Near Mount Trikuta was a beautiful lake where Gajendra, king of the elephants, lived with his herd. One summer day he went down into the lake to bathe.
Suddenly a huge crocodile seized his leg. Gajendra strained with all his might and his family pulled too, but none succeeded. The struggle went on for a long time and his strength began to fade.
When every support was gone, Gajendra remembered his devotion from a past life. He lifted a lotus flower in his trunk and called out to Lord Vishnu in praise.
In the story, Lord Vishnu came at once, riding Garuda. He killed the crocodile with his Sudarshan Chakra and freed Gajendra from danger.
Tradition says that when a person has reached the limit of their strength and calls out in complete surrender, help arrives. This is regarded as the best-known example of surrender (sharanagati).