॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Wednesday, 12 April 2023 - X a.16 - Sri Krishna tames the terrible thousand-hooded Kaliya serpent and frees Yamuna of poison.
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This episode of the very young Sri Krishna taming the deadly Kaliya is the stuff of legend that Indians cherish. "Natwar Nagar" "Kalinga Nartan" "Kaliya Mardan" and such terms will give you in Google search uploads and episodes which have garnered millions of views. The episode is full of drama, dance, music and prayer. It is the epitome of the divine triumvirate of Beauty+Goodness+Truth, extolled around the world in all cultures.
Here is a picture of the unique worship idol of Chinmaya Deenabandhu Sri Krishna.
When Sri Shuka mentions how Sri Krishna vanquished the deadly king cobra Kaliya dwelling in the Yamuna and poisoning its waters, King Parikshit has a relevant question. These serpents do not live in rivers. How could Krishna also fight the serpent under water? Shuka explains that Kaliya, the deadly thousand-hooded cobra, with his family, lived in a large poison pit on the bank of the Yamuna. He tormented all and made a meal of everything that came within his territory. His pit emitted deadly poison vapours and he had comprehensively poisoned that bend of the Yamuna river.
Sri Krishna ran to the Yamuna bank, saw Kaliya sporting in the river.
तं चण्डवेगविषवीर्यमवेक्ष्य तेन दुष्टां नदीं च खलसंयमनावतारः ।
कृष्णः कदम्बमधिरुह्य ततोऽतितुङ्गमास्फोट्य गाढरशनो न्यपतद्विषोदे ॥
T: Seeing that the lightningly agile, poisonous Kaliya had poisoned the river, Sri Krishna, born only to school the evil, climbed a tall Kadamba tree, and leaped straight into the river to attack Kailya.
Kaliya heard this tumultous plunge in what he considered his kingdom. Shuka clarifies he heard the splash with his eyes (चक्षुश्रवाः), since serpents don't possess ears like humans! Kaliya rushed to attack Krishna. Kaliya saw the most enchanting blue god with the golden Sri Vatsa mark on his chest vigorously splashing about in the dark and fuming Yamuna in an eerie sight. Kaliya attacked Sri Krishna. He bit Krishna hard on his chest and encircled him in a choking bind. Soon Krishna appeared unconscious in the grip of this demoniac snake. The Gopas, Gopis, cows and calves all started weeping that their beloved was dead. They all swooned in sorrow.
Nanda and the elders heard how Krishna had gone alone to Yamuna, without Balarama. They saw many evil portents, indicating someone might die. They all thought Sri Krishna was in mortal danger!
प्रहस्य किञ्चन्नोवाच प्रभावज्ञोऽनुजस्य सः
Balarama alone, being an Amsha of the Lord himself, smiled, knowing who Sri Krishna was and what he would do.
Everyone rushed to the Yamuna bank. What they saw stupefied their minds -a limp and lifeless-looking Krishna in the grip of Kaliya! They all wanted to leap into the water at once to save Krishna. Balarama held them back with difficulty.
Krishna had great compassion. He did not want his beloved men, animals, or birds to be any more distressed.
इत्थं स्वगोकुलमनन्यगतिं निरीक्ष्य सस्त्रीकुमारमतिदुःखितमात्महेतोः ।
आज्ञाय मर्त्यपदवीमनुवर्तमानः स्थित्वा मुहूर्तमुदतिष्ठदुरङ्गबन्धात् ॥
तत्प्रथ्यमानवपुषा व्यथितात्मभोगस्त्यक्त्वोन्नमय्य कुपितः स्वफणान् भुजङ्गः ।
तस्थौ श्वसञ्छ्वसनरन्ध्रविषाम्बरीषस्तब्धेक्षणोल्मुकमुखो हरिमीक्षमाणः ॥
तं जिह्वया द्विशिखया परिलेलिहानं द्वे सृक्किणी ह्यतिकरालविषाग्निदृष्टिम् ।
क्रीडन्नमुं परिससार यथा खगेन्द्रोबभ्राम सोऽप्यवसरं प्रसमीक्षमाणः ॥
एवं परिभ्रमहतौजसमुन्नतांसमानम्य तत्पृथुशिरःस्वधिरूढ आद्यः ।
तन्मूर्धरत्ननिकरस्पर्शातिताम्रपादाम्बुजोऽखिलकलादिगुरुर्ननर्त ॥
तं नर्तुमुद्यतमवेक्ष्य तदा तदीयगन्धर्वसिद्धसुरचारणदेववध्वः ।
प्रीत्या मृदङ्गपणवानकवाद्यगीतपुष्पोपहारनुतिभिः सहसोपसेदुः ॥
यद्यच्छिरो न नमतेऽङ्ग शतैकशीर्ष्णस्तत्तन्ममर्द खरदण्डधरोऽङ्घ्रिपातैः ।
क्षीणायुषो भ्रमत उल्बणमास्यतोऽसृङ्नस्तो वमन् परमकश्मलमाप नागः ॥
तस्याक्षिभिर्गरलमुद्वमतः शिरस्सु यद्यत्समुन्नमति निःश्वसतो रुषोच्चैः ।
नृत्यन् पदानुनमयन् दमयाम्बभूव पुष्पैः प्रपूजित इवेह पुमान् पुराणः ॥
तच्चित्रताण्डवविरुग्णफणातपत्रो रक्तं मुखैरुरु वमन् नृप भग्नगात्रः ।
स्मृत्वा चराचरगुरुं पुरुषं पुराणं नारायणं तमरणं मनसा जगाम ॥
कृष्णस्य गर्भजगतोऽतिभरावसन्नं पार्ष्णिप्रहारपरिरुग्णफणातपत्रम् ।
दृष्ट्वाहिमाद्यमुपसेदुरमुष्य पत्न्य आर्ताः श्लथद्वसनभूषणकेशबन्धाः ॥
तास्तं सुविग्नमनसोऽथ पुरस्कृतार्भाः कायं निधाय भुवि भूतपतिं प्रणेमुः ।
साध्व्यः कृताञ्जलिपुटाः शमलस्य भर्तुर्मोक्षेप्सवः शरणदं शरणं प्रपन्नाः ॥
T: Sri Krishna was play-acting his human role, bitten and bound by Kaliya, when he saw the utter distress of the Gopas and Gopis and cattle of Nanda Gokula, all entirely surrendered to him. He decided to end the stalemate. He began to swell in size to the point Kaliya thought his body would be torn into pieces. He let go. Then there was a fierce face-off, with the hoods of Kaliya menacingly staring at Krishna with fiery eyes, spewing poisonous vapours, and Krishna scarifyingly staring back at Kaliya. Kaliya's breath was poisonous, fuming from his several nostrils. His tongues darted like deadly fire and his fangs were on full display. Krishna looked like Garuda, hovering overhead waiting to pounce and catch the serpent. Kaliya was trying to strike Krishna. Krishna suddenly bent a few hoods of Kaliya by hand and leaped over him. Krishna started stomping on Kaliya, with Kaliya's bejewelled hoods looking eerie in beauty with Krishna's lotus feet wreaking havoc.
Vyasa describes Krishna's dance. What can I say? Imagine the sight! Natwar Nagar!
As Krishna danced, the celestials came with a full ensemble of instruments - Taala, Mridanga, kettle drum, cymbals, and so on. They played divine music to which Krishna danced nonchalantly, leaping from hood to hood and all the time giving death-like blows to Kaliya's hoods. Kaliya bled, the drops of blood decorating Krishna's blue, menacing feet that were at the same time so lovely! Every one of Kaliya's thousand hoods rose and tried to attack and bite Krishna, and every one of them was trampled upon instantly. Soon Kaliya was in utter defeat, suffering greatly in every one of his hoods. He collapsed, about to give up his life breath. At that instant, he realised that Sri Krishna was none other than Paramatma Narayana Himself, come down to tame him. He at once surrendered to Sri Krishna. Thinking about how Bhagavan contained within Himself the entire cosmos, Kaliya felt no wonder that the weight of the world seemed to rest on his hoods.
Kaliya's queens were celestials. They came to Sri Krishna in tears, asking him to spare Kaliya. They spoke:
"Dear Lord, no wonder our husband King Kaliya has become too venomous, swollen with haughtiness and has thus tormented all. He deserves your punishment. But Lord, we know you are Bhagavan, Paramatma. All that happens in creation is but by Your will alone. In fact, we feel Kaliya here is most blessed. He must have done some great good deed (Dharma) and charity to merit your direct punishment which is nothing but a cleansing. Don't we know that even Devi Lakshmi hankers for the touch of Your feet? That is why every true seeker wants the refuge of Your feet in preference to all heavens and glories."
Vyasa makes these queens of Kaliya speak the highest spiritual truths now, including facts like the immanence of Bhagavan, how He is the Creator, Protector and Destroyer, Kaala or Time Himself, and how all the creation runs under His watch. They even joke about empty philosophical debates about whether Bhagavan is without form, with form and so on. The Lord prescribes goal-oriented action as well as abnegation, to keep the universe going. They also say how He alone has become Sankarshana Balarama, Sri Krishna and so on.
तस्यैव तेऽमूस्तनवस्त्रिलोक्यां शान्ता अशान्ता उत मूढयोनयः ।
शान्ताः प्रियास्ते ह्यधुनावितुं सतां स्थातुश्च ते धर्मपरीप्सयेहतः ॥
अपराधः सकृद्भर्त्रा सोढव्यः स्वप्रजाकृतः । क्षन्तुमर्हसि शान्तात्मन् मूढस्य त्वामजानतः ॥
T: "Bhagavan, the creation of different beings in different wombs, displaying Sattva/Shanta, Rajas/Ashanta, and Tamas/Moodha tendencies, are all Your doing alone. Of course, those in Sattva are dear to You. But is it also not true that the King has to condone the occasional wrongdoing of his citizens, especially those in darkness and ignorance, out of compassion and school them? That is our appeal for Your mercy for Kaliya. Do not make us widows. Kaliya will lead a reformed life, we assure you."
Kaliya also spoke in utter surrender.
वयं खलाः सहोत्पत्त्या तामसा दीर्घमन्यवः । स्वभावो दुस्त्यजो नाथ लोकानां यदसद्ग्रहः ॥
भवान् हि कारणं तत्र सर्वज्ञो जगदीश्वरः । अनुग्रहं निग्रहं वा मन्यसे तद्विधेहि नः ॥
T: "Bhagavan, we serpents are as a species deadly, and extremely quick in rage. We are ignorant of goodness and wisdom. Our nature is hard to give up! That is why we also suffer constantly. I would daresay that Bhagavan alone, as our Creator, is the Cause of our Nature! Therefore now it is up to you - punish us or redeem us, Oh Lord, as is Your sweet pleasure!"
Bhagavan Sri Krishna was full of compassion for all. We have already seen how he gave salvation to his deadliest foes.
He spoke to Kaliya. "I know you had come to Yamuna as you had been driven away by Garuda from your habitat. Fear not. You are henceforth free from Garuda's rage as you carry my footprints as a blessing on your hood. Be no more violent. Do not terrorise people. Go away to the beautiful island called Ramanika Dweepa and dwell there in peace with your people. You have my blessing. Let Yamuna be freed of your poison and become again safe and sweet for all the people of Gokula."
Sri Krishna also proclaimed that anyone who bathed in the holy Yamuna made sacred by his sport over Kaliya, and anyone who hears this account of Kaliya Mardana, will be blessed and become free from the fear of snakes.
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
