Garga Bhagavatham : Vrindavan Khanda - Chapter 12

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Sri Krishna defeats Kaliya; Consumption of the forest fire by the Lord

 

Sri Narada says:- Oh King of Mithila! One day, Sri Hari went along with the cowherd boys to graze the cattle without taking Balaram. Arriving on the banks of the Yamuna, they all drank the poisoned water from the river which was poisoned by the King of Snakes, Kaliya. After having drank that water, the Gopa boys and the cows fell lifeless. Looking at this, the heart of Sri Hari, who is the remover of all sins, melted with compassion. He cast his nectarine glance at them and revived them all. He then tightened his yellow garments around His waist. Madhav then climbed on the branches of a Kadamba tree on the banks of the river and dove into the waters. The force with which He dove into the river caused a whirlpool and made the water shoot high up in the air. The serpent Kaliya lived in that part of the river. The whirlpool caused by Sri Krishna shook his residence and made it spin around in the waters. At that time, Kaliya spead out his hundred hoods in a rage and caught Madhav with his tail, ferociously charged at Him and bit Him. Then Sri Krishna made His body grow big and got out of Kaliya’s grasp. He then held Kaliya by his tail and began to twirl him here and there and tossed him into the water. Madhav, then picked up Kaliya again and threw him at a distance of one hundred Dhanusha(a measure of distance). The evil serpent got up again and charged toward Sri Krishna, hissing with anger and caught His left hand.  Sri Krishna then caught the snake with His right hand and tossed it into the water again just like the way the eagle Garuda tosses around snakes. Again spreading his hundred hoods wide, the snake approached Sri Krishna. Once again Sri Krishna, held him by his tail and dragged him by a distance of a hundred Dhanusha. Kaliya escaped from Sri Krishna’s hands and bit him once again. Seeing this, the Lord who had the strength of all three worlds within Himself, punched Kaliya with His fist. After getting the blow from Sri Krishna, the serpent fainted. Thereafter, he stood up and stretched his hundred hoods. The gemstones studded in the hoods shone brightly. Sri Krishna jumped on the hoods and assumed the pose of a graceful dancer. He began to dance elegantly on top of the hoods. He started singing the seven notes of a melodious raga and started presenting divine music with divine melody and rhythm. At the that time, the Devas began playing various musical instruments like Veena, Mridanga, Bheri, and the flute, and  showered flowers on Sri Krishna who was dancing gracefully like Lord Shiva, who performs the Taandava dance. By tapping His foot rhythmically on the head of Kaliya, who was breathing heavily, Sri Krishna subdued the hoods of the serpent. Right then, the wives of Kaliya, Naga Patnis, rushed there and began to sing praises of Krishna in a pitiful tone.

 

Naga Patni’s said:- Oh Lord! You are Paripoornatam (the Complete one) and you are the Lord of infinite universes. We bow down to you again and again, Oh Lord of Golokdham! We bow down to the Lord Of Radha, who is the Lord of Vraja. We bow down to the son of Nanda and the one who enhances the joy of Mother Yashoda. Oh Supreme Lord! Please save this snake, please save him! There is no one other than you, who can give refuge to this snake in all three worlds. You are the Supreme Lord Sri Hari and You playfully assume various forms.

 

Sri Narada says:-  By then, the ego of Kaliya had been completed subdued. After hearing the praise of Sri Hari by the NagaPatnis, Kaliya said, “Oh Lord! Oh Complete Almighty Supreme Lord! Please protect me!” Pleading the Lord for mercy, Kaliya threw himself at the feet of the Lord Sri Hari. At the time, the father of the universe, Sri Krishna spoke thus.

 

Sri Bhagawan said:-  You leave this place with your wives and your kin and go to the island of Ramanaka. I have imprinted the mark of my feet on your hoods, hence Garuda will not make you his food.

 

Sri Narada says:-  Oh King! Then Kaliya performed pooja of the Lord and circled around Him and left for the Ramanaka islands with his wife, children and other attendants. Oh the other hand, hearing that Kaliya may have made Krishna as his meal, Nanda and other Gopas rushed to the banks of the Yamuna. When they saw Krishna coming out of the waters, they felt relieved. Nanda embraced his son and holding Sri Krishna close to his heart, he experienced great bliss.  After regaining the son that she thought she had lost, Yashoda gave large amounts of donations to the Brahmins. At that time, out of intense love for her son, milk started flowing from her breasts. Because of the immense fatigue that they experienced on that day, all the Gopis and the Gopas dozed off that night on the banks of the Yamuna itself. Because of the bamboo sticks rubbing against one another, a forest fire started in the middle of the night and began scorching the cowherd folks from all directions. At that time, the Gopa boys who were the friends of Sri Krishna, rushed to Sri Krishna and Balaram and surrendered at their feet. With folded hands, they spoke thus.

 

Gopas said:-  Oh Protector of surrendered souls! Almighty, Sri Krishna! Oh Lord! Please protect our people who are trapped in the forest fire. Please save them.

 

Sri Narada says:-  Oh King! At that time, the Yogeshwar Sri Krishna said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Close your eyes!” Saying so, the Lord swallowed the forest fire. In the morning, Nandanandan returned to Vraj-Mandal along with the amazed cowherd folks.

 

 

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