas tv aṣṭau
[airaavanaadayas tv ashtau]
dig-gajā abhavaṁs tataḥ
[dig-gajaa abhavams tatah]
abhramu-prabhṛtayo ’ṣṭau ca
[abhramu-prabhritayo ’shtau cha]
kariṇyas tv abhavan nṛpa
[karinyas tv abhavan nripa]
Word-for-word
airāvaṇa-ādayaḥ
—
headed by Airāvaṇa
tu
—
but
aṣṭau
—
eight
dik-gajāḥ
—
elephants that could go in any direction
abhavan
—
were generated
tataḥ
—
thereafter
abhramu-prabhṛtayaḥ
—
headed by the she-elephant named Abhramu
aṣṭau
—
eight
ca
—
also
kariṇyaḥ
—
female elephants
tu
—
indeed
abhavan
—
also generated
nṛpa
—
O King.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
airāvaṇādayas tv aṣṭau
airāvaṇa-ādayaḥ
headed by Airāvaṇa
tu
but
aṣṭau
eight
dig-gajā abhavaṁs tataḥ
dik-gajāḥ
elephants that could go in any direction
abhavan
were generated
tataḥ
thereafter
abhramu-prabhṛtayo ’ṣṭau ca
abhramu-prabhṛtayaḥ
headed by the she-elephant named Abhramu
kariṇyas tv abhavan nṛpa
aṣṭau
eight
ca
also
kariṇyaḥ
female elephants
tu
indeed
abhavan
also generated
nṛpa
O King.
Thereafter, O King, eight great elephants, which could go in any direction, were generated. They were headed by Airāvaṇa. Eight she-elephants, headed by Abhramu, were also generated.
Purport
The names of the eight elephants were Airāvaṇa, Puṇḍarīka, Vāmana, Kumuda, Añjana, Puṣpadanta, Sārvabhauma and Supratīka.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
Thereafter, O King, eight great elephants of the directions, headed by Airāvana, were generated. Eight she-elephants, headed by Abhramu, were also generated.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Eight directional elephants and their consorts emerged. The cosmic order is populated by named beings who hold every direction. We do not live in an empty universe of laws but in a peopled one full of intentional servants of the Lord.
Reflection Questions
- Do I treat the universe as impersonal mechanism or as a community of servants?
- Which 'direction' of my life feels under-protected — and might benefit from a remembrance of these guardians?
My note
Source: vedabase.io