Lord vishnu is responsible for governance of this universe. The lord is omnipresent and omnipotent. There were dhashavtaras of Lord Vishnu from satyug till the kalyuga. Lord Rama and Krishna are the incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
This heroic representation of Vishnu wearing an elaborate crown stands on a plinth depicting the donor and his family flanking an auspicious vase of plenty (purnaghata). The dedicatory inscription identifies the donor as a minister of state, names the king he served, Simhadeva, and gives the place and date of dedication. The date coincides with Vishnu’s awakening after his annual four-month slumber, marking the end of the monsoon— an auspicious day to make a religious donation.
At one point in the story of Shiva and Shivi, Raman is not the one performing his duties, and it is suggested that another being named Icha Ui should take on the responsibility of creating and maintaining this world. To do this, it is decided that they would make it easier by focusing their efforts in Kashi. Shiva then anoints the tenth part of the left side with nectar, and from this emerges the most beautiful being among the U Teno people. This being is a manifestation of the great ocean and possesses many other qualities.
Shiva, in his infinite wisdom, names this being Vishnu and bestows upon him additional titles. Through the power of his breath, Shiva imparts the knowledge of the Vedas to Vishnu, thus granting him divine blessings. Vishnu, after a long and dedicated period of penance, releases a vast amount of water from his limbs. This water has the power to cleanse all sins upon contact. As Vishnu rests within this water, he is also referred to as Narayana.
Parents in this world give birth to children who eventually become responsible for the continuation of life on Earth. Just as God takes delight in witnessing the beauty of his creation, human beings find joy in seeing their children grow and prosper. They impart values, teach them the knowledge necessary for survival, and guide them on how to preserve the beauty of creation. In the same way that Vishnu's form captivates everyone, parents strive to pass on their virtuous qualities to their children.
You can explore the following online resources:
Once upon a time, the leader of a herd of elephants, named Gajendra, was wandering in a magnificent garden called Rituman, which belonged to the god Varuna. Gajendra was accompanied by numerous female elephants who playfully sprayed water from their trunks, and he was enjoying himself immensely. Suddenly, a powerful alligator seized Gajendra's hind foot and dragged him into the lake. Gajendra and the alligator fought fiercely for many years. Weakened by the prolonged battle and lack of food, Gajendra began to lose strength, and the alligator pulled him deeper into the lake. As Gajendra's entire body submerged, with only the tip of his trunk remaining above water, he grasped a lotus flower and entered a meditative trance, praying to Lord Vishnu, a prayer he remembered from his previous life.
Gajendra beseeched Lord Vishnu, saying:
"O Lord, I wholeheartedly immerse my mind and thoughts in your devotion and offer my humble obeisance to you. You are the ruler of the entire universe, omnipresent, and the one responsible for the cycle of life and death. You are the creator of all that exists, and your divine presence is felt everywhere as the self-illuminating almighty.
"O Lord, I entreat you to grant me a renewed lease on life, for you have created this universe, which is held together by your own divine illusion, sometimes visible and sometimes not. Your unchanging, eternal vision perceives both illusion and reality since you are the creator of all, including yourself. Your omnipresence was felt even during the great dissolution, when the world and its guardians were annihilated, and only a profound, impenetrable darkness pervaded.
"O Lord, you alone are my life and movement, and the saints who have renounced worldly temptations and observed celibacy continually pay homage to you, eagerly seeking a glimpse of your divine form.
"O Lord, you are the embodiment of compassion, always ready to aid your devotees. I beseech you to grant me a lease on life, just as a kind-hearted soul would rescue a distressed beast.
"O Lord, I pray to you and offer my obeisance, for there is no point in my continued existence. My massive, elephantine body is shrouded in ignorance, and there is no purpose in maintaining such a form without meaning in life. I turn to you to enlighten my inner self, so that I may dispel the darkness obstructing my path and detach my body and soul from the cycle of life and death."
In response to Gajendra's earnest prayer, Lord Vasudeva appeared and saved him by hurling the Sudarshana Chakra at the alligator, severing its head and freeing Gajendra from its powerful grip. Gajendra and the alligator, entangled with each other in a struggle against the relentless current of time, were liberated from the cycle of life and death upon Lord Vasudeva's arrival.
In the present situation, the Coronavirus behaves like the alligator, and we should recite Gajendra's prayer, known as Gajendramoksham, which can be found in the Shrimad Bhagavata Mahapurana, Skanda 8, Chapter 3.
The story of Gajendra Moksha carries several powerful spiritual lessons and symbolisms. Gajendra, the elephant king, represents the human soul that is entangled in the material world. The alligator represents the negative aspects of life, such as ego, greed, and attachment, that hold individuals back from realizing their true spiritual nature. Gajendra's struggle against the alligator symbolizes the human struggle to overcome materialistic desires and limitations. As Gajendra realizes his helplessness and turns to Lord Vishnu for assistance, he embodies the concept of surrender, which is central to the practice of bhakti yoga. By offering sincere prayers and surrendering to the divine, Gajendra is saved from his predicament and attains spiritual liberation. The story of Gajendra Moksha teaches that no matter how powerful or accomplished one may be in the material world, true liberation can only be achieved by recognizing one's limitations and seeking refuge in the divine. By cultivating devotion and surrender to the higher power, individuals can overcome the challenges of the material world and attain spiritual enlightenment. As you explore these resources and delve deeper into the story of Gajendra Moksha, you will gain a stronger understanding of its spiritual significance and the lessons it offers for personal growth and self-realization.
These sources will provide deeper insights into the narrative, its philosophical underpinnings, and ways to effectively convey its lessons:
Om namo bhagwate Vasudeva.
Hiranyakashyapu lived in the valley of Mandara and wished to make himself invincible, free from old age and death and wished to become the sole monarch of the three worlds having no rival. He practiced asecticism of the severiest type keeping both his arms lifted up and his gaze fixed on the sky and touching the ground with his great toes. He remained in this position for many years and did not eat anything all those years. After sometime whole of his body submerged, in sand, bamboos, grass and his flesh and blood were eaten away by ants and thus only remaining was his skeleton.
When Lord Brahma realized that Hiranyakashyapu did such an impossible penance he reached there mounting on his swan and asked Hiranyakashyapu whether he desired any boon because Brahma had vitnessed this extraordinary and marvelous stamina of his that his body having being eaten away by ants and his frame hanged only on his bones. Brahma was pleased with his penance and bestowed upon Hiranyakashyapu whatever he wished by sprinkling sacred water from his kamandalenu on Hiranyakashyapu.
Hiranyakashyapu got his youth back and he started gazing at Brahma with unwinking eyes, joined his palms and praised Brahma:
O Lord let there be no fear of death (to me) indoor or outdoor, by day or by night even from anyone else (human or animal) and even through weapons, neighter earth nor in the air and nor should he meet death at the hands of animate or inanimate beings, Gods, Deamons or great serpants.Also he wished that he be granted the boon of no adversary in battle as well as undisputed Lordship over embodied beings. By granting these boons to shiri Hiranyakashyapu who became invincible, Brahma returned to his abode. Thus Hiranyakashyapu established himself in heaven and took up his residance in the palace of the mighty Indra built by Vishwakarma and he became the monarch of three worlds. In this way considerable time slipped past Hiranyakashyapu.
Prahlada was Hiranyakashyapu's son and was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. Hiranyakashyapu strongly opposed Prahlada and wanted to kill him, he asked his soldiers to throw Prahlada from the mountain which they did but Prahlada with the grace of Lord Vishnu survived.
Hiranyakashyapu asked his sister Holika to sit in fire with Prahlada in fire so that he will burn to death, but Prahlada with the grace of Lord Vishnu survived. Hiranyakashyapu called Prahlada one day and threatened him that he should call Lord Vishnu and how he can be saved as Hiranyakashyapu himself will behead Prahlada. The father and son were standing nearby a stone piller and time was the close of the day and beginning of the night (that is neighter day or night). Hiranyakashyapu hurled his sword on the pillar because Prahlada told him that Lord Vishnu will appear from the pillar and save him. At once Lord Vishnu appeared from the pillar in the form of Half lion, half man with long nails and Hiranyakashyapu was grabbed by Narasimha (Lord Vishnu) who took him on his lap and sat on the threshold of a room (neighter inside nor outside) and tore Hiranyakashyapu's chest with the help of his long nails. Hiranyakashyapu thus died.
In the present context if we read this story, we become wise and can handle any powerful being by praying Lord Vishnu's incarnation (Narsimha) who is capable of killing anything living and not visible (organism, bacteria or virus) as the case maybe. This story is available in Skanda-7 Chapter 3 of Shrimadbhagvata Mahapuranam.