O Lord, we are Your true friends and devotees. Please protect us from this insurmountable fire of death. We can never give up Your lotus feet, which drive away all fear.

COMMENTARY

The statement “If Garuḍa enters this lake and eats the fish, he will immediately die” means that if Garuḍa entered the lake but did not eat fish, he would not die immediately, but slowly, whereas if he ate the fish, he would die immediately. Being omniscient, Garuḍa understood that Saubhari had made this curse, and thus he avoided this lake.

 

Kāliya had heard this story from his relatives residing in that lake, therefore he took shelter there. Due to his bad association with a fish, Saubhari Muni developed attachment and affection, lost his power of discrimination, and cursed an exalted devotee of Lord Viṣṇu.

 

The Ninth Canto of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam describes that because of false pride Saubhari Muni committed a great offense, and thus lost his power of austerity and spiritual beauty, and then fell from the bliss of Brahman. Then Saubhari Muni acquired a youthful body because of his accumulated penances, married many beautiful princesses, and thus fell into a hellish existence of material pleasure. However, because he had once become glorious by taking shelter of the Yamunā River in Vṛndāvana, he was ultimately delivered.

 

|| 10.17.12 ||

tat kāliyaḥ paraṁ veda nānyaḥ kaścana lelihaḥ

avātsīd garuḍād bhītaḥ kṛṣṇena ca vivāsitaḥ

TRANSLATION

Of all the serpents, only Kāliya came to know of this affair, and in fear of Garuḍa he took up residence in that Yamunā lake. Later Lord Kṛṣṇa drove him out.

 

|| 10.17.13-14 ||

kṛṣṇaṁ hradād viniṣkrāntaṁ divya-srag-gandha-vāsasam

mahā-maṇi-gaṇākīrṇaṁ jāmbūnada-pariṣkṛtam

upalabhyotthitāḥ sarve labdha-prāṇā ivāsavaḥ

pramoda-nibhṛtātmāno gopāḥ prītyābhirebhire

TRANSLATION

[Resuming his description of Kṛṣṇa’s chastisement of Kāliya, Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued:] Kṛṣṇa rose up out of the lake wearing divine garlands, fragrances and garments, covered with many fine jewels, and decorated with gold. When the cowherds saw Him they all stood up immediately, just like an unconscious person’s senses coming back to life. Filled with great joy, they affectionately embraced Him.

COMMENTARY

[After completing this story Śukadeva returns to the main story.] This verse indicates that Kṛṣṇa came out of the lake in a special way. Kṛṣṇa was kicking His feet in the water, and unseen by others, placing His feet upon the heads of other serpents in the water that had been ordered to serve Kṛṣṇa by Kāliya. If this were not so, Kṛṣṇa’s whole body would have again become wet. The description of Kṛṣṇa’s wearing divine flower garlands and fresh cloth would not be appropriate. The boys regained their sense perception just like a dying man regaining his vital force. Their minds were filled with bliss (pramoda nibhṛta ātmānaḥ). Gopa here refers to Kṛṣṇa’s cowherd boy friends, not the cowherd men. Because of natural unsteadiness, the boys would have embraced Kṛṣṇa before the elders.

 

|| 10.17.15 ||

yaśodā rohiṇī nando gopyo gopāś ca kaurava

kṛṣṇaṁ sametya labdhehā āsan śuṣkā nagā api

TRANSLATION

Having regained their vital functions, Yaśodā, Rohiṇī, Nanda and all the other cowherd women and men went up to Kṛṣṇa. O descendant of Kuru, even the dried-up trees came back to life.

 

COMMENTARY

Disregarding any embarrassment or fear of her elders, mother Yaśodā exclaimed with great happiness in a choked voice, “My son has been saved!”

 

Rohiṇī and other close friends stood behind Yaśodā in a tight circle. Nanda Mahārāja stood behind Rohiṇī. Due to impatience over the delay in meeting his son, Nanda Mahārāja, overwhelmed in love, abandoned his normal gravity and hastily made his way through the throng of women. Other elder cowherd men and women stood behind this intimate group.

 

Having been saved from death, the elderly gopīs returned to life and hurried to Kṛṣṇa. However, the word ca indicates that the young damsels of Vraja such as Rādhikā, who were developing their loving attachment for Kṛṣṇa, glanced upon their darling from a distance.

 

|| 10.17.16 ||

rāmaś cācyutam āliṅgya jahāsāsyānubhāva-vit

premṇā tam aṅkam āropya punaḥ punar udaikṣata

gāvo vṛṣā vatsataryo lebhire paramāṁ mudam

TRANSLATION

Lord Balarāma embraced His infallible brother and laughed, knowing well the extent of Kṛṣṇa’s potency. Out of great feelings of love, Balarāma lifted Kṛṣṇa up on His lap and repeatedly looked at Him. The cows, bulls and young female calves also achieved the highest pleasure.

COMMENTARY

Smiling, Balarāma said, “You have done just the right thing.” Though Balarāma was well aware of Kṛṣṇa’s strength, He looked at Him intently (udaikṣata) again and again (punaḥ punaḥ) in order to see if Kṛṣṇa had incurred any injuries from fighting Kāliya.

 

|| 10.17.17 ||

nandaṁ viprāḥ samāgatya guravaḥ sa-kalatrakāḥ

ūcus te kāliya-grasto diṣṭyā muktas tavātmajaḥ

TRANSLATION

All the respectable brāhmaṇas, together with their wives, came forward to greet Nanda Mahārāja. They said to him, “Your son was in the grips of Kāliya, but by the grace of Providence He is now free.”

COMMENTARY

Guravaḥ refers to Purohitas [family priests] such as Bhāguri Muni, the chief paṇḍita in the court of Nanda Mahārāja.

 

|| 10.17.18 ||

dehi dānaṁ dvi-jātīnāṁ kṛṣṇa-nirmukti-hetave

nandaḥ prīta-manā rājan gāḥ suvarṇaṁ tadādiśat

TRANSLATION

The brāhmaṇas then advised Nanda Mahārāja, “To assure that your son Kṛṣṇa will always be free from danger, you should give charity to the brāhmaṇas.” With a satisfied mind, O King, Nanda Mahārāja then very gladly gave them gifts of cows and gold.

 

|| 10.17.19 ||

yaśodāpi mahā-bhāgā naṣṭa-labdha-prajā satī

pariṣvajyāṅkam āropya mumocāśru-kalāṁ muhuḥ

TRANSLATION

The greatly fortunate mother Yaśodā, having lost her son and then regained Him, placed Him on her lap. That chaste lady cried constant torrents of tears as she repeatedly embraced Him.

COMMENTARY

After getting back her son who was almost lost (naṣṭa labdha prajā), mother Yaśodā sat Kṛṣṇa on her lap and tightly embraced Him. Yaśodā could not do this before because there were many people around.

 

|| 10.17.20 ||

tāṁ rātriṁ tatra rājendra kṣut-tṛḍbhyāṁ śrama-karṣitāḥ

ūṣur vrayaukaso gāvaḥ kālindyā upakūlataḥ

TRANSLATION

O best of kings [Parīkṣit], because the residents of Vṛndāvana were feeling very weak from hunger, thirst and fatigue, they and the cows spent the night where they were, lying down near the bank of the Kālindī.

COMMENTARY

The Vrajavāsīs looked at Kṛṣṇa with unblinking eyes and said, “Let us rest here tonight. By good fortune Kāliya has gone, but if he comes back to take revenge, then all of us can fight him with clubs.” The Vrajavāsīs situated themselves at another place on the bank (upakūlataḥ) of the Yamunā due to fear of the poisonous water in Kāliya’s lake. They found a place where there would be no possibility of being surrounded by fire, and where they could fulfill their desire to keep Kṛṣṇa constantly in their sight.

 

|| 10.17.21 ||

tadā śuci-vanodbhūto dāvāgniḥ sarvato vrajam

suptaṁ niśītha āvṛtya pradagdhum upacakrame

TRANSLATION

During the night, while all the people of Vṛndāvana were asleep, a great fire blazed up within the dry summer forest. The fire surrounded the inhabitants of Vraja on all sides and began to scorch them.

COMMENTARY

Śuci means summer. A fire blazed up in the forest dried by the summer heat, and surrounded the sleeping cows and the Vrajavāsīs. Perhaps a loyal friend of Kāliya had assumed the form of a fire to avenge his friend, or maybe the fire was manifest by a demon follower of Kaṁsa.

 

|| 10.17.22 ||

tata utthāya sambhrāntā dahyamānā vrajaukasaḥ

kṛṣṇaṁ yayus te śaraṇaṁ māyā-manujam īśvaram

TRANSLATION

Then the residents of Vṛndāvana woke up, extremely disturbed by the great fire threatening to burn them. Thus they took shelter of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, who by His spiritual potency appeared like an ordinary human being.

COMMENTARY

Vrajaukasa refers to those who lived in Vraja engaged in agricultural work. Kṛṣṇa is described as manujam, appearing as a human being, in His original form. The Vedic mantras state, svarūpa-bhūtayā nitya-saktyā māyākhyayā: “The Lord’s eternal potency named māyā is innate in His original form.” Thus within the eternal spiritual body of Śrī Kṛṣṇa there is infinite potency, which effortlessly manipulates all existence according to the omniscient desire of the Lord.

 

The Vrajavāsīs took shelter of Kṛṣṇa, thinking, “Lord Nārāyaṇa will surely empower this darling boy to protect us.” They remembered what Gargācārya had said about Kṛṣṇa during His birth ceremony, “By His power you will easily be able to cross over all obstacles.” (SB 10.8.16) Therefore the Vrajavāsīs took complete shelter in Kṛṣṇa with full faith that He would save them from the forest fire.

 

|| 10.17.23 ||

kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa mahā-bhaga he rāmāmita-vikrama

eṣa ghoratamo vahnis  tāvakān grāsate hi naḥ

TRANSLATION

[Vṛndāvana’s residents said:] Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, O Lord of all opulence! O Rāma, possessor of unlimited power! This most terrible fire is about to devour us, Your devotees!

COMMENTARY

The Vrajavāsīs called out to Balarāma as well, because He had also shown that He was omniscient. By saying amita-vikrama, they infer that Balarāma, like Kṛṣṇa, was invested with the supernatural power of some demigod.

 

|| 10.17.24 ||

su-dustarān naḥ svān pāhi kālāgneḥ suhṛdaḥ prabho

na śaknumas tvac-caraṇaṁ santyaktum akuto-bhayam

TRANSLATION