Introduction
Gajendra is the king of elephants, whose rescue by Vishnu while caught in the jaws of a crocodile is one of the most beloved devotional stories of the Bhagavata Purana, told as Gajendra Moksha, "the liberation of Gajendra".
The crocodile's grip
While bathing with his herd in a lake, Gajendra was seized by the leg by a powerful crocodile (in some versions, itself a cursed celestial being). Despite a long struggle, using his own great strength and the help of his herd, he could not free himself, and grew steadily weaker over what the text describes as a very long contest.
The call to Vishnu
Exhausted and near death, and abandoned by his herd, Gajendra, recalling a flower he had once offered in devotion, called out to Vishnu with a lotus held aloft in his trunk, surrendering entirely. Vishnu, moved by this cry, came at once, mounted on Garuda, without pausing even to dress properly, and killed the crocodile with his discus, freeing Gajendra.
Meaning
The story of Gajendra Moksha is widely cited as an example of instant divine response to sincere, helpless surrender (in the theology of some Vaishnava schools, an example of prapatti), regardless of the devotee's form or station, and is recited in devotional contexts, including at times of illness or crisis.