I listened to this episode of Gajendra about 50 years back in my child hood at the age of 6 or 7. That time the chrocodile was villan and the elephant was a humble devotee and he should have been rescued and recognised by Lord Vishnu much much earlier. THE LORD DELAYED. Probably I was biassed that elephant was string, yet vegitarian and chrodile snaches everyithing that innocently crosses accross its stream. Adding 50 more years of "ALL KINDS OF KNOWLEDGE", still I am biassed to Gajendra. I am not able to accept vegitarians / non-vegitarians, strong / weak, all races, animals, living and non living things are all His creation and for the Lord IT IS "OUR OWN DEEDS, KARMA and PHALAM" (cause, process and effect) across many lives of the ATHMAN. There was great response to your query on this web post(all valid) to your inquisitiveness, still I wanted to add little more. If you observe carefully over past 2000 or 3000 years mankind has struggled to pass on the knowlege they gained to next generations in various forms. Thus VEDAS was born and episodes, stories, music and songs, art and paintings, theatre, efective ways to remember and continue His WILL and process of creation. Yet complete or incomplete (no one knows), but He is complete.
You can look at the episode of GAJENDRA in may ways. With my limited knowledge, I venture to show FIVE ways, you may understand this. (1) Gajendra strugled a lot, until his energies are OVER and in other words his egos are killed. Then he said -- "Neeve thappa ithah paramberuga(Pothanna Teulgu Bhagavatham)" -- meaning I do not know any thing other than You (Lord) and You (Lord) alone. (2) Gajendra fought with the chrocodile for length of time taking a enemy attitude. Not realising the other creature is also His. You will see at the end of the episode even the crocodile was given moksham by Lord Sreemannarayan. (3) Probably Gajendra was aware of his strengths and wished not to trouble Lord and exausted his energies in fighting the creature for 1000 years (1000 is only symbolic for long time), not knowing the strengths of other. (4) Lord has (PASS) tested his devotee and given him ad US such a MESSAGE that He is the ultimate and with energy or without, we are His. (5) Finally SARANAGATHI - sarva dharman parithyajya - maamekam saranam vraja - to teach this in the form of a ever memorable GAJENDRA MOKSHAM. Gajedra, when nearing Lord RANGANATHA - left all his kingdom, wives, property, energy and ego to realize Lord RANGANATHA (Vishnu). Our ALWARS who were sepearated by Lord's will came to earth to enlighten US, preached BHAKTHI, through their DIVYAPRABANDHAM s and never wanted anything other than His Lotus feet and reunion with HIM (our only Lord RANGANATHA. And BHAKTHI alone is the way to Lord. Saint Thyagaraja also says "Sangeetha gyanamu - Bhakti vinaa - Vere sanmargamu galade". Meaning - Knowledge of music (samavedam) and devotion to Lord is the way of life and nothing wlse is life.
Wishing you al the best for making many like me to think a little on Lord Ranganatha and Alwars.
Ever humble to all devotees - Peesapati V V S Chari
Web site - http://etemples.net