कालियमर्दनं-१ (श्रीमद्भागवतम् १०.१६,श्लोकाः १-३२)
[The English translation is largely based
on that of the disciples of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada as given in the “Srimad Bhagavatam” published by the Bhaktivedanta
Book Trust]
श्रीशुक उवाच-
विलोक्य दूषितां कृष्णां कृष्णः कृष्णाहिना विभुः।
तस्या विशुद्धिमन्विच्छन् सर्पं तमुदवासयत् ॥१॥
Sukadeva Goswami said: Lord Sri Krishna, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, seeing that the Yamuna River had been contaminated by
the black snake Kaliya, desired to purify the river, and thus the Lord banished
him from it.
श्रीराजोवाच-
कथमन्तर्जलेऽगाधे न्यगृह्णाद् भगवानहिम्।
स वै बहुयुगावासं यथाऽऽसीद् विप्र कथ्यताम् ॥२॥
King Parikshit inquired: O learned sage, please
explain how the Supreme Personality of Godhead chastised the serpent Kaliya
within the unfathomable waters of the Yamuna , and how it was that Kaliya had
been living there for so many years.
ब्रह्मन् भगवतस्तस्य भूम्नः स्वच्छन्दवर्तिनः।
गोपालोदारचरितं कस्तृप्येतामृतं जुषन् ॥३॥
O brahmana, the unlimited Supreme Personality of
Godhead freely acts according to His own desires. Who could be satiated when hearing the nectar
of the magnanimous pastimes He performed as a cowherd boy in Vrindavana?
श्रीशुक उवाच
कालिन्द्यां कालियस्यासीद्ध्रदः कश्चिद् विषाग्निना।
श्रप्यमाणपया यस्मिन् पतन्त्युपरिगाः खगाः ॥४॥
Sri Sukadeva Goswami said: Within the river
Kalindi[Yamuna] was a lake inhabited by the serpent kaliya, whose fiery poison
constantly heated and boiled its waters.
Indeed, the vapours thus created
were so poisonous that birds flying over the contaminated lake would
fall down into it.
विप्रुष्मता विषदोर्मिमारुतेनाभिमर्शिताः।
म्रियन्ते तीरगा यस्य प्राणिनः स्थिरजंगमाः॥५॥
The wind blowing over that deadly lake
carried droplets of water to the shore.
Simply by coming in contact with that poisonous breeze, all vegetation
and creatures on the shore died.
तं चंडवेगविषवीर्यमवेक्ष्य तेन-
दुष्टां नदीं च खलसंयमनावतारः।
कृष्णः कदम्बमधिरुह्य ततोऽतितुङ्ग-
मास्फोट्य गाढरशनो न्यपतद्
वोषोदे॥६॥
Lord Krishna saw how the Kaliya had polluted the
Yamuna river with his terribly powerful poison.
Since Krishna had descended from the spiritual world specifically to
subdue envious demons, the Lord immediately climbed to the top of a very high
kadamba tree and prepared Himself for battle.
He tightened His belt, slapped His arms and then jumped into the
poisonous water.
सर्पह्रदः पुरुषसारनिपातवेग-
संक्षोभितोरगविषोच्छ्वसिताम्बुराशिः।
पर्यक्प्लुतो विषकषायविभीषणोर्मि-
र्धावन् धनुःशतमनन्तबलस्य किं तत्॥७॥
When the Supreme Personality of Godhead
landed in the serpent’s lake, the snakes there became extremely agitated and
began breathing heavily, further polluting it with volumes of poison. The force of the Lord’s entrance into the
lake caused it to overflow on all sides, and poisonous, fearsome waves flooded
the surrounding lands up to a distance of one hundred bow-lengths. This is not at all amazing, however, for the
Supreme Lord possesses infinite strength.
तस्य ह्रदे विहरतो भुजदण्डघूर्ण-
वार्घोषमङ्ग वरवारणविक्रमस्य।
आश्रुत्य तत्स्वभवनाभिभवं निरीक्ष्य
चक्षुःश्रवाः समरसत्तदमृष्यमाणः ॥८॥
Krishna began sporting in Kaliya’s lake like a lordly
elephant- swirling his mighty arms and making the water resound in various
ways. When Kaliya heard these sounds, he
understood that someone was trespassing in his lake. The serpent could not
tolerate this and immediately came forward.
तं प्रेक्षणीयसुकुमारघनावदातं
श्रवत्सपीतवसनं स्मितसुन्दरास्यं।
क्रीडन्तमप्रतिभयं कमलोदराङ्घ्रिं
संदश्य मर्मसु रुषा भुजया चछाद॥९॥
Kaliya saw that Sri Krishna, who wore
yellow silken garments, was very delicate, His attractive body shining like a
glowing white cloud, His chest bearing the mark of Srivatsa, His face smiling
beautifully and His feet resembling the whorl of a lotus flower. The Lord was playing fearlessly in the
water. Despite His wonderful
appearance,, the envious Kaliya furiously bit Him on the chest and then
completely enwrapped Him in his coils.
तं नागभोगपरिवीतमदृष्टचेष्टम्
आलोक्य तत्प्रियसखाः पशुपा
भृशार्ताः।
कृष्णेर्पितात्मसुहृदर्थकलत्रकामा
दुःखानुषोकभयमूढधियो निपेतुः
॥१०॥
When the members of the cowherd community,
who had accepted Krishna as their dear most friend, saw Him enveloped in the
snake’s coils, motionless, they were greatly disturbed. They had offered Krishna everything- their
very selves, their families, their wealth, wives and all pleasures. At the sight of the Lord in the clutches of
the Kaliya snake, their intelligence became deranged by grief, lamentation and
fear, and thus they fell to the ground.
गावो वृषा वत्सतर्यः क्रन्दमानाः सुदुखिताः।
कृष्णे न्यस्तेक्षणा भीता रुदत्य इव तस्थिरे ॥११॥
The cows, bulls
and female calves, in great distress, called out piteously to Krishna. Fixing
their eyes on Him, they stood still in fear, as if ready to cry but too shocked
to shed tears.
अथ व्रजे महोत्पातास्त्रिविधा ह्यतिदारुणाः।
उत्पेतुर्भुवि दिव्यात्मन्यासन्नभयशंसिनः ॥१२॥
In the Vrindavan area there then arose all three types of fearful omens
–those on earth, those in the sky and those in the bodies of living creatures
तानालक्ष्य भयोद्विग्नाः गोपा नन्दपुरोगमाः।
विना रामेण गाः कृष्णं ज्ञात्वा चारयितुं गतम्॥१३॥
तैर्दुर्निमित्तैर्निधनं मत्वा प्राप्तमतद्विदः।
तत्प्राणास्तन्मनस्कास्ते दुःखशोकभयातुराः॥१४॥
आबालवृद्धवनिताः सर्वेऽङ्ग पशुवृत्तयः।
निर्जग्मुर्गोकुलाद्दीनाः कृष्णदर्शनलालसाः॥१५॥
Seeing the inauspicious omens, Nanda
Maharaja and the other cowherd men were fearful, for they knew that Krishna had
gone to herd the cows that day without His elder brother, Balarama. Because they had dedicated their minds to
Krishna, accepting Him as their very life, they were unaware of His great power
and opulence. Thus they concluded that
the inauspicious omens indicated He had
met with death, and they were overwhelmed with grief, lamentation and
fear. All the inhabitants of Vridavana,
including the children, women and elderly persons, thought of Krishna just as a
cow thinks of her helpless young calf, and thus these poor, suffering people
rushed out of the village, intent upon finding him.
तांस्तथा कातरान् वीक्ष्य भगवान् माधवो बलः।
प्रहस्य किञ्चिन्नोवाच प्रभावज्ञोऽनुजस्य सः ॥१६॥
The Supreme Lord
Balarama, the master of all transcendental knowledge, smiled and said nothing
when He saw the residents of Vrindavana in such distress, since He understood
the extraordinary power of His younger brother.
तेऽन्वेषमाणा दयितं कृष्णं सूचितया पदैः।
भगवल्लक्षणैर्जग्मुः पदव्या यमुनातटम्॥१७॥
The residents hurried toward the banks of the Yamuna
in search of their dearmost Krishna, following the path marked by His
footprints, which bore the unique signs of the Personality of Godhead.
ते तत्र तत्राब्जयवाङ्कुशाशनि-
ध्वजोपपन्नानि पदानि विश्पतेः।
मार्गे गवामन्यपदान्तरान्तरे
निरीक्ष्यमाणा ययुरङ्ग सत्वराः॥१८॥
The footprints of Lord Krishna, the master
of the entire cowherd community, were marked with the lotus flower, barleycorn,
elephant goad, thunderbolt and flag. My
dear King Parikshit, seeing His footprints on the path among the cows’ hoof
prints, the residents of Vrindavana rushed along in great haste.
अन्तर्ह्रदे भुजगभोगपरीतमारात्
कृष्णं निरीहमुपलभ्य जलाशयान्ते।
गोपांश्च मूढधिषणान् परितः पशूंश्च
संक्रन्दतः परमकश्मलमापुरार्ताः ॥१९॥
As they hurried along the path to the bank
of the Yamuna River, they saw from a distance that Krishna was in the lake,
motionless within the coils of the black serpent. They further saw that the cowherd boys had
fallen unconscious and the animals were standing on all sides, crying out for
Krishna. Seeing all this, the residents
of Vrindavana were overwhelmed with anguish and confusion.
गोप्योऽनुरक्तमनसो भगवत्यनन्ते
तत्सौहृदस्मितविलोकगिरः स्मरन्त्यः।
ग्रस्तेऽहिना प्रियतमे भृशदुःखतप्ताः
शून्यं प्रियव्यतिहृतं ददृशुस्त्रिलोकम्॥२०॥
When the young
gopis, whose minds were constantly attached to Krishna, the unlimited Supreme
Lord, saw that He was now within the grips of the serpent, they remembered His
loving friendship, His smiling glances and His talks with them. Burning with great sorrow, they saw the
entire universe as void without their dearest Krishna.
ताः कृष्णमातरमपत्यमनुप्रविष्टाम्
तुल्यव्यथाः समनुगृह्य शुचः स्रवन्त्यः।
तास्ता व्रजप्रियकथाः कथयन्त्य आसन्
कृष्णाननेऽर्पितदृशो मृतकप्रतीकाः ॥२१॥
Although the elder gopis were feeling just
as much distress as she and were pouring forth a flood of sorrowful tears, they
had to forcibly hold back Krishna’s mother, whose consciousness was totally
absorbed in her son. Standing like
corpses, with their eyes fixed upon His face, these gopis each took
turns recounting the pastimes of the darling of Vraja.
कृष्णप्राणान् निर्विशतो नन्दादीन् वीक्ष्य तं ह्रदम्।
प्रत्यषेधत् स भगवान् रामः कृष्णानुभाववित् ॥२२॥
Lord Balarama then saw that Nanda Maharaja
and the other cowherd men, who had dedicated their very lives to Krishna, were
beginning to enter the serpent’s lake.
As the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Balarama fully knew Lord
Krishna’s actual power, and therefore He restrained them.
इत्थं स्वगोकुलमनन्यगतिं निरीक्ष्य
सस्त्रीकुमारमतिदुःखितमात्महेतोः।
आज्ञाय मर्त्यपदवीमनुवर्तमानः
स्थित्वा मुहूर्तमुदतिष्ठदुरङ्गबन्धात्॥२३॥
The Lord remained for some time within the
coils of the serpent, imitating the behaviour of an ordinary mortal. But when He understood that the women,
children and other residents of His village of Gokula were in acute distress
because of their love for Him, their only shelter and goal in life, He
immediately rose up from the bonds of the Kaliya serpent.
तत्प्रथ्यमानवपुषा व्यथितात्मभोग-
स्त्यक्त्वोन्नमय्य कुपितः स्वफणान् भुजङ्गः ।
तस्थौ श्वसञ्छ्वसनरन्ध्रविषाम्बरीष-
स्तब्धेक्षणोल्मुकमुखो हरिमीक्षमाणः ॥२४॥
His coils tormented by the expanding body
of the Lord, Kaliya released Him. In
great anger the serpent then raised his hoods high and stood still, breathing
heavily. His nostrils appeared like vessels for cooking poison, and the staring
eyes in his face like firebrands. Thus
the serpent looked at the Lord.
तं जिह्वया द्विशिखया परिलेलिहानं
द्वे सृक्किणी ह्यतिकरालविषाग्निदृष्टिम्।
क्रीडन्नमुं परिससार यथा खगेन्द्रो
बभ्राम सोऽप्यवसरं प्रसमीक्षमाणः ॥२५॥
Again and again Kaliya licked his lips with his
bifurcated tongues as He stared at Krishna with a glance full of terrible,
poisonous fire. But Krishna playfully
circled around him, just as Garuda would play with a snake. In response, Kaliya also moved about, looking
for an opportunity to bite the Lord.
एवं परिभ्रमहतौजसमुन्नतांस-
मानम्य तत्पृथुशिरःस्वधिरूढ आद्यः।
तन्मूर्धरत्ननिकरस्पर्शातिताम्र-
पादाम्बुजोऽखिलकलादिगुरुर्ननर्त॥२६॥
Having severely depleted the serpent’s strength with
His relentless circling, Sri Krishna, the origin of everything, pushed down
Kaliya’s raised shoulders and mounted his broad serpentine heads. Thus Lord Krishna, the original master of all
fine arts, began to dance, His lotus feet deeply reddened by the touch of the
numerous jewels upon the serpent’s head.
तं नर्तुमुद्यतमवेक्ष्य तदा तदीय-
गन्धर्वसिद्धसुरचारणदेववध्वः।
प्रीत्या मृदङ्गपणवानकवाद्यगीत-
पुष्पोपहारनुतिभिः सहसोपसेदुः ॥२७॥
Seeing the Lord dancing, His servants in
the heavenly planets – the Gandharvas, Siddhas, sages, Charanas and wives of
the demigods- immediately arrived there.
With great pleasure they began accompanying the Lord’s dancing by
playing drums such as mridangas, panavas and anakas. They also made
offerings of songs, flowers and prayers.
यद् यच्छिरो न नमतेऽङ्ग शतैकशीर्ष्ण-
स्तत्तन्ममर्द खरदण्डधरोऽङ्घ्रिपातैः।
क्षीणायुषो भ्रमतोल्बणमास्यतोऽसृङ्-
नस्तो वमन् परमकश्मलमाप नागः ॥२८॥
My dear king, Kaliya had 101 prominent
heads, and when one of them would not bow down, Lord Sri Krishna, who inflicts punishment
on cruel wrong-doers, would smash that stubborn head by striking it with His
feet. Then, as Kaliya entered his death throes,
he began wheeling his heads around and vomiting ghastly blood from his mouths
and nostrils. The serpent thus
experienced extreme pain and misery.
तस्याक्षिभिर्गरलमुद्वमतः शिरस्सु
यद् यत्समुन्नमति निःश्वसतो रुषोच्चैः।
नृत्यन् पदानुनमयन् दमयाम्बभूव
पुष्पैः प्रपूजित इवेह पुमान् पुराणः ॥२९॥
Exuding poisonous waste from his eyes,
Kaliya would occasionally dare to raise up one of his heads, which would
breathe heavily with anger. Then the
Lord would dance on it and subdue it, forcing it to bow down with His
foot. The demigods took each of these
exhibitions as an opportunity to worship Him, the primeval Personality of
Godhead, with showers of flowers.
तच्चित्रताण्डवविरुग्णफणासहस्रो
रक्तं मुखैरुरु वमन् नृप भग्नगात्रः।
स्मृत्वा चराचरगुरुं पुरुषं पुराणं
नारायणं तमरणं मनसा जगाम ॥३०॥
My dear king Parikshit, Lord Krishna’s wonderful,
powerful dancing trampled and broke all of Kaliya’s one thousand hoods. Then the serpent, profusely vomiting blood
from his mouths, finally recognized Sri Krishna to be the eternal Personality
of Godhead, the supreme master of all moving and nonmoving beings, Sri
Narayana. Thus within his mind Kaliya
took shelter of the Lord.
कृष्णस्य गर्भजगतोऽतिभरावसन्नं
पार्ष्णिप्रहारपरिरुग्णफणातपत्रम्।
दृष्ट्वाहिमाद्यमुपसेदुरमुष्य पत्न्य
आर्ताः श्लथद्वसनभूषणकेशबन्धाः॥३१॥
When Kaliya’s wives saw how the serpent had become so
fatigued from the excessive weight of Lord Krishna, who carries the entire
universe in His abdomen, and how Kaliya’s umbrella-like hoods had been
shattered by the striking of Krishna’s heels, they felt great distress. With their clothing, ornaments and hair
scattered in disarray, they then approached the Eternal Personality of Godhead.
तास्तं सुविग्नमनसोऽथ पुरस्कृतार्भाः
कायं निधाय भुवि भूतपतिं प्रणेमुः।
साध्व्यः कृताञ्जलिपुटाः शमलस्य भर्तु-
र्मोक्षेप्सव शरणदं शरणं प्रपन्नाः ॥३२॥
Their minds very much disturbed, those saintly ladies
placed their children before them and then bowed down to the Lord of all
creatures, laying their bodies flat upon the ground. They desired the liberation of their sinful
husband and the shelter of the Supreme Lord, the giver of ultimate shelter, and
thus they folded their hands in supplication and approached Him.