mahāśano mahā-pāpmā viddhy enam iha vairiṇam

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Drinking the water in Kṛṣṇa’s absence by being afflicted by thirst because of the heat was the desire of Kṛṣṇa in order to drive Kāliya from the lake. This becomes clear late. Thus it is said here that their knowledge was overcome by the will of the Lord or the will of Kāliya (daivopahata-cetasaḥ). They slightly sipped the water (upaspṛśya) or touched the edge of the water. This is repetition of the statement of the last verse, in order to strengthen the impression of the act. Or it emphasizes the poison as the cause. All the cows and cowherds fell down at the edge of the water. Or they fell into the svarūpa of water (they became unconscious like water). Because they immediately fell down on drinking the poison water, they could not go elsewhere.

 

All of this is the remarkable action of the Lord. The Lord is later called “astonishing in his actions” (adbhūta-karmaṇā). (SB 1016.63) This will be elaborated at that time. O you who give joy to the kurus! Śukadeva gives comfort to the Parīkṣit who was lamenting.

 

Text 50

vīkṣya tān vai tathā-bhūtān kṛṣṇo yogeśvareśvaraḥ

īkṣayāmṛta-varṣiṇyā sva-nāthān samajīvayat

Translation

Seeing the boys who had no Lord other than him in such a condition, Kṛṣṇa, the master of all masters of mystic potency, immediately brought them back to life by showering his nectarean glance upon them.

 

Looking at all the people in that condition (tān tathā-bhūtan) without delay (vai), he brought them to life. The specific condition is not mentioned because it was inauspicious and unsuitable to repeat the description. Or suddenly Śukadeva felt a manifestation of affection. He glanced immediately, with a glance of the greatest affection (amrṭa-varṣiṇyā), a shower of nectar, because they had no other shelter (sva-nāthān). This could only be accomplished by the will of Kṛṣṇa. He brought them back to a healthy condition (ajīvayat) all at the same time, removing completely (sam) all fatigue and sorrow, because Kṛṣṇa was the sole friend of the people of Vraja and suffered their suffering. This is not astonishing because he is the lord of all masters of yoga. All of the yogīs’ powers arise from a small portion of his powers. Or if he protects the yogīs, how much more he will protect the people of Vraja.

 

Text 51

te sampratīta-smṛtayaḥ samutthāya jalāntikāt

āsan su-vismitāḥ sarve vīkṣamāṇāḥ parasparam

Translation

Regaining their full consciousness, the cows and boys stood up on the bank of the river and began to look at one another in great astonishment.

Commentary

As if coming out of deep sleep they all suddenly rose at once. Because of this they looked at each other, since that is nature of astonishment.

 

Text 52

anvamaṁsata tad rājan govindānugrahekṣitam

pītvā viṣaṁ paretasya punar utthānam ātmanaḥ

Translation

O King, the cowherd boys then surmised that although they had drunk poison and in fact had died, simply by the merciful glance of Govinda they had regained their lives.

 

They surmised that their recovery was acceptance (īkṣaṇam) of the mercy of the king of Gokula (govindānhugraha) or that it was his glance. Or, since the cause is only one, there is non-difference between the glance and recognition by the Lord. O king! For great devotees like you or Yudhiṣṭhira there is no cause of auspiciousness except the mercy of the Lord.

 

Chapter Sixteen

Text 1

śrī-śuka uvāca

vilokya dūṣitāṁ kṛṣṇāṁ kṛṣṇaḥ kṛṣṇāhinā vibhuḥ

tasyā viśuddhim anvicchan sarpaṁ tam udavāsayat

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Śrī Kṛṣṇa, manifesting his power, seeing that the Yamunā River had been contaminated by the black snake Kāliya, desired to purify the river, and thus banished him from it.

 

Yamunā is called kṛṣṇām here because of her dark color and because of being dear to Kṛṣṇa. Thus he had to take action when she was contaminated with poison, since she was a dear friend. The snake was black because of being full of intense poison. Kṛṣṇa did not act simply for her benefit, but for everyone’s benefit since Kṛṣṇa takes away (kṛṣ) all sorrows. The whole universe would be benefited by the rescue of such a great holy place of Vraja, since people could drink the water. Thus Kāliya would also be benefited. This will be revealed later. Kṛṣṇa could perform such acts because he was able to many things by one act (vibhuḥ). Sarpa means a creature that crawls about. Kṛṣṇa prevented him from going elsewhere.

 

Text 2

śrī-rājovāca

katham antar-jale ’gādhe nyagṛhṇād bhagavān ahim

sa vai bahu-yugāvāsaṁ yathāsīd vipra kathyatām

Translation

King Parīkṣit inquired: O learned sage, please explain how the Lord subdued the serpent Kāliya within the unfathomable waters of the Yamunā, and how it was that Kāliya had been living there for so many ages.

 

Vai means “and.” How was it that Kāliya lived so long in the lake contaminating it? This was well known, or if he had not been there a long time, it would not be so contaminated. O sage, master of persons like me (bhagavān)! He exclaims this out of bliss. He exclaims in this way in sorrow to express the suffering involved in punishing Kāliiya living deep in the water. Narrate this in detail, and excellently (vipra-kathyatām). Or narrate it to particularly (vi) satisfy all desires (pra). Or vipra is an address to Śukadeva, meaning “O person who can fulfill my desires!”

 

Text 3

brahman bhagavatas tasya bhūmnaḥ svacchanda-vartinaḥ

gopālodāra-caritaṁ kas tṛpyetāmṛtaṁ juṣan

Translation

O brāhmaṇa, the unlimited Bhagavān, freely acts according to his own desires. Who could be satiated when hearing the nectar of the blissful pastimes he performed as a cowherd boy in Vṛndāvana?

 

“Because this story will give you great suffering, I have told it only in brief.” These are sweet stories of the lord full of all powers (bhagavataḥ), completely perfect (bhūmnaḥ) and independent (svacchanda-vartinaḥ) as a cowherd, most excellent or giving happiness (udāra). They can counteract great suffering equal to death. These are a medicine to counteract all suffering.

 

Or the three phrases as causes modify gopālodara-caritam: the activities of the cowherd give happiness because he is a particular manifestation of bhagavān, and therefore endowed with unlimited glory (bhūmnaḥ), because he manifests by the desire of his devotees (svacchanda-vartinaḥ).

 

Or one can tolerate the suffering because of the three qualities. Because he is bhagavān and full of powers, the Lord’s suffering does not actually exist. Because he acts by the desire of his devotees, these actions are done as play, by the master of play. There is no suffering for the Lord. Or because he follows the desire of the devotee he is always happy in all situations.

 

Or his actions are amṛta. Though his activities may appear to have the greatest suffering, they are particular aspects of prema and actually full of the highest bliss. This explained in the second portion of Bhāgavatāmṛta.

 

Or gopāla can be taken as an address “O master of words!” Or thinking of the guru as non-different from the Lord, it can mean “O Śukadeva! Kṛṣṇa!” The rest of the explanation is the same.

 

I cannot stop hearing about those activities. What should I do?

 

O Śukadeva, full of the Vedas (brahman)! Just as descriptions of suffering in the Vedas are not rejected, this story should not be avoided. You should tell me.

 

Text 4

śrī-śuka uvāca

kālindyāṁ kāliyasyāsīd hradaḥ kaścid viṣāgninā

śrapyamāṇa-payā yasmin patanty upari-gāḥ khagāḥ

Translation

Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Within the river Kālindī was a lake inhabited by the serpent Kāliya, whose fiery poison constantly boiled its waters. Because of its vapors, birds flying high above would fall into it.

 

There was a lake of Kāliya in the Yamunā. It was a pool in the southern area, and joined the Yamunā which flowed from the north. Otherwise, the poison water would spread to Mathurā and the Yādavas. Āsīt is in the past tense, because it describes Kāяiya’s relationship which was temporary. Kaścit indicates one lake or some indescribable lake. Its indescribable nature is described. Birds flying high in the sky fell into the lake because of the poison. This means the poison spread far away.

 

Text 5

vipruṣmatā viṣadormi- mārutenābhimarśitāḥ

mriyante tīra-gā yasya prāṇinaḥ sthira-jaṅgamāḥ

Translation

Touched by the wind blowing over that deadly waves of the lake which became filled droplets of that water, all vegetation and creatures on the shore died.

Commentary

The wind was filled with drops of poisonous water because the foam and bubbles would rise from the lake quickly at all times because the water was boiling. Thus the wind was burning with poison also. Hari-vaṁśa describes other details.

 

dīrghaṁ yojana-vistāraṁ dustaraṁ tridaśair api

 

gambhīram akṣobhya-jalaṁ niṣkampam iva sāgaram

 

duḥkhopasarpaṁ tīreṣu sa-sarpair vipulair bilaiḥ

 

viṣāraṇi-bhavasyāgner dhūmena pariveṣṭitam

 

tṛṇeṣv api patatsv apsu jvalantam iva tejasā

 

samantād yojanaṁ sāgraṁ tīreṣv api durāsadam

 

The lake was quite wide — eight miles across at some points — and even the devatās could not cross over it. The water in the lake was very deep and, like the immovable depths of the ocean, could not be agitated. Approaching the lake was difficult, for its shores were covered with holes in which serpents lived. All around the lake was a fog generated by the fire of the serpents’ poison, and this powerful fire would at once burn up every blade of grass that happened to fall into the water. For a distance of eight miles from the lake, the shore could not be approached.

 

Kāliya lived in a cave in the ground, or within the water, by using powers to stop the water from entering.

 

Text 6

taṁ caṇḍa-vega-viṣa-vīryam avekṣya tena

duṣṭāṁ nadīṁ ca khala-saṁyamanāvatāraḥ

kṛṣṇaḥ kadambam adhiruhya tato ’ti-tuṅgam

āsphoṭya gāḍha-raśano nyapatad viṣode

Translation

Seeing how the Kāliya serpent had polluted the Yamunā River with his terribly powerful poison, Kṛṣṇa who had descended from the spiritual world specifically to subdue envious demons, climbed to the top of a very high kadamba tree, tied his belt tightly, slapped his arms and then jumped into the poisonous water.

 

Seeing the power of the poison with no remedy (caṇḍa) and spreading quickly, and the river contaminated by Kāliya, Kṛṣṇa climbed to the top of a kadamba tree. This is understood from Hari-vaṁśa. He tied up his hair, ornaments etc. Hari-vaṁśa says he bound his waist band tightly. He jumped into the water because he had appeared from his own planet (including within him all other avatāras such as Matsya who can swim) to defeat the wicked (khala-saṁyamanāvatāraḥ) — to defeat Kāliya.

 

Why did the kadamba tree remain on the bank when everything else died? Since it was Kṛṣṇa’s tree, it was similar to him:

 

kadambaḥ krṣṇa-vṛkṣo hi kāяiya-hrada-samīpagaḥ

 

tasmad eko ‘na śuṣko sau viṣa-hāra-karaḥ parān

 

The kadamba tree near the Kāliya Lake was Kṛṣṇa’s tree. Therefore it alone did not wither away since it could remove the poison from others.

 

One should understand that Kṛṣṇa kept this tree at this place of his pastimes. It should be understood from the statement in Hari-vaṁśa that other tress nearby did not die because of the kadamba.

 

Text 7

sarpa-hradaḥ puruṣa-sāra-nipāta-vega-

saṅkṣobhitoraga-viṣocchvasitāmbu-rāśiḥ

paryak pluto viṣa-kaṣāya-bibhīṣaṇormir

dhāvan dhanuḥ-śatam ananta-balasya kiṁ tat

Translation

Kāliya’s lake overflowed with water swelling with the snake’s poison on being agitated by the shock when the best among men fell into the water. Terrifying waves discolored with poison spread everywhere, overflowing for a hundred dhanus. What was this for Kṛṣṇa of unlimited strength?

 

Same

 

His jumping in the water caused a shock (vega) since he was the best of men (puruṣa-sāra). Or, the lake became disturbed by the speed of the Lord showing a little of his strength (sāra) when he dove into the water. The lake’s water swelled with the snake’s poison on being agitated by the speed of Kṛṣṇa’s fall. Citskuha and Śrīdhara Svāmī take the version with kaśāyita instead of kasāya. They explain that the water changed color because of the poison. Kaṣāya is a medicinal decoction or reddish color. Kṣīrasvāmī explains the same. Instead of dhavan the word dhīman is found. O intelligent king! Śukadeva pacifies him. The water spread for a hundred dhanus.

 

aṣṭabhir yava-madhyaiḥ syād aṅgūlaṁ dvaḍaśāṅgulam

 

tālam tri-tālako hasto hastau dvau kiṣkūr ucyate

 

Kiṣkur dvayam dhanūh proktam

 

Eight yava-madhyas make an aṅgula. Twelve aṅgulas make a tāla. Three tālas make a hasta. Two hastas make a kiṣku. Two kiṣkus make a dhanu.

 

The water spread beyond its previous limits. The cows and boys however were safe. What was this action for Kṛṣṇa with unlimited strength? Or, the lake with the strong poison of the snake was nothing for Kṛṣṇa.

 

Text 8

tasya hrade viharato bhuja-daṇḍa-ghūrṇa-

vār-ghoṣam aṅga vara-vāraṇa-vikramasya

āśrutya tat sva-sadanābhibhavaṁ nirīkṣya

cakṣuḥ-śravāḥ samasarat tad amṛṣyamāṇaḥ

Translation

Kṛṣṇa began sporting in Kāliya’s lake like a lordly elephant. When Kāliya hear the sound of his mighty arms churning the water, he understood that someone was trespassing in his lake. Not tolerating this, the snake immediately approached.

 

Kṛṣṇa sported in the water by swimming about, making noise by splashing the water. O king (aṅga)! Śukadeva calls him affectionately to remove his sorrow. Or “O relative acting as Kṛṣṇa’s limb (aṅga)!” He was powerful like an elephant of the directions (vara-vāraṇa). Or he had playful movements (vikrama) like a mad elephant in the water. Or he had special powers (vikrama) even in his little toe (aṅga) even greater than a mad elephant. He made loud sounds with his arms. That was not astonishing since he had such strength. Kāliya saw him, hearing being his eyes. This means that, hearing the sound, he looked, but he did not at all see Kṛṣṇa’s beauty. Otherwise it would be impossible for him to bite Kṛṣṇa. Or cakṣuḥ-śravāḥ means “he whose fame was in his eyes.” He perfected his hearing by seeing. He confirmed everything by seeing.

 

Text 9

taṁ prekṣaṇīya-sukumāra-ghanāvadātaṁ

śrīvatsa-pīta-vasanaṁ smita-sundarāsyam

krīḍantam apratibhayaṁ kamalodarāṅghriṁ

sandaśya marmasu ruṣā bhujayā cachāda

Translation

Kāliya saw that Kṛṣṇa, who wore yellow silken garments, was very delicate, shining like a cloud. His chest bore the mark of Śrīvatsa, his face had a beautiful smile and his feet resembled the whorl of a lotus flower. The Lord was playing fearlessly in the water. Kāliya furiously bit his limbs and then completely enwrapped him in his coils.

 

Actually biting Kṛṣṇa in his sensitive points was like kissing his limbs. Gripping Kṛṣṇa in his coils was like embracing Kṛṣṇa’s limbs. He did him in anger or passion (ruṣā), or actually prema, since he was most beautiful. Thus later Kṛṣṇa would show him great mercy.

 

Because he was wicked, Kāliya acted in this way. To show the great offense of Kāliya, Śukadeva, taking the mood of the people of Vraja, laments and describes the beauty of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa was playing in the water because he was without fear of others. This indicates that Kāliya had no intelligence. The word cakṣuḥśravā (snake) literally means he who hears through his eyes. (He had no ears to hear good instruction.) He wrapped Kṛṣṇa in his body which looked like an arm (bhujayā). Thus the snake is called bhoga or bhujaṅga. Here bhujayā means the snake’s coil.

 

Text 10

taṁ nāga-bhoga-parivītam adṛṣṭa-ceṣṭam

ālokya tat-priya-sakhāḥ paśupā bhṛśārtāḥ

kṛṣṇe ’rpitātma-suhṛd-artha-kalatra-kāmā

duḥkhānuśoka-bhaya-mūḍha-dhiyo nipetuḥ

Translation

When the members of the cowherd community, who had accepted Kṛṣṇa as their dearest friend, who had offered him themselves, their friends, their wealth, their families and goals of life, saw him enveloped in the snake’s coils, motionless, they were filled with pain. Overwhelmed by sorrow, lamentation and fear they fainted and fell on the ground.

 

The real reason they could not see movement in Kṛṣṇa (adṛṣṭa-ceṣṭitam) was that Kṛṣṇa became stunned by the bliss of being embraced in prema, in order to show Kāliya’s wives their husband’s faults, so that he could be removed from the lake.

 

The cowherds took Kṛṣṇa as their dearest friend (priya-sakhāḥ). As cowherds, their hearts melted out of natural, straightforward affection. They offered themselves, friends (including fathers, brothers etc.), wealth, family, and goals of this life and the next (kāmāḥ) to help him. Family or wife (kalatra) is included in friends (suhṛd) but is mentioned separately for emphasis. However some say that kalatra refers to boys elder than Kṛṣṇa who had received the upavīta (sacred thread). Everyone depended on Kṛṣṇa. They became filled with sorrow, or wailed in painful voices. They lamented out of grief, “What will become of us without him?” Afflicted with lamentation and fear, they then lost their discrimination or fainted (mūḍha-dhiyaḥ). Or they became filled with pain on seeing him wrapped in the coils and, seeing him motionless, they lost consciousness in fear and lamentation. They fell to the ground like uprooted trees with no action (ni — petuḥ). Because they fainted they did not enter the lake. Though they fell in places where the water overflowed, they were not affected by the poison, for Kṛṣṇa made the lake devoid of poisons by his touching it. Kṛṣṇa remained motionless to show Kāliya’s wives their husband’s faults, so that he would be removed from the lake.

 

Text 11

gāvo vṛṣā vatsataryaḥ krandamānāḥ su-duḥkhitāḥ

kṛṣṇe nyastekṣaṇā bhītā rudantya iva tasthire

Translation

The cows, bulls and female calves, in great distress, called out piteously to Kṛṣṇa. Fixing their eyes on him, they stood still in fear, shedding tears as if they were humans.

 

Same.

 

The animals, crying loudly in pain, as if weeping and uttering human words, while shedding tears, stood there. The cattle with the highest affection were stunned because of intense grief. Sometimes it is seen that because of intense poison, a living being, even though dead, remains upright. The atmanepada verb is poetic license. Not only the cattle, but the buffalos, deer and other animals also acted like this. Since they were more distant they came later, and thus are not mentioned.

 

Text 12

atha vraje mahotpātās tri-vidhā hy ati-dāruṇāḥ

utpetur bhuvi divy ātmany āsanna-bhaya-śaṁsinaḥ

Translation

In the Vṛndāvana area there then arose all three types of fearful omens — those on the earth, those in the sky and those in the bodies of living creatures — which announced imminent danger.

 

After this, omens greatly fearful by their very nature and portending disaster by their nature appeared. These omens appeared in order to bring great devotees like Nanda and others to the lake to show the great wickedness of Kāliya.

Texts 13

tān ālakṣya bhayodvignā gopā nanda-purogamāḥ

vinā rāmeṇa gāḥ kṛṣṇaṁ jñātvā cārayituṁ gatam

Translation

Seeing the inauspicious omens, Nanda Mahārāja and the other cowherd men were fearful, for they knew that Kṛṣṇa had gone to herd the cows that day without Balarāma.

 

same

 

Disaster could not happen if Balarāma were present since he was full capable, affectionate and profound, and always occupied with helping Kṛṣṇa. Three verses can be taken as one sentence with the verb in verse 15. Or, this verse can be taken separately with the verb babhūvūḥ understood. Seeing the omens, the cowherds headed by Nanda became agitated with fear.

Texts 14

tair durnimittair nidhanaṁ matvā prāptam atad-vidaḥ

tat-prāṇās tan-manaskās te duḥkha-śoka-bhayāturāḥ

Translation

Thinking of his destruction because of the omens, with minds dedicated to him alone, accepting him as their very life, but not knowing his powers, they became afflicted with grief, lamentation and fear.

Commentary

Nidhanam means death. They thought Kṛṣṇa had died. But by the ingenuity of words, the phrase can mean “great treasure” (nitarām + dhanam). They thought of him as the greatest treasure. They did not think about his powers (atad-vidaḥ). “Why did they develop doubts?” He was their life, and their minds were always absorbed in him. They were famous for their complete dedication to him alone.

Texts 15

ā-bāla-vṛddha-vanitāḥ sarve ’ṅga paśu-vṛttayaḥ

nirjagmur gokulād dīnāḥ kṛṣṇa-darśana-lālasāḥ

Translation

All the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, including the children, women and elderly persons, thinking of Kṛṣṇa just as a cow thinks of her helpless young calf, suffering and falling down, rushed out of the village, intent upon seeing him.

Commentary

Because of their natural affection they lost their intelligence and became like animals. Or in their affection they were like the cows (paśu-vṛttayaḥ). They stumbled about and fell down constantly (dīnāḥ). They become greedy to see Kṛṣṇa, who attracts everyone’s heart. “Where is he? How is he?” Or by their very nature they were greedy to see him.

 

Text 16

tāṁs tathā kātarān vīkṣya bhagavān mādhavo balaḥ

prahasya kiñcin novāca prabhāva-jño ’nujasya saḥ

Translation

The Balarāma, full of all powers, the master of all knowledge, laughed loudly but said nothing, even though he saw the residents of Vṛndāvana in such distress, since he understood the extraordinary power of his younger brother.

 

Seeing them directly (vikṣya) fearful or agitated (kātarān) though they were full of all knowledge (tathā) or seeing them in such a (tathā) fearful state, he who was dear to his younger brother (saḥ), Balarāma, laughed loudly but said nothing at all. Or he slightly laughed and said nothing, because he was omniscient (bhagavān), and more particularly had appeared in the dynasty of Madhu (mādhavah) and thus knew the powers of his younger brother. Or he knew the intentions of his brother in acting this way to punish Kāliya. He smiled in order to lighten their lamentation. He said nothing to assure the people that he knew Kṛṣṇa’s intentions. Or his laughter and silence is an indication of Śukadeva’s anger in love towards Balarāma: he was supremely independent or indifferent (bhagavān) and appeared in the Madhu dynasty, without the soft heart of a cowherd. Or he was a drinker of honey liquor (mādhavaḥ) and strong (balaḥ) but not intelligent, because he was holding a plough (saḥ). Therefore his laughing and silence were suitable to him.

 

Text 17

te ’nveṣamāṇā dayitaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ sūcitayā padaiḥ

bhagaval-lakṣaṇair jagmuḥ padavyā yamunā-taṭam

Translation

The residents hurried toward the banks of the Yamunā in search of their dear Kṛṣṇa, following the path marked by his footprints, which bore the unique signs of the Lord.