Word

Airavata

Sanskrit

ऐरावात

IAST

airāvāta

In General

A large white elephant which Indra used for his conveyance. Airavata is considered as the most prominent elephant

Purana

Kasyapa married Daksa's daughter, Krodhavasa who bore him ten daughters. They were : Mrgi, Mrgamanda, Harl, Bhadramata, Matarigl, Sarduli, Sveta, Surabhi, Sarasa and Kadru. Of these Bhadramata had a daughter named Iravaiti and Airavata was her son.

There is a story about how Airavata was responsible for the churning of the ocean of milk. Once sage Durvasas presented a divine garland to Indra. Indra put it on the tusks of Airavata. The fragrance of the flowers attracted a swarm of bees which became an intolerable nuisance to Airavata. So, Airavata tore the garland off his tusks and hurled it away. When Durvasas heard of this, he took it as an insult. In his anger he cursed all the gods to become a subject to old age. The gods were worried as they were immortals and old age never touched them. Durvasas felt sorry for his anger and thus prescribed a remedy. The gods could redeem themselves from the curse by drinking Amrtam (nectar) obtained from the ocean of Milk (Mahavisnu lies on the serpent, Sesa on this ocean). Airavata feeling a sense of guilt for his act meanwhile hid himself in Ocean of Milk. While churning of the ocean of milk he came out and again became the Indra vahana (vehicle).

Reference

R. (2.14)