Chapter Twelve Kāliya-damanaṁ davāgni-pānam Subduing Kāliya and Drinking the Forest Fire

Śrī Nārada said: One day, as in Balarāma's absence He was herding the cows with the gopas as His company, Kṛṣṇa came to the shore of the Yamunā, which at that time was filled with poisoned water.

When they drank the water poisoned by the snake-king Kāliya, the cows and gopas at once fell dead at the water's edge.

Then with a nectar-filled glance Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the savior from distress, His heart melting with compassion, brought them back to life.

Tightening the yellow sash about His waist and climbing a kadamba tree, Kṛṣṇa dove from that tall tree into the poisoned water.

As Kṛṣṇa thrashed about, the poisoned water rose in great waves. Kṛṣṇa was like a wasp that had entered the snake's river-palace.

Then the snake Kāliya, who had a hundred heads, coiled himself around Kṛṣṇa and with many fangs bit Him.

jale nipatya hastābhyāṁ cikṣepāśu dhanuḥ-śatam punar utthāya sarpendro lelihāno bhayaṅkaraḥ kṛṣṇaḥ—Kṛṣṇa; dīrgham—a long; vapuḥ—form; kṛtvā—manifesting; bandhanān—from the bondage; nirgataś—gone; ca—and; tam—him; pucche—on the tail; gṛhītvā—grabbing; sarpendram—the king of snakes; bhrāmayitvā—whirling about; tv—indeed; itas tataḥ—here and there; jale—into the water; nipatya—fallen; hastābhyām—with both hands; cīkṣepa—threw; āśu—suddenly; dhanuḥ-śatam—two hundred yards; punaḥ—again; utthāya—rising; sarpendraḥ—the king of snakes; lelihānaḥ—licking his tongue; bhayaṅkaraḥ—terrifying. Expanding His form, Kṛṣṇa broke free of the snake's clutches. With both hands grabbing its tail, Kṛṣṇa whirled the snake-king and tossed it two hundred yards away in the water. When the terrifying snake-king rose again, it was licking its tongue.

jale nipatya hastābhyāṁ cikṣepāśu dhanuḥ-śatam punar utthāya sarpendro lelihāno bhayaṅkaraḥ kṛṣṇaḥ—Kṛṣṇa; dīrgham—a long; vapuḥ—form; kṛtvā—manifesting; bandhanān—from the bondage; nirgataś—gone; ca—and; tam—him; pucche—on the tail; gṛhītvā—grabbing; sarpendram—the king of snakes; bhrāmayitvā—whirling about; tv—indeed; itas tataḥ—here and there; jale—into the water; nipatya—fallen; hastābhyām—with both hands; cīkṣepa—threw; āśu—suddenly; dhanuḥ-śatam—two hundred yards; punaḥ—again; utthāya—rising; sarpendraḥ—the king of snakes; lelihānaḥ—licking his tongue; bhayaṅkaraḥ—terrifying. Expanding His form, Kṛṣṇa broke free of the snake's clutches. With both hands grabbing its tail, Kṛṣṇa whirled the snake-king and tossed it two hundred yards away in the water. When the terrifying snake-king rose again, it was licking its tongue.

The snake angrily grabbed Kṛṣṇa's left hand. Then with His right hand Kṛṣṇa grabbed the demon-snake.

Kṛṣṇa threw the snake far away, as Garuḍa would have thrown it. Expanding its hundred hoods, the snake returned.

Then Kṛṣṇa grabbed the snake's tail and suddenly threw it two hundred yards away. As it was being thrown by Kṛṣṇa's hand, the snake bit the Lord again.

Then Kṛṣṇa, who has all the strength in the three worlds, punched the snake. With Kṛṣṇa's punch, the snake fell unconscious.

nanarta naṭavat kṛṣṇo naṭa-veṣo manoharaḥ gāyan sapta-svarai rāgaṁ saṅgitaṁ ca sa-tālakam puṣpair deveṣu varṣatsu tāṇḍave naṭa-rāja-vat vādayan sa mudā vīṇā- nakadundubhi-veṇukān natam—bowed down; kṛtvā—masking; anana-śatam—hundred heads; sthitaḥ—situated; abhūt—became; kṛṣṇa-sammukhe—in Kṛṣṇa's presence; āruhya—climbing; tat-phaṇi-śatam—on the hundred hoods; maṇi-vṛnda-manoharam—beautiful with many jewels; nanarta—danced; naṭavat—like a dancer; kṛṣṇaḥ—Kṛṣṇa; naṭa-veṣaḥ—appearing like a dancer; manoharaḥ—handsome; gāyan—singing; sapta-svarai—with the seven notes; rāgam—melody; saṅgitam—sung; ca—and; sa-tālakam—with rhythm; puṣpaiḥ—with flowers; deveṣu—as the demigods; varṣatsu—showered; tāṇḍave—in the agressive dancing; naṭa-rāja-vat—like the king of dancers (Lord Śiva); vādayan—sounding; sa—He; mudā—happily; vīṇā-vinas; anakadundubhi—drums; veṇukān—and flutes. When the snake's heads were down, handsome Kṛṣṇa climbed on its hundred jewel-decorated hoods. Singing melodies in the seven-note scale and playing the flute, drum, and vīṇā, as the demigods showered flowers, Kṛṣṇa furiously danced, as does Lord Śiva, the king of dancers.

nanarta naṭavat kṛṣṇo naṭa-veṣo manoharaḥ gāyan sapta-svarai rāgaṁ saṅgitaṁ ca sa-tālakam puṣpair deveṣu varṣatsu tāṇḍave naṭa-rāja-vat vādayan sa mudā vīṇā- nakadundubhi-veṇukān natam—bowed down; kṛtvā—masking; anana-śatam—hundred heads; sthitaḥ—situated; abhūt—became; kṛṣṇa-sammukhe—in Kṛṣṇa's presence; āruhya—climbing; tat-phaṇi-śatam—on the hundred hoods; maṇi-vṛnda-manoharam—beautiful with many jewels; nanarta—danced; naṭavat—like a dancer; kṛṣṇaḥ—Kṛṣṇa; naṭa-veṣaḥ—appearing like a dancer; manoharaḥ—handsome; gāyan—singing; sapta-svarai—with the seven notes; rāgam—melody; saṅgitam—sung; ca—and; sa-tālakam—with rhythm; puṣpaiḥ—with flowers; deveṣu—as the demigods; varṣatsu—showered; tāṇḍave—in the agressive dancing; naṭa-rāja-vat—like the king of dancers (Lord Śiva); vādayan—sounding; sa—He; mudā—happily; vīṇā-vinas; anakadundubhi—drums; veṇukān—and flutes. When the snake's heads were down, handsome Kṛṣṇa climbed on its hundred jewel-decorated hoods. Singing melodies in the seven-note scale and playing the flute, drum, and vīṇā, as the demigods showered flowers, Kṛṣṇa furiously danced, as does Lord Śiva, the king of dancers.

nanarta naṭavat kṛṣṇo naṭa-veṣo manoharaḥ gāyan sapta-svarai rāgaṁ saṅgitaṁ ca sa-tālakam puṣpair deveṣu varṣatsu tāṇḍave naṭa-rāja-vat vādayan sa mudā vīṇā- nakadundubhi-veṇukān natam—bowed down; kṛtvā—masking; anana-śatam—hundred heads; sthitaḥ—situated; abhūt—became; kṛṣṇa-sammukhe—in Kṛṣṇa's presence; āruhya—climbing; tat-phaṇi-śatam—on the hundred hoods; maṇi-vṛnda-manoharam—beautiful with many jewels; nanarta—danced; naṭavat—like a dancer; kṛṣṇaḥ—Kṛṣṇa; naṭa-veṣaḥ—appearing like a dancer; manoharaḥ—handsome; gāyan—singing; sapta-svarai—with the seven notes; rāgam—melody; saṅgitam—sung; ca—and; sa-tālakam—with rhythm; puṣpaiḥ—with flowers; deveṣu—as the demigods; varṣatsu—showered; tāṇḍave—in the agressive dancing; naṭa-rāja-vat—like the king of dancers (Lord Śiva); vādayan—sounding; sa—He; mudā—happily; vīṇā-vinas; anakadundubhi—drums; veṇukān—and flutes. When the snake's heads were down, handsome Kṛṣṇa climbed on its hundred jewel-decorated hoods. Singing melodies in the seven-note scale and playing the flute, drum, and vīṇā, as the demigods showered flowers, Kṛṣṇa furiously danced, as does Lord Śiva, the king of dancers.

With rhythmic dance-steps, Kṛṣṇa broke the many splendid hoods of the great saint that was the hissing snake Kāliya.

Terrified, the snake's wives came. Bowing to Kṛṣṇa's feet, with words choked with emotion, they spoke to the Lord.

The snake's wives said: Obeisances to You, Śrī Kṛṣṇacandra, the master of Goloka! Obeisances to You, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of numberless universes!

Obeisances to You, the master of Rādhā, the master of Vraja! Obeisances to You, the son of Nanda, the joy of Yaśodā!

Save, Save this snake, O Supreme Lord! In the three worlds there is no shelter but You! You are Lord Hari, who is greater than the greatest. As You enjoy Your pastimes You appear in many forms.

Śrī Nārada said: When the snake's wives offered these prayers, Kṛṣṇa, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, made Kāliya completely prideless.

When Kāliya bowed down and said, "Please save me!" Lord Kṛṣṇa, the savior from miseries, spoke to him.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: With Your wives and relatives go the Ramaṇaka-dvīpa. From today on Garuḍa will not eat you, because you are marked with My footprints.

Śrī Nārada said: After worshiping, circumambulating, and bowing down before Lord Kṛṣṇa, the snake, with its wives and children, went to Ramaṇaka-dvīpa.

Hearing that Kṛṣṇa was captured by Kāliya, Nanda Mahārāja and all the cowherd people came there.

Seeing Kṛṣṇa emerge from the water, the people rejoiced. As he embraced his son, Nanda attained the highest bliss.

When Yaśodā attained her son, milk flowed from her breasts. For her son's welfare she gave charity to the brāhmaṇas.

Then the exhausted gopas and gopīs napped by the Yamunā's shore.

Born from the natural fricton of the bamboos, a forest fire like the great fire at the end of creation came in the middle of the night to consume the gopas.

Overcome with fear, the gopas took shelter of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. Bowing down and folding their hands, they spoke to Him.

The gopas said: Kṛṣṇa! Kṛṣṇa! O mighty-armed one! O Lord affectionate to the surrendered souls who take shelter of You! Save us! Save us, Your own people, from this terrible forest-fire!

Saying, "Don't be afraid! Just close your eyes", Lord Kṛṣṇa, the king of the kings of yoga, drank up the forest fire.

Then, early in the morning, with the cows and the astonished gopas, Kṛṣṇa went to the pastures of Vraja. .pa