Once upon a time, a herd of elephants lived in a forest. The leader of this herd was a massive, mighty, dignified, and wise elephant named Chaturdanta.
Everyone lived happily under his protective care. He would listen to everyone's problems, devise solutions for them, and look after everyone—young and old alike—with equal attention.
Once, a severe drought struck that region. For years, not a single drop of rain fell.
All the ponds and lakes began to dry up. The trees and plants withered, the earth cracked open, and chaos reigned everywhere.
Every living creature began to yearn desperately for even a single drop of water. The elephants pleaded with their leader, "Chief, please think of a solution! We are all dying of thirst, and our little ones are suffering terribly."
Chaturdanta was already fully aware of the entire situation. He understood everyone's suffering, yet he was at a loss as to what remedy to apply. As he pondered the matter, he suddenly recalled something from his childhood. Chaturdanta spoke up, "I remember my grandfather saying that, situated to the east of this place, there lies a lake that never dries up because it is fed by underground springs. We must make our way there." A ray of hope dawned upon everyone.
The herd of elephants set off in the direction indicated by Chaturdanta. Traveling during the heat of the day without water was arduous, so the elephants chose to travel by night instead. After five nights of travel, they finally reached that extraordinary lake. True to the legend, the lake was brimming with water. All the elephants drank their fill, bathed to their heart's content, and frolicked in the water.
In that very same region, there lived a dense population of rabbits. Disaster soon befell them. Hundreds of rabbits were trampled under the elephants' massive feet. Their burrows were crushed and destroyed. Panic and chaos erupted within their community. The surviving rabbits convened an emergency assembly. One rabbit suggested, "We must flee this place immediately!"
However, a spirited and bold-natured rabbit among them was not in favor of running away. He said, "We must use our wits. Elephants are superstitious creatures. We shall tell them that we belong to the Lunar lineage. Our deity, the Moon, is displeased by the slaughter of rabbits you have committed. If you do not depart from this place, the Moon God will curse you with destruction."
Another rabbit seconded him, "Chatur is right. We should heed his counsel. We shall appoint Lambakarna as our envoy and dispatch him to Chaturdanta." Everyone agreed to this proposal. Lambakarna was a remarkably clever rabbit; his cunning was renowned throughout the entire rabbit community. He was also a master of rhetoric; when it came to weaving words and steering a conversation, he was unrivaled. When the rabbits asked him to go as their envoy, he readily agreed. He would be only too happy to help avert the crisis that had befallen the rabbits. Lambakarna arrived in the presence of Chaturdanta, climbed atop a distant rock, and called out, "O Elephant Chief Chaturdanta! I am Lambakarna, an envoy of the Moon, bearing a message from him. The Moon is our sovereign Lord."
Chaturdanta asked, "Well, what message have you brought?"
Lambakarna replied, "You have inflicted great harm upon the rabbit community. The Moon God is deeply displeased with you. Before he casts a curse upon you, you must take your herd and depart from this place."
Chaturdanta remained unconvinced. He said, "Where is the Moon God? I wish to behold him with my own eyes."
Lambakarna replied, "That is fitting. To pay homage to the countless rabbits you have slain, the Moon God himself has descended and is currently seated within the lake. Come, seek an audience with him, and see for yourself just how displeased he is." The cunning Lambakarna led Chaturdanta to the lake under the cover of night. It was the night of the full moon. The image of the full moon was reflected in the lake as clearly as a reflection appears in a mirror. Chaturdanta grew alarmed. The clever rabbit sensed the elephant's anxiety and spoke with confidence, "O Leader of Elephants, if you were to observe Lord Chandra—the Moon God—from a closer vantage point, you would realize the plight that has befallen us rabbits due to your herd's arrival here. You would see the anguish that fills Lord Chandra's heart upon witnessing the suffering of his devotees."
Lambakarna's words cast a spell-like effect upon the King of Elephants. Trembling with apprehension, Chaturdanta approached the water's edge and lowered his trunk to examine the reflection of the moon. As his trunk neared the surface, the gust of air expelled from it disturbed the water; the moon's reflection shattered into fragments and became distorted. Upon witnessing this, Chaturdanta was utterly terrified. He recoiled in panic, stumbling several steps backward. Lambakarna had been waiting for precisely this moment. He cried out, "Did you see? The moment he beheld you, Lord Chandra became furious! He is trembling with rage and seething with anger. If you value your safety, you and your entire herd must depart from this place immediately; otherwise, there is no telling what curse Lord Chandra might cast upon you."
Chaturdanta immediately returned to his herd and advised them that it would be prudent for them to leave the area without delay. Obeying their leader's command, the herd of elephants turned back and departed. A wave of jubilation swept through the community of rabbits.
Just a few days after the elephants had left, clouds gathered in the sky, rain poured down, and the entire water crisis came to an end.
The elephants never had occasion to return to that region again.