King Khadga-bahu’s son had a crafty but foolish servant named Dushasana. Once this servant made a bet with the prince that the servant could ride the passionate male elephant. Thereupon the servant jumped on top of it and went a few steps, but people urged him not to ride that dangerous elephant. Dushasana, however, started to prod the elephant to make it move faster. Suddenly the elephant became angry and ran wildly here and there. Dushasana fell to the ground, was trampled by the elephant and died.
The elephant said, “My dear king, you are a pious and strict follower of the
Thereafter Dushasana attained the body of an elephant in Simhala-dvipa, where he lived near the palace of the king of Simhala-dvipa, a close friend of King Khadga-bahu. One day the king of Simhala-dvipa decided to send this elephant to his friend as a present. Upon receiving the elephant, King Khadga-bahu presented it to a poet who had pleased him with beautiful verse. This poet in turn sold the elephant to the king of Malava for one hundred gold coins.
After some time, the elephant contracted a terminal disease. When the elephant-keepers saw that the elephant had stopped eating and drinking, they reported the matter to the king, who then went to the elephant shed with the best animal doctors. At that time, much to the surprise of the king and everyone else, the elephant started to speak.
The elephant said, “My dear king, you are a pious and strict follower of the Vedas,
and you always worship the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu. So you should know that at this time these doctors will be of no avail. No hind of charity or sacrifice will help me at this time of death. If you care for me and want to help me, then kindly bring someone who daily recites the seventeenth chapter of the Bhagavad-gita.Thus requested by the elephant, the king brought a great devotee who regularly recited the seventeenth chapter of the Bhagavad-gita. As this devotee chanted, he sprinkled water on the elephant, who then gave up its elephant body and attained a four-armed form, similar to that of Lord Vishnu. The former elephant, who had previously been Dushasana, sat down in a airplane that had been sent for him from
Vaikuntha.
The king then inquired from him about his previous birth. Dushasana told him everything and then left for Vaikuntha.After these events, that best of men the king of Malava also regularly recited the seventeenth chapter of the Bhagavad-gita and after a short time he attained, the lotus feet of Lord Krishna.
Sources : ISKCON
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