The History of Kaliya

The seventeen chapter relates the reasons for Kaliya’s fear of Garuda, the curse of Saubari on Garuda, how Krsna rejoined the cowherd men and women and then, in the evening, rescued the boys from a forest fire.

The snakes used to offer to Garuda at the proper time specially prepared fruits and roots under a tree in order to prevent Garuda from eating them. At that place all of the snakes used to present their individual offerings, once every fifteen days (parvani parvani). This was in order to protect themselves (gopithaya).

4.-5. Kaliya did not offer his share, and moreover, he ate all that the others had offered. He was disrespecting Garuda (kadarthi krtya). Garuda heard about Kaliya’s actions from other snakes of Ramanaka island.

From far off Kaliya could blow his poison at his enemy, and close up he could bite with his teeth. He had a ferocious tongue, loud hissing and terrible eyes.

Garuda, the sone of Kasyapa (takrsa putra), the carrier of Madhusudana, , filled with anger, moved quickly and preventing Kaliya from biting him.

Kaliya fled to the lake in the Yamuna was difficult to enter for others (durasadam) because of the depth.

This verse explains the reason why Garuda could not enter Kaliya’s lake. Saubari committed two offenses against the great devotee Garuda, by giving his superior an order not to eat the fish, and by preventing Garuda’s happiness. Garuda disobeyed Saubari’s order and committed violence by eating the fish, but this was not an offense, because Garuda was superior to Saubari.

This verse describes the third offense to Garuda. Though Saubari showed mercy to the fish, he showed anger towards Garuda. He wanted to benefit the fish but his actions had the opposite effect. By the entrance of Kaliya, the situation for the fish became worse. That the mercy shown by great offenders gives opposite results is illustrated in this verse.

The statement “When Garuda enters the water and then eats fish, immediately he will die” means that if Garuda 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, Garuda understood that Saubari had made this curse, and thus he avoided this lake after that. Kaliya had heard this story from his relatives residing in that lake, and therefore fled there. The bad desire of Saubari (the curse) arose from association with a fish and made him show mercy to a fish and anger towards Garuda. The result was great offense. Because of this he fell from the bliss of Brahman. Because he attained a youthful body from his accumulated penances, he used this beauty to marry many young women. He fell into a hellish existence of material pleasure. After this suffering, he was later delivered because he had taken shelter of the potency of Yamuna and Vrndavana.

This story being completed, there is a return to the main story. Krsna came out of the lake in a special way (vi niskranta). That means he was kicking his feet in the water and unseen to others, was placing his feet upon the heads of other serpents in the water who had been ordered to serve Krsna by Kaliya. If this were not so, his whole body would have again become wet and the description of his garland and cloth would not be appropriate. The boys were endowed like senses (asava) which and regained life in a dead body. Their minds were filled with bliss (pramoda nibhrtatmanah). Gopa here refers to Krsna’s cowherd boy friends, not the adults. Because of their unsteadiness, being boys, they would have embraced Krsna before others.

Mother Yasoda with great happiness, disregarding embarrassment or fear of elders, with choked voice said, “My son has been saved.” Behind her in a tight crowd were her close friends, among them the chief, Rohini. Behind her was Nanda, impatient with delay, without his normal gravity as his love increased, who had made his way through the throng of women. Behind them were other elder cowherd men and women. Ca indicates that the young girls such as Radha who were developing attachment to Krsna glanced upon him from a distance. Having been saved from death which they had desired, now they returned to life (labdheha).

16.Balarama smiled. “You have done just the right thing.” Though he was knowledgeable of Krsna’s strength, he looked at him intently again and again (udaiksata). He looked to see if Krsna had incurred any injuries from fighting Kaliya.

Guravah refers to purohits such as Bhaguri.

Mother Yasoda had regained her son who was almost lost (masta labdha praja). Putting him on her lap she held him to her chest. She could not do this previously because there were many people around.

Looking at Krsna without even blinking their eyes, they said “Let us rest here tonight. Though by good fortune Kaliya has gone, if he comes back to take revenge we can all fight him together with clubs.” With the desire to keep Krsna in their sight, the inhabitants of Vraja situated themselves at another place on the bank of the Yamuna, (upakulatah) for fear of the poison and water in Kaliya’s lake, and where there would not be the possibility of being surrounded by fire.

Suci means summer. A forest fire arose in forest dried by the summer heat and surrounded the sleeping cows and inhabitants of Vraja. Some say that the forest fire was one of Kaliya’s friends, and a follower of Kamsa.

Vrajaukasa refers to those who lived in Vraja by doing agricultural work. Krsna is described as manuja , appearing as a human being, in his natural form (maya). Maya means svarupa. The sruti says “svarupa bhutaya nitya saktya mayakhyaya.” (It is called maya because it is an eternal energy arising from the very svarupa of the Lord.) “Garga had said that in times of danger Narayana will enter this boy who has appeared by his mercy, and will protect us. This boy will easily be able to deliver you from all types of obstacles. Narayana has now entered into Krsna. Having faith that Krsna now has the strength of Narayana, we will now take shelter of Krsna to cross over this danger.”

The inhabitants called out the Balarama as well, because he had also show that he was omniscient. They inferred that he as well was invested with the power of some deva.

Kalagni here means the fire which is death personified. “If we die, separation from your lotus feet will be intolerable. Therefore we say that we cannot give up your lotus feet.”

The prema for his family members (sva jana), in order to protect them, began to search for a suitable power. How can this very young, tender boy swallow this intense fire? Thus his sanharika sakti, power of destruction, swallowed the fire. Therefore the description of Krsna being the possessor of power (sakti dhrk) and thus drinking the fire is only a figure of speech, since his sanharika sakti did it.