Chapter 77 - Suppression of Kāliya

Vyāsa said:

1. Once, Kṛṣṇa went to Vṛndāvana forest without Rāma. Surrounded by cowherd lads he moved about. He shone splendidly in garlands of forest flowers.

2. He went to the river Kālindī that had gently moving ripples and waves and that appeared to be smiling all round by the clusters of foams sticking to the banks.

3. There he saw a hideous and extremely terrible whirlpool of serpent Kāliya, which had been defiled by sparks of poisonous fire.

4. As the fire of poison spread, the great trees that grew on its banks were burnt. Even the birds (that flew over it) had been burnt when they came into contact with its watery spray as the wind wafted it up.

5. On seeing that highly terrible serpent which was like another jaw of Death lord Kṛṣṇa thought thus:

6-7. In this whirlpool lives that wicked Kāliya with poison for his weapon. Formerly, he had been left in the ocean by me. The evil fellow had not been conquered then as he disappeared in the ocean. The whole of the ocean-going river Yamunā has now been defiled by him. Hence, the water of Yamunā is not being used by the thirsty travellers or cows that constitute our wealth.

8. This king of serpents should be curbed and restrained by me whereby the residents of the cowherds’ colony who are continuously frightened now should move about with comfort.

9. It is for this purpose that I have incarnated in the world of human beings. So I should chastise these wicked souls who have gone astray.

10. Therefore, I shall climb this great tree of Kadamba which is not very far off from it, I shall jump into the eddy of the serpent that causes destruction.

Vyāsa said:

11. After thinking thus and girding up his loins, he quickly fell into that whirlpool of the king of serpents.

12. As he jumped into it, the great eddy was stirred up by him. He sprinkled even the trees growing far away.

13. Those trees that were sprinkled with the hot water heated by the flames of the defiled person of the serpent blazed suddenly. The flames then spread over all the quarters.

14. Lord Kṛṣṇa clapped and dashed against the whirlpool with his arms. On hearing that sound the king of serpents approached him.

15. His eyes turned red due to wrath; his hoods became agitated through poisonous flames. He was surrounded by pink-coloured serpents of great poison.

16. There were hundreds of wives of the serpent. They appeared splendid by their attractive necklaces. Their earrings sparkled as they moved along with their jerking trembling bodies.

17. Kṛṣṇa was then encircled by those serpents which bound him with their bodies. With their fangs rendered nasty by poisonous flames, they bit Kṛṣṇa.

18. On seeing him fallen there afflicted by the bodies of serpents, the cowherd lads went back to Vraja (the colony of cowherds) and lamented in their excessive grief.

The Cowherds said:

19. In his delusion Kṛṣṇa went into the eddy of Kāliya. He has sunk into it. He is being bitten by the king of serpents. Hence, all of you come. Do not delay.

Vyāsa said:

20. On hearing these words comparable to the stunning blow of the thunderbolt, the cowherds and the cowherdesses, Yośodā and others, hastened to the eddy.

21. “Alas, Alas where is this (beloved) person of cowherdesses (lying) extremely perturbed?” Saying thus, the people accompanied Yaśodā. They were confused. They were faltering in their steps.

22. Rāma of wonderful exploits, Nandagopa and other cowherds hastened to Yamunā, desirous of seeing Kṛṣṇa.

23. And surely did they see Kṛṣṇa, but he was encircled by the serpent. He was completely under his control. His effort to release himself had been made ineffective.

24. O excellent sages, staring anxiously at the face of his son, Nandagopa stood motionless. The highly blessed Yośodā was also like that.

25. The cowherdesses and others looked on helplessly. In their extreme distress and grief they wept continuously owing to their love for Keśava. Those ladies said in the frightened timidity of their minds:

26. All of us shall now enter this great eddy of the king of serpents along with Yaśodā. It is not proper on our part to go back to our colony.

27. What is that day without the sun? What is that night without the moon? What are those cows without milk? What is that cowherds’ colony without Kṛṣṇa? We will never go back to the cowherds’ colony without Kṛṣṇa.

28. Vyāsa said:

On hearing these words of cowherdesses, the son of Rohiṇī of great strength steadily looked at those distressed cowherds and said.

29. He saw Nanda extremely distressed with his eyes fixed to his face. He saw Yaśodā perturbed and fainting without being fully aware of his greatness.

Balarāma said:

30-33. O lord of the chiefs of Devas, why is this human feeling revealed too much? Don’t you know own Ātman? You are the pivot of this universe: you are the support of Devas. You are the maker, protector and destroyer of the three worlds. You are identical with the three Vedas. To both of us, O Kṛṣṇa, who have taken incarnations here the cowherds are the real kinsmen. So also the cowherdesses. Why then do you neglect them, your kinsmen who are distressed? You have exhibited the human traits. You have demonstrated puerile fickleness. So, O Kṛṣṇa, may this wicked fang-weaponed serpent be suppressed.

Vyāsa said:

34. Kṛṣṇa who was thus reminded kept his legs slightly parted in a gentle smile with a sudden dash and blow. He released his body from the bondage of the serpent’s coil.

35. With both of his hands he made the middle hood bend down. As the head of the serpent king became bent he rode and danced on it.

36. The hood of the serpent became wounded due to the kicks from the feet of Kṛṣṇa whenever the hood was raised. After the kick his head bent low.

37. By frequent hits and blows from Kṛṣṇa the serpent became unconscious and deluded. Due to the fierce kickings he vomited blood.

38. On seeing that serpent had been compelled to bend his head and neck to shed blood from his mouth the wives of the serpent lord sought shelter in Kṛṣṇa.

The wives of the Serpent lord said:

39-42. O lord of the chiefs of Devas, you have been understood. You are the excellent lord of all. You are the greatest and inconceivable splendour, a portion of which is Parameśvara. You are that lord not born of anyone else. Even Devas are not competent to eulogise you (adequately). How can women describe his form? The whole cosmic Egg consisting of the entire Earth, sky, water, fire and wind is only a bit of a part of that lord. How can we describe him and eulogise him adequately. Hence, O lord of the universe, be pleased with one who is distressed and fatigued. This serpent is about to die. May our husband be given to us even as alms are given to the beggars.

Vyāsa said:

43-49. After this had been mentioned by them, the serpent with the timid eyes and exhausted body spoke slowly.

“Be pleased, O lord of Devas, your eight-fold lordship is very natural. It has nothing else that surpasses it.

How can I eulogise it? You are the greatest being, the first among the great. You are of the nature of great being. You are the greatest, greater than the greatest. How can I eulogise you? O lord, I am created by you with certain form in a certain species with certain traits in the characters and my activities have conformed to them. If I had acted contrary to that, O lord of Devas, the punishment that had been meted out to me has been endured by me. It is not punishment but only a boon. Let there not be any other boon for me. O Acyuta, my vigour has been destroyed; my person has been dispelled, I have been suppressed. May life be spared unto me. Commend me, what shall I do?

The lord said:

50. O serpent, you must not stay any longer in the waters of Yamunā, go to the waters of the ocean along with your sons and attendants.

51. O serpent, when he sees the imprints of my feet on your head during your stay in the ocean, Garuḍa the enemy of serpents will not strike you.

52. After saying this lord Hari released the king of serpents. The serpent lord bowed down to Kṛṣṇa and went to the ocean.

53. Even as all the living beings stood watching, the serpent king abandoned his white eddy and went away along with servants, children and kinsmen accompanied by all his wives.

54-57. When the serpent had gone, the cowherds embraced Kṛṣṇa with a joy as though the dead man had come to life. They sprinkled Govinda on his head with tears of joy. The joyous cowherds and others eulogised Kṛṣṇa of unimpaired activities with surprised minds. On seeing the river flowing with auspicious water once again they were glad. Kṛṣṇa returned to the colony of cowherds with the cowherdesses singing songs about his charming activities and the cowherds eulogising him.