If Garuḍa ever again enters this lake and eats the fish here, he will immediately lose his life. What I am saying is the truth.

COMMENTARY

Kṛṣṇa says, “Then take your husband. I am giving him to you, but you must follow My order.”

 

The Nāga-patnīs answer, “Yes, we will follow. Please give us the order (vidhehi).” The order is revealed in a later verse.

 

|| 10.16.54 ||

śrī-śuka uvāca

itthaṁ sa nāga-patnībhir bhagavān samabhiṣṭutaḥ

mūrcchitaṁ bhagna-śirasaṁ visasarjāṅghri-kuṭṭanaiḥ

TRANSLATION

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Thus praised by the Nāga-patnīs, the Supreme Personality of Godhead released the serpent Kāliya, who had fallen unconscious, his heads battered by the striking of the Lord’s lotus feet.

COMMENTARY

After punishing Kāliya with the blows of His feet, Kṛṣṇa immediately jumped down from his hoods and stood before the snake and his wives.

 

|| 10.16.55 ||

pratilabdhendriya-prāṇaḥ kāliyaḥ śanakair harim

kṛcchrāt samucchvasan dīnaḥ kṛṣṇaṁ prāha kṛtāñjaliḥ

TRANSLATION

Kāliya slowly regained his vital force and sensory functions. Then, breathing loudly and painfully, the poor serpent addressed Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in humble submission.

COMMENTARY

Because his whole body was suffering from pain, Kāliya merely folded His hands (kṛta-añjaliḥ) with great difficulty, but he could not bow down on the ground before Kṛṣṇa.

 

|| 10.16.56 ||

kāliya uvāca

vayaṁ khalāḥ sahotpattyā tamasā dīrgha-manyavaḥ

svabhāvo dustyajo nātha lokānāṁ yad asad-grahaḥ

TRANSLATION

The serpent Kāliya said: Our very birth as a snake has made us envious, ignorant and constantly angry. O my Lord, it is so difficult for people to give up their conditioned nature, by which they identify with that which is unreal.

COMMENTARY

Kāliya said, “When even learned men, though knowing it is wrong, become influenced by attraction and repulsion to sense objects, then what fault do I have?”

 

|| 10.16.57 ||

tvayā sṛṣṭam idaṁ viśvaṁ dhātar guṇa-visarjanam

nānā-svabhāva-vīryaujo-yoni-bījāśayākṛti

TRANSLATION

O supreme creator, it is You who generate this universe, composed of the variegated arrangement of the material modes, and in the process You manifest various kinds of personalities and species, varieties of sensory and physical strength, and varieties of mothers and fathers with variegated mentalities and forms.

COMMENTARY

Kāliya said, “You have made this universe with great diversity through the interplay of the modes of nature (guṇair visarjanam). You manifest a variety of personal natures and species, various kinds of sensory and physical powers, and varieties of mothers and fathers with variegated forms and desires.”

 

|| 10.16.58 ||

vayaṁ ca tatra bhagavān sarpā jāty-uru-manyavaḥ

kathaṁ tyajāmas tvan-māyāṁ dustyajāṁ mohitāḥ svayam

TRANSLATION

O Supreme Personality of Godhead, among all the species within Your material creation, we serpents are by nature always enraged. Being thus deluded by Your illusory energy, which is very difficult to give up, how can we possibly give it up on our own?

COMMENTARY

Kāliya said, “By nature I am very angry, therefore how can I possibly give up this insurmountable māyā on my own?”

 

|| 10.16.59 ||

bhavān hi kāraṇaṁ tatra sarva-jño jagad-īśvaraḥ

anugrahaṁ nigrahaṁ vā manyase tad vidhehi naḥ

TRANSLATION

O Lord, since You are the omniscient Lord of the universe, You are the actual cause of freedom from illusion. Please arrange for us whatever You consider proper, whether it be mercy or punishment.

COMMENTARY

Kāliya said, “You are the cause of freedom from māyā (tatra). Therefore, as You wish, You may be merciful to me or not.”

 

|| 10.16.60 ||

śrī-śuka uvāca

ity ākarṇya vacaḥ prāha bhagavān kārya-mānuṣaḥ

nātra stheyaṁ tvayā sarpa samudraṁ yāhi mā ciram

sva-jñāty-apatya-dārāḍhyo go-nṛbhir bhujyate nadī

TRANSLATION

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: After hearing Kāliya’s words, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who was acting the role of a human being, replied: O serpent, you may not remain here any longer. Go back to the ocean immediately, accompanied by your retinue of children, wives, other relatives and friends. Let this river be enjoyed by the cows and humans.

COMMENTARY

To punish the powerful serpent Kāliya, which Brahmā or Śiva would find difficulty in doing, Kṛṣṇa easily did just in a human form (kārya-mānuṣa). Kṛṣṇa did not employ His conch or disc (śankha, cakra) for this act. The word kārya can also mean pastime. Thus kārya-mānuṣa can mean “He who takes a form of a human for performing sweet pastimes.” Or kārya-mānuṣa can mean “Brahman which takes the form of a human.” Or kārya-mānuṣa can mean “the Lord who performs activities among humans.”

 

Kṛṣṇa addressed Kāliya, “You must go back to the ocean along with Your children and wives, because the cows and cowherd men use this Yamunā river and its banks filled with grass, leaves and fruits.”

 

|| 10.16.61 ||

ya etat saṁsmaren martyas tubhyaṁ mad-anuśāsanam

kīrtayann ubhayoḥ sandhyor na yuṣmad bhayam āpnuyāt

TRANSLATION

If a mortal being attentively remembers My command to you—to leave Vṛndāvana and go to the ocean—and narrates this account at sunrise and sunset, he will never be afraid of you.

COMMENTARY

Kāliya said, “May my fame of being punished by receiving Your feet on my head remain as long as the sun and moon endure.”

 

Because Kṛṣṇa says here, “You will no longer have fear of snakes,” this verse should be considered a mantra to ward off snake bites. There is another mantra which can also be recited like a spell to protect one from snakes mentioned in the Ṛg Veda:

 

yamunā-hrade hi so yāto, yo nārāyaṇa-vāhanaḥ,

yadi kālika-dantasya, yadi kākālikād bhayam,

janma-bhūmi-paritrāto, virviṣo yāti kālikaḥ

 

“Garuḍa, the bird carrier of Lord Nārāyaṇa, came to visit the lake in the Yamunā. One need no longer fear the bites of Kāliya nor his deadly poison. The Lord who protects Vrajabhūmi has made Kāliya harmless.”

 

|| 10.16.62 ||

yo ’smin snātvā mad-ākrīḍe devādīṁs tarpayej jalaiḥ

upoṣya māṁ smarann arcet sarva-pāpaiḥ pramucyate

TRANSLATION

If one bathes in this place of My pastimes and offers the water of this lake to the demigods and other worshipable personalities, or if one observes a fast and duly worships and remembers Me, he is sure to become free from all sinful reactions.

COMMENTARY

Kṛṣṇa said, “For these reasons you should leave this lake: In order to free themselves from sins people come here to bathe, offer tarpaṇa, fast, meditate and worship Me. But if you stay here they cannot do this.”

 

|| 10.16.63 ||

dvīpaṁ ramaṇakaṁ hitvā hradam etam upāśritaḥ

yad-bhayāt sa suparṇas tvāṁ nādyān mat-pāda-lāñchitam

TRANSLATION

Out of fear of Garuḍa, you left Ramaṇaka Island and came to take shelter of this lake. But because you are now marked with My footprints, Garuḍa will no longer try to eat you.

COMMENTARY

Kṛṣṇa said, “You will have no more fear of Garuḍa.” This is the import of this verse.

 

|| 10.16.64 ||

śrī-ṛṣir uvāca

mukto bhagavatā rājan kṛṣṇenādbhuta-karmaṇā

taṁ pūjayām āsa mudā nāga-patnyaś ca sādaram

TRANSLATION

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, having been released by Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose activities are wonderful, Kāliya joined his wives in worshiping Him with great joy and reverence.

COMMENTARY

Kṛṣṇa performed a most wonderful activity (adbhuta karma) by saving the Vrajavāsīs from Kāliya, protecting Kāliya from Garuḍa, and benefiting both the victims of violence and the perpetrator of violence. The word kṛṣṇena, “by Kṛṣṇa” refers to karṣaṇam which means to withdraw or remove. Kṛṣṇa removed Kāliya’s offense to Garuḍa and the Vrajavāsīs because the Nāga-patnīs worshiped Kṛṣṇa with love and devotion,

 

|| 10.16.65-67 ||

divyāmbara-sraṅ-maṇibhiḥ parārdhyair api bhūṣaṇaiḥ

divya-gandhānulepaiś ca mahatyotpala-mālayā

pūjayitvā jagan-nāthaṁ prasādya garuḍa-dhvajam

tataḥ prīto ’bhyanujñātaḥ parikramyābhivandya tam

sa-kalatra-suhṛt-putro dvīpam abdher jagāma ha

tadaiva sāmṛta-jalā yamunā nirviṣābhavat

anugrahād bhagavataḥ krīḍā-mānuṣa-rūpiṇaḥ

TRANSLATION

Kāliya worshiped the Lord of the universe by offering Him fine garments, along with necklaces, jewels and other valuable ornaments, wonderful scents and ointments, and a large garland of lotus flowers. Having thus pleased the Lord, whose flag is marked with the emblem of Garuḍa, Kāliya felt satisfied. Receiving the Lord’s permission to leave, Kāliya circumambulated Him and offered Him obeisances. Then, taking his wives, friends and children, he went to his island in the sea. The very moment Kāliya left, the Yamunā was immediately restored to her original condition, free from poison and full of nectarean water. This happened by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who was manifesting a humanlike form to enjoy His pastimes.

COMMENTARY

In verse sixty-two Kṛṣṇa said that one can become sinless by worshiping and remembering the Lord. Therefore, Kāliya now begins to worship Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

 

Kāliya said, “Although I am the most sinful, You gave me the most mercy. You have not put Your foot on others’ heads and marked them with Your disc and conch. With great respect I, along with my wives, will offer You cooling sandalwood pulp from my hand because Your body was burned by the poison from my fangs.”

 

Kṛṣṇa replied, “But applying these ointments will take time.”

 

Kāliya said, “Then please sit my Lord.” After making Kṛṣṇa sit down, Kāliya and His wives applied sandalwood to the Lord’s body. Fulfilling their hearts’ desire, Kāliya and his wives attained the mercy of the Lord and then left the Yamunā. This is described in two and half verses.

 

The Kaustubha gem (maṇibhiḥ) which adorned Kṛṣṇa’s neck from His birth was lost in the coils of Kāliya in order to create excitement in His human pastimes of fighting and struggling with Kāliya. Without anyone’s notice, Kṛṣṇa made His Kaustubha gem enter Kāliya’s treasury. Then at the time of worshiping Kṛṣṇa with different jewels and ornaments, the Nāga-patnīs, unaware of Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental trick, offered the Kaustubha gem to Him, thinking it was just one of their own jewels (maṇibhiḥ).

 

This is described in Śrī Rādhā-kṛṣṇa-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā, by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmīas follows:

 

kaustubhākhyo maṇir yena praviśya hradam auragam

kāliya-preyasi-vṛnda-hastair ātmopahāritaḥ

 

“The Lord had made His Kaustubha jewel enter the serpent’s lake, and then He arranged for it to be presented to Himself by the hands of Kāliya’s wives.”

 

Being pleased with Kāliya, Kṛṣṇa, whose flag is marked with the emblem of Garuḍa (Garuḍa dhvaja), placed His lotus hand on Kāliya’s head and removed all His pain.

 

Kāliya said, “O one who rides on Garuḍa! Now I am the servant of my older brother Garuḍa. If by chance Garuḍa is not present to carry You, then just remember me as Your personal carrier. I am the servant of Your servant, and in the wink of an eye I will instantly appear from millions of yojanas away.” This is the implication of use of the words Garuḍa-dhvajam.

 

The Purāṇas state that in a different kalpa when Kaṁsa orders Kṛṣṇa to come to Mathurā for a wrestling match, the Lord sometimes goes there sitting on Kāliya.

 

The phrase krīḍā-mānuṣa-rūpiṇaḥ means that Kṛṣṇa eternally manifests a humanlike body for relishing playful pastimes. By Kṛṣṇa’s touch the Yamunā became free of poison and filled with nectar.

 

Thus ends the commentary on the Sixteenth Chapter of the Tenth Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.

 

Chapter Seventeen

The History of Kāliya

 

|| 10.17.1 ||

śrī-rājovāca

nāgālayaṁ ramaṇakaṁ kathaṁ tatyāja kāliyaḥ

kṛtaṁ kiṁ vā suparṇasya tenaikenāsamañjasam

TRANSLATION

[Having thus heard how Lord Kṛṣṇa chastised Kāliya,] King Parīkṣit inquired: Why did Kāliya leave Ramaṇaka Island, the abode of the serpents, and why did Garuḍa become so antagonistic toward him alone?

COMMENTARY

This chapter relates the reasons for Kāliya’s fear of Garuḍa, Saubhari Muni’s curse on Garuḍa, Kṛṣṇa’s reunion with the Vrajavāsīs, and saving the boys from the forest fire.

 

|| 10.17.2-3 ||

śrī-śuka uvāca

upahāryaiḥ sarpa-janair māsi māsīha yo baliḥ

vānaspatyo mahā-bāho nāgānāṁ prāṅ-nirūpitaḥ

svaṁ svaṁ bhāgaṁ prayacchanti nāgāḥ parvaṇi parvaṇi

gopīthāyātmanaḥ sarve suparṇāya mahātmane

TRANSLATION

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: To avoid being eaten by Garuḍa, the serpents had previously made an arrangement with him whereby they would each make a monthly offering of tribute at the base of a tree. Thus every month on schedule, O mighty-armed King Parīkṣit, each serpent would duly make his offering to that powerful carrier of Viṣṇu as a purchase of protection.

COMMENTARY

Once every fifteen days (parvaṇi parvaṇi) the snakes used to individually offer Garuḍa specially prepared fruits and roots under a tree so that he would not eat them and to insure their protection (gopīthāya).

 

|| 10.17.4 ||

viṣa-vīrya-madāviṣṭaḥ kādraveyas tu kāliyaḥ

kadarthī-kṛtya garuḍaṁ svayaṁ taṁ bubhuje balim

TRANSLATION

Although all the other serpents were dutifully making offerings to Garuḍa, one serpent—the arrogant Kāliya, son of Kadru—would eat all these offerings before Garuḍa could claim them. Thus Kāliya directly defied the carrier of Lord Viṣṇu.

COMMENTARY

Kāliya did not offer his share to Garuḍa, and moreover he ate all the other offerings meant for Garuḍa. Thus Kāliya directly disrespected (kadarthī kṛtya) the bearer of Viṣṇu. The other snakes on Ramaṇaka Island informed Garuḍa about Kāliya’s arrogant behavior.

 

|| 10.17.5 ||

tac chrutvā kupito rājan  bhagavān bhagavat-priyaḥ

vijighāṁsur mahā-vegaḥ kāliyaṁ samapādravat

TRANSLATION

O King, the greatly powerful Garuḍa, who is very dear to the Supreme Lord, became angry when he heard of this. Desiring to kill Kāliya, he rushed toward the serpent with tremendous speed.

 

|| 10.17.6 ||

tam āpatantaṁ tarasā viṣāyudhaḥ pratyabhyayād utthita-naika-mastakaḥ

dadbhiḥ suparṇaṁ vyadaśad dad-āyudhaḥ karāla-jihrocchvasitogra-locanaḥ

TRANSLATION

As Garuḍa swiftly fell upon him, Kāliya, who had the weapon of poison, raised his numerous heads to counterattack. Showing his ferocious tongues and expanding his horrible eyes, Kāliya then bit Garuḍa with the weapons of his fangs.

COMMENTARY

From a great distance Kāliya could spit venom at his enemy, and at short range he could bite with his terrible fangs. Kāliya had a ferocious tongue, loud hissing and terrible eyes.

 

|| 10.17.7 ||

taṁ tārkṣya-putraḥ sa nirasya manyumān pracaṇḍa-vego madhusūdanāsanaḥ

pakṣeṇa savyena hiraṇya-rociṣā jaghāna kadru-sutam ugra-vikramaḥ

TRANSLATION

The angry son of Tārkṣya moved with overwhelming speed in repelling Kāliya’s attack. That terribly powerful carrier of Lord Madhusūdana struck the son of Kadru with his left wing, which shone like gold.

COMMENTARY

Garuḍa, the angry son of Kasyapa (tārkṣya putra) and the carrier of Madhusūdana, moved quickly to keep Kāliya from biting him.

 

|| 10.17.8 ||

suparṇa-pakṣābhihataḥ kāliyo ’tīva vihvalaḥ

hradaṁ viveśa kālindyās tad-agamyaṁ durāsadam

TRANSLATION

Beaten by Garuḍa’s wing, Kāliya was extremely distraught, and thus he took shelter of a lake adjoining the river Yamunā. Garuḍa could not enter this lake. Indeed, he could not even approach it.

COMMENTARY

Kāliya fled to a lake adjoining the Yamunā which was difficult for others to enter (durāsadam) because of the depth.

 

|| 10.17.9 ||

tatraikadā jala-caraṁ garuḍo bhakṣyam īpsitam

nivāritaḥ saubhariṇā prasahya kṣudhito ’harat

TRANSLATION

In that very lake Garuḍa had once desired to eat a fish-fish being, after all, his normal food. Although forbidden by the sage Saubhari, who was meditating there within the water, Garuḍa took courage and, feeling hungry, seized the fish.

COMMENTARY

This verse explains why Garuḍa could not enter Kāliya’s lake. Saubhari committed two offenses against the great devotee Garuḍa: first, he dared to give an order to his superior, and second, he obstructed Garuḍa’s happiness. Disobeying Saubhari’s order, Garuḍa committed violence by eating the fish. But this was not an offense because Garuḍa was superior to Saubhari Muni.

 

|| 10.17.10 ||

mīnān su-duḥkhitān dṛṣṭvā dīnān mīna-patau hate

kṛpayā saubhariḥ prāha tatratya-kṣemam ācaran

TRANSLATION

Seeing how the unfortunate fish in that lake had become most unhappy at the death of their leader, Saubhari uttered the following curse under the impression that he was mercifully acting for the benefit of the lake’s residents.

COMMENTARY

This verse describes the third offense to Garuḍa. Though showing compassion toward the fish, Saubhari displayed anger towards Garuḍa. Saubhari’s attempt to help the fish had the opposite effect because Kāliya moved there and thus spelled doom for all the lake’s residents. This verse illustrates that when one’s so-called compassion does not tally with the order of the Supreme, it merely creates chaos.

 

|| 10.17.11 ||

atra praviśya garuḍo yadi matsyān sa khādati

sadyaḥ prāṇair viyujyeta satyam etad bravīmy aham

TRANSLATION