The
king said: 'Why did Kâliya give up Ramanaka, the abode of
the serpents, and what caused the enmity of Garuda towards him
alone?'
[Having
thus heard how Lord Krishna chastised Kâliya,]
King Parîkshit inquired: Why did Kâliya leave
Ramanaka Island, the abode of the serpents, and why did
Garuda become so antagonistic toward him alone?'
(Vedabase)
Text
2-3:
S'rî
S'uka said: 'The snake people of sacrifice here [in
Nâgâlaya] were in the past appointed to monthly
pay tribute to the serpents at the base of a tree, o
mighty-armed one. The serpents according the lunar phase each
presented their portion to Garuda, the great power over them,
in order to secure their protection.
S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî said: To avoid being eaten by Garuda,
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 Parîkshit, each serpent would duly
make his offering to that powerful carrier of Vishnu as a
purchase of protection. (Vedabase)
Text
4
Conceited
under the influence of his venom and strength ate Kâliya,
the son of Kadru, in defiance of Garuda that offering
himself.
Although
all the other serpents were dutifully making offerings to
Garuda, one serpent - the arrogant Kâliya, son of
Kadru - would eat all these offerings before Garuda could
claim them. Thus Kâliya directly defied the carrier of
Lord Vishnu. (Vedabase)
Text
5
Hearing
about it, o King rushed that great master and devotee of the
Supreme Lord with great speed forward to kill Kâliya.
O
King, the greatly powerful Garuda, who is very dear to the
Supreme Lord, became angry when he heard of this. Desiring
to kill Kâliya, he rushed toward the serpent with
tremendous speed. (Vedabase)
Text
6
Swiftly
attacking fell Garuda upon him who armed with poison and full
size raised with his many hoods looked fearsome with his
tongues and terrible eyes. The snake then bit him with the help
of his weapons, the fangs.
As
Garuda swiftly fell upon him, Kâliya, who had the
weapon of poison, raised his numerous heads to
counterattack. Showing his ferocious tongues and expanding
his horrible eyes, Kâliya then bit Garuda with the
weapons of his fangs. (Vedabase)
Text
7
He,
the son of Kadru, warding off the grandson of Târkshya
[see 6.6:
21-22],
the carrier of Madhusûdana who was of a formidable
prowess and now full of anger sped for him, was struck by his
left wing that glowed like gold.
The
angry son of Târkshya moved with overwhelming speed in
repelling Kâliya's attack. That terribly powerful
carrier of Lord Madhusûdana struck the son of Kadru
with his left wing, which shone like gold. (Vedabase)
Text
8
Beaten
by Garuda's wing entered Kâliya utterly distraught a hard
to reach lake of the Kâlindî where Garuda wouldn't
go.
Beaten
by Garuda's wing, Kâliya was extremely distraught, and
thus he took shelter of a lake adjoining the river
Yamunâ. Garuda could not enter this lake. Indeed, he
could not even approach it. (Vedabase)
Text
9
Saubhari Muni
once denied Garuda the right to eat a creature of the water,
his normal sustenance [see
9.6],
but being hungry had he the temerity to do it
anyway.
In
that very lake Garuda 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,
Garuda took courage and, feeling hungry, seized the fish.
(Vedabase)
Text
10
Seeing the fish
who lived there being wretched, most unhappy because the king
of the fish had been killed, said Saubhari to set things right,
out of compassion to their defense:
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.
(Vedabase)
Text
11
'If
Garuda ever enters this lake to eat the fish will he
immediately lose his life; so be it as I speak!'
If
Garuda ever again enters this lake and eats the fish here,
he will immediately lose his life. What I am saying is the
truth. (Vedabase)
Text
12
Kâliya
was the only one who knew that, no other serpent, and so
dwelled he afraid of Garuda there in that place from where he
by Krishna was expelled.
Of
all the serpents, only Kâliya came to know of this
affair, and in fear of Garuda he took up residence in that
Yamunâ lake. Later Lord Krishna drove him out.
(Vedabase)
Text
13-14
The
moment the cowherds saw Lord Krishna rising up from the lake,
godly garlanded, scented and clad, with many a fine jewel
covered and decorated with gold, sprung all their senses back
to life and embraced they Him affectionately filled with
joy.
[Resuming
his description of Krishna's chastisement of Kâliya,
S'ukadeva Gosvâmî continued:] Krishna 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. (Vedabase)
Text
15
When
Yas'odâ, Rohinî and Nanda, the gopîs
and the gopas, o son of Kuru, rejoined with Krishna
regained they all their functions and so it happened with even
the dried up trees.
Having
regained their vital functions, Yas'odâ, Rohinî,
Nanda and all the other cowherd women and men went up to
Krishna. O descendant of Kuru, even the dried-up trees came
back to life. (Vedabase)
Text
16
And Râma
embracing Acyuta, the Infallible One, well knowing His
omnipotence laughing out of love, raised Him on His lap to
admire Him from all sides and thus enjoyed together with the
cows, the bulls and the she-calves that were looking the
highest pleasure.
Lord
Balarâma embraced His infallible brother and laughed,
knowing well the extent of Krishna's potency. Out of great
feelings of love, Balarâma lifted Krishna up on His
lap and repeatedly looked at Him. The cows, bulls and young
female calves also achieved the highest pleasure.
(Vedabase)
Text
17
The learned and
respectable personalities along with their wives came all to
Nanda and said: 'Seized by Kâliya your son has now by
divine ordinance been freed.
All
the respectable brâhmanas, together with their wives,
came forward to greet Nanda Mahârâja. They said
to him, "Your son was in the grips of Kâliya, but by
the grace of Providence He is now free." (Vedabase)
Text
18
Give for the
sake of Krishna's safety in charity to the twiceborn', and
Nanda, happy of mind, o King, gave them cows and
gold.
The
brâhmanas then advised Nanda Mahârâja, "To
assure that your son Krishna will always be free from
danger, you should give charity to the brâhmanas."
With a satisfied mind, O King, Nanda Mahârâja
then very gladly gave them gifts of cows and gold.
(Vedabase)
Text
19
The
chaste Yas'odâ who had lost and retrieved her son, the
One of Great Fortune, raised Him on her lap and hugging Him
gave in to an incessant torrent of tears.
The
greatly fortunate mother Yas'odâ, 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. (Vedabase)
Text
20
That night, o
best of the kings, remained the cows and the people of Vraja,
weakened as they were of thirst, hunger and fatigue, there at
the shore of the Kâlindî.
O
best of kings [Parîkchit], because the
residents of Vrindâvana 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
Kâlindî. (Vedabase)
Text
21
Then,
in the middle of the night, arose because of the summer heat in
the forest from all sides a conflagration that closed the
sleeping Vrajasis in and began to scorch them.
During
the night, while all the people of Vrindâvana 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. (Vedabase)
Text
22
The
people of Vraja next woke up and in distress of being burned
turned they for shelter to Krishna, the Controller, who by the
power of His spiritual potency had appeared like a human being
[compare 10.8:
16].
Then
the residents of Vrindâvana woke up, extremely
disturbed by the great fire threatening to burn them. Thus
they took shelter of Krishna, the Supreme Lord, who by His
spiritual potency appeared like an ordinary human being.
(Vedabase)
Text
23
'Krishna,
Krishna, o Greatest of Fortune; o Râma of Unlimited
Power, this most terrible fire is about to devour us who belong
to You!
[Vrindâvana's
residents said:] Krishna, Krishna, O Lord of all
opulence! O Râma, possessor of unlimited power! This
most terrible fire is about to devour us, Your devotees!
(Vedabase)
Text
24
Please protect
us, Your people, Your friends, against that insurmountable fire
of Time [of death], o Master, we impossibly can think
of abandoning Your feet that drive away all
fear.'
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.
(Vedabase)
Text
25
This
way seeing the desperation of His people, swallowed the Lord of
the Universe, The Unlimited One who possesses endless
potencies, that terrible fire.'
Seeing
His devotees so disturbed, S'rî Krishna, the infinite
Lord of the universe and possessor of infinite power, then
swallowed the terrible forest fire. (Vedabase)