Garga Bhagavatham : Vrindavan Khanda - Chapter 14

 

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Secret of Kaliya's residence in River Yamuna out of fear for Garuda.

King Bahulashwa asked:- Brahman! Barring all the other serpents in Ramanakadweep, why was only serpent 'Kaaliya' afraid of Garuda? Please tell me all about this'

 

Sri Narada said:- King! Garuda was killing many serpents in Ramanakadweep every day. Then being scared, all the serpents in that island told the hungry Garuda thus

 

Serpents said:- Hey Garutman! salutations to you. You are the carrier of Bhagawan Vishnu. When you go on eating us serpents, how can our lives be safe? Hence once every month you consume one serpent from each house. Along with that vegetables and food as sweet as nectar will be given to you. Please accept these provisions at the earliest.

 

Sri Garuda said:- You folks give me one snake each day from one house, otherwise, how can I fill my stomach by eating anything other snakes, those items will be equivalent to betel leaves and nuts for me. 

 

Sri Narada says:- King! After hearing this all serpents, for the sake of their self-defense, one by one began offering divine sacrifice to the great Garuda.

 

King of Kings! When the turn of Kaaliya came, he himself consumed all the items that were to be offered to Garuda. At that time immensely powerful Garuda came seething with anger. Immediately he attacked Kaaliya with his claws. By the attack of Garuda's legs Kaaliya fainted. Then getting up Kaaliya, the most powerful serpent licked his face with his tongue and spreading his hundred heads and attacked Garuda with his poison-filled teeth. Then the divine carrier fell and started attacking with his powerful feathers. Kaaliya released himself from the beaks of Garuda, encircled Garuda's claws, and began pulling his feathers again and again. At that time, two birds namely Neelkant and Mayur came out of Garuda's feathers. King of Mithila! on the auspicious tenth day of Shukla paksha under the star Aswini, at the sighting of these birds, all the wishes of humans will be fructified. With great anger, Garuda again caught hold of Kaaliya, crashed him against the earth, and dragged his body. Then being scared, Kaaliya escaped from the beaks of Garuda and started running. The fiercely powerful king of birds at once started chasing. Kaaaliya began running across the seven islands, seven continents, and seven seas, and wherever he went, he saw Garuda chasing him. That serpent went to Bhulok, Bhuvalok, Swarlok, and Maharlok respectively, and running from there reached Janalok. Wherever he went Garuda also reached there. Hence, again he went to all the worlds underneath but no one helped him because of their fear of Sri Krishna (Baghawan Vishnu). When he did not get peace anywhere he went hear the feet of the God of Gods 'Sesh' and prostrating before Bhagawan Sesh and folding his powerful hands, the vast bodied Kaaliya said with a destitute, scared and trembling voice 

 

Kaaliya said:- Oh Lord of the Earth! Oh Bhuman! Oh Reliever of Earth's burden! Your leelas are unlimited, You are capable of everything, You are complete and the greatest transcendental one, please save me!

 

Sri Narada says:- Seeing Kaaliya so pitiful and scared 'Phaneeswardev' Janardhan pacifying him, spoke thus.

 

Sesh said:- Very intelligent Kaaliya! Listen to my good words. There is no doubt that you will not be saved anywhere in the universe. There is only one way of being saved and I will tell you, listen. A long time ago there was a famous, perfect sage called 'Soubhari'. He lived in the waters of Yamuna in Vrindavan and did penance for a thousand years. In that water King of fish was living with great pleasures, seeing this the sage was tempted to set up his own family. Then that great sage married all the hundred daughters of king Maandhaataa. Sri Hari blessed him with all the riches, seeing which king Maandhaataa was surprised and lost all his pride in being rich. While the penance of sage Soubhari was going on in the waters of Yamuna, Garuda killed the fish in front of his eyes. The clan of fish became very sad and the sage, who was used to driving away the sadness of others, was very angry. Hence the kind-hearted sage cursed Garuda.

 

Soubhari said:- King of Birds! From today onwards in future, if you eat any fish in this water, by my curse you will die at that very moment.

 

Sri Sesh says:- From that day onwards, out of fear, Garuda never comes there. Hence, Kaaliya you immediately go to Sri Hari's jungle forest Vrindavan. There, set up your house in the Yamuna without any fear. No danger will come to you from Garuda there.

 

Sri Narada says:- King! After Seshnag said this, the scared Kaaliya along with his wife and children began living in Kaalindhi. Then Sri Krishna himself removed him from the waters of Yamuna and sent him outside.

 

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