Krsna Book Audio Dictation - Chapter 16
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Sixteenth Chapter: "Curbing down the Kāliya."
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Lord Kṛṣṇa, when He understood that the water of the Yamunā was being polluted by the black snake Kāliya, He took action against him and made him get out of the water and go elsewhere, and thus the whole water became again purified.
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When this story was being narrated by Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the king became more enthused to hear about Lord Kṛṣṇa in His childhood pastimes, and he inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī how Kṛṣṇa chastised the black snake Kāliya, who was living in the water for many years. Actually, Mahārāja Parīkṣit was feeling more and more enthused by hearing the transcendental pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, and his inquiry was very interesting.
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Śukadeva Gosvāmī narrated the story as follows, that "Within the river Yamunā there was a great lake, and in that lake the black snake Kāliya used to live, and the whole water was so poisonous that it was emanating a poisonous heat twenty-four hours, so much so that even a bird happened to pass over the spot, he would immediately die and fall down on the water.
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“On account of the poisonous effect of the water, the particles of water carried by air, the trees and grass near the bank of the Yamunā, they would all dry up. Lord Kṛṣṇa saw the great poisonous effect of the lake within the water of Yamunā, and when He saw that the whole water of Yamunā in front of Vṛndāvana was becoming poisonous, Kṛṣṇa, who advented Himself just to kill all undesirable elements from the world, He immediately got up on a big tree on the bank of the Yamunā.” This tree was kadamba tree. Kadamba is a round yellow flower. Generally they are seen in Vṛndāvana area only. “And after rising on the top of the tree, He tightly fitted His belt cloth and, just flapping His arms just like a wrestler, immediately fell down in the midst of the lake, so much poisonously affected. The kadamba tree on the bank of the Yamunā on which Kṛṣṇa got up was the only tree which was not dead.”
The explanation of this living condition of that tree is given by commentators that on account of touching of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, the tree became immediately alive. But in some other Purāṇas it is stated that Garuḍa, the eternal carrier of Viṣṇu, knew it that Kṛṣṇa would take this action in future, so he put some nectar on this tree and it was alive. When Lord Kṛṣṇa jumped over the water, falling down from the tree, immediately the water became so much inflated that it overflooded the bank up to hundred yards all round, appearing as if something very heavy has fallen on the water. But this is not at all astonishing, because the exhibition of Kṛṣṇa's strength like that is not at all uncommon because He is the reservoir of all strength.
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When Kṛṣṇa was swimming over the water, just like a great strong elephant, there was a tumultuous sound which the great black snake Kāliya could hear. The sight became intolerable for him when he heard the great tumultuous sound by his eyes. He could understand that this was an attempt to attack his home. Therefore, he immediately came before Kṛṣṇa. Kāliya snake saw Kṛṣṇa as worth seeing because His body was so beautiful and delicate, resembling the color of the cloud, decorated with Śrīvatsa jewel and yellow garment, a smiling beautiful face, playing on the river Yamunā with great strength, and the legs resembling just like lotus flower. But in spite of Kṛṣṇa's being present in such beautiful feature, he was feeling within his heart great anger, and thus he covered Kṛṣṇa with his great hoods.
When Kṛṣṇa was thus enwrapped by the hoods of the snake, His very affectionate cowherds boys and the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana saw the incredible activities. All of them immediately became stunted out of fear. The inhabitants of Vraja, the cowherds boys and the cowherds men, had dedicated everything for Kṛṣṇa. Their life, property, affection, activities, everything was for Kṛṣṇa, and when they saw Kṛṣṇa in that condition, they were too much overwhelmed with fear and fell down on the ground. All the cows, bulls and small calves, all of them became so much overwhelmed with grief that they began to look over Him with great anxiety. And out of fear they could only cry in agony and stood erect on the bank, without being able to help their beloved Kṛṣṇa.
When this scene was happening on the bank of the Yamunā, immediately there are other symptoms of inauspicity, like there was a trembling of the earth, and falling down meteors from the sky, and shivering of the left body. All these signs are indication of appearance of great danger immediately. By observing all these inauspicious symptoms, cowherds men like Mahārāja Nanda and others became too much anxious out of fear. At the same time, they were informed that on that day Kṛṣṇa had gone to the pasturing ground without being accompanied by His elder brother, Balarāma. As soon as Nanda and Yaśodā and other cowherds men heard this, they become still more anxious.
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Out of their great affection for Kṛṣṇa and without knowing the extent of Kṛṣṇa's potencies, they became overwhelmed with grief and anxiety because they had nothing dearer than Kṛṣṇa and because they dedicated their everything—life, property, affection, mind and activities—everything on Kṛṣṇa. On account of their great attachment for Kṛṣṇa, immediately they thought that "Today Kṛṣṇa is surely going to be vanquished!"
All the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana immediately came out of their village to see Kṛṣṇa, and the whole assembly consisted of persons beginning from the child up to the oldest men in the village, the women, the animals and all living entities, because they knew that Kṛṣṇa was only the means of their subsistence. When such things were happening, Balarāma, who is the master of all knowledge, was standing there simply smiling because He knew how much His younger brother Kṛṣṇa was powerful, exactly there was no cause of anxiety when Kṛṣṇa was fighting with an ordinary serpent of this material world. He did not, therefore, personally take any part in that show of aggrievement. All the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, thus being disturbed in their mind, began to search out Kṛṣṇa by following the impression of His footprints on the ground of Vṛndāvana, and all of them began to move towards the bank of Yamunā. All of them were very hastily proceeding towards the bank of Yamunā by observing the footprints of Kṛṣṇa marked with a flag, a bow and conchshell.
After arriving on the bank of the Yamunā, when the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana saw that all the cows and the cowherds boys were crying seeing Kṛṣṇa enwrapped by the hoods of the black snake, they became still more overwhelmed with grief. As Balarāma was smiling and seeing the fun of the lamentation of all the inhabitants of Vrajabhāsī, the Vrajabhāsī, or the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they became merged into the ocean of aggrievement because they thought, “Kṛṣṇa is now finished.” Special significance of the mentality of...
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Tape number nineteen, Kṛṣṇa. July 22nd, 1969.
Special significance of the residents of Vṛndāvana is that they do not know much about Kṛṣṇa, but their love for Kṛṣṇa has no comparison. As soon as they saw that Kṛṣṇa is in the river Yamunā enwrapped by the black snake Kāliya, and all cowherds boys and the cows, everyone was lamenting, they simply began to think of Kṛṣṇa's friendship, Kṛṣṇa's smiling face, Kṛṣṇa's sweet words, Kṛṣṇa's dealings with them. They began to think of all these things. And when they thought that their Kṛṣṇa is now within the clutches of the Kāliya snake, they immediately perceived that the three world has become vacant. Lord Caitanya taught us this feeling of separation. He said that He was seeing the three worlds as vacant for want of Kṛṣṇa. This is the highest stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So Vrajabhāsī, the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, almost all of them had this highest ecstasy, love for Kṛṣṇa.
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When mother Yaśodā came there, she wanted to enter the river Yamunā, where Kṛṣṇa was there. But she being checked, immediately she become unconscious. Her other friends, who were also equally aggrieved, they were shedding tears like torrents of rain or waves of the river, but in order to bring mother Yaśodā to consciousness, they began to speak loudly about the transcendental pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. Mother Yaśodā remained there just like a dead body on account of her whole consciousness being concentrated on the face of Kṛṣṇa, whereas Nanda and all others who dedicated everything, including their life, to Kṛṣṇa when they were ready to enter into the water of Yamunā. Previously Lord Balarāma checked them not to do so, because He was in perfect knowledge that there was no danger for Kṛṣṇa.
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For two hours continually Kṛṣṇa remained in that wrapped-up condition by the hoods of the snake, but when He saw that all the inhabitants of Gokula—including His mother, father, the gopīs, the boys and the cows—everyone was just on the point of death, and seeing them in that condition and considering that they had no other shelter for being saved from that imminent danger of death, Kṛṣṇa, after remaining in that way just like an ordinary child, He immediately came out of the entrapment of the snake. He began to expand His body, and the snake, although tried to hold Him, it was a great strain on the nerves of the snake. On account of such great strain, his nerves became slackened, and therefore he had no other alternative than to let loose the Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, from his hold, and being unable to keep Him in that condition, he became very much angry. And keeping his hoods standing, he was breathing out poisonous air from his nostrils, eyes became just like fire, and flames were coming out from the mouth.
The black snake Kāliya thus began to look upon Kṛṣṇa, remained stand still for some time. The snake was licking two sides of his lips with bifurcated tongues and was looking on Kṛṣṇa with double hoods, looking with eyesight full of poison. Kṛṣṇa immediately splashed upon him, just like the Garuḍa bird pounces upon the snake, and the snake being thus attacked, was looking out for the opportunity to bite Him while Kṛṣṇa was moving around him. In this way, while Kṛṣṇa and the snake both were moving in curve, the snake gradually became fatigued, and his strength appeared to be reduced to a considerable measure, and taking this opportunity, Kṛṣṇa immediately pressed down the hoods of the snake and got up on it. The Lord is the original Personality of Godhead, and His lotus feet became tinged with red color on account of the rays of the jewels on the hoods of the snake. Then, because He is the original artist of all fine arts like dancing, He began to dance upon the hoods of the snake, although it was too much unsettled and moving.
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Taking this opportunity of the Lord's dancing over the hood of the black snake Kāliya, denizens from upper planets began to shower flowers on the Lord and began to beat their drums and different types of pipe flutes, singing different types of prayer songs. In this way, all the denizens like Gandharva, the Siddhas, the demigods became very much pleased.
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While Kṛṣṇa was dancing on the hood of the snake, he was trying to push down Kṛṣṇa by other hoods because he had about hundred hoods, and while Kṛṣṇa was dancing in some of them, he was trying to drag Him by other hoods; and Kṛṣṇa also immediately took control of such hoods and began to dash him with His lotus feet, as strong as the snake could bear. In this way, gradually the snake become reduced in his life struggle and he was vomiting all kinds of dirty things from his mouth, with fire emanating from them. In this way the snake, while vomiting all kinds of poisonous material from within, he became reduced in his sinful situation. The snake, out of great anger, began to struggle for existence, and as he wanted to raise all of his hoods from the kicking of the Lord, the Lord also immediately captured that hood and at once subdued such hood by His kicking and dancing, and the play appeared as if the Supreme Personality of Godhead Viṣṇu is being worshiped by different kinds of flowers. The tongues emanating from the mouth of the snake appeared to be like flowers.
In this way, when the snake began to vomit blood instead of poison and became too much fatigued, and the whole body appeared to be broken by the dashing kick of the Lord, at that time he could understand that Kṛṣṇa was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and within his mind he began to surrender unto Him. He could realize that Kṛṣṇa was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of everything.
The wives of the snake, known as Nāgapatnī, when they saw that their husband was being too much pressed by the kicking process of the Lord, within whose womb the whole universe remains, therefore the snake was almost being killed by the heavy burden strength exhibited by Kṛṣṇa, they immediately hastily prepared to worship the Lord, although in their hastiness their dress, their bunch of hair and their ornaments became loosened. They also surrendered unto the Supreme Lord and began to pray. They immediately appeared before the Lord with their offspring put forward, and all of them offered respectful obeisances to the Lord with great anxious mind and falling down on the bank of the Yamunā. The Nāgapatnīs knew it that Kṛṣṇa is the shelter of all surrendered souls, and as such they desired to release their husband from the impending danger by pleasing the Lord with their prayers.
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The Nāgapatnīs began to offer their prayers as follows: "My dear Lord, You are equal to everyone. You have no distinction between Your sons or friends or enemies. Therefore the punishment which You have so kindly offered to this snake is exactly befitting." The Nāgapatnī first of all wanted to confirm the punishment offered by Kṛṣṇa to the snake and then continued to say, "My dear Lord, You have descended especially for the purpose of annihilating all kinds of disturbing elements within the world, and because You are Absolute Truth, there is also no difference between Your mercy and punishment. We think therefore that Your this apparent punishment to the snake is meant for giving him some benediction. We consider therefore that Your punishment to us is a great mercy upon us, because while You punish somebody it is to be understood that the reaction of his sinful activities are reduced to nil.
“It is already clear that this living creature appearing in the body of a snake must have been overburdened with all kinds of sins; otherwise, how he could have this body of a snake? Therefore Your punishment, or dancing on the hood of the snake, means that he is being reduced of his sinful resultant action from this body of snake. It is therefore very much agreeable that You have become angry and prepared to punish..., punish him in this way. We are therefore very much astonished as to how You have become so much pleased on this snake on account of his performing various religious activities in his past life, so that everyone was pleased by his activities and he underwent all kinds of penance and austerities most humbly, and giving honor to all others, and thus executed universal welfare activities for all the living creatures."
In other words, the Nāgapatnīs confirm it that nobody can come in contact with Kṛṣṇa without having attained pious activities in a previous life in devotional service, as Lord Caitanya advised in His Śikṣāṣṭaka that one has to execute devotional service by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra in a humble position, lower than the straw in the street, without expecting honor for himself but offering all kinds of honor to others. So the Nāgapatnīs (wives of the snake) were astonished that one side he has got the body of a snake, which is the result of grievous sinful activities, but at the same time they saw that he had come in contact with the Lord; and not only in contact, the Lord was touching His lotus feet on the hood of the snake. So certainly it was not ordinary result of pious activities. So these two contradictory things made them very much astonished.
They continued to pray: "My dear Lord, we are simply astonished to see that by which influence he is so much fortunate to have the dust of Your lotus feet on your (his) head, because the dust of Your lotus feet is sought after by great saintly person, and even the goddess of fortune also underwent severe austerities just to have the blessings of the dust of Your feet. And how this snake is so easily getting this dust of Your lotus feet on his head? We have heard it from authoritative sources that those who are blessed with the dust of Your lotus feet, they do not care even for the highest post within the universe, namely the post of Lord Brahmā, or to become the king of heavenly planets or to desire for becoming the supreme person on this planet; neither such person desire to lord it over the planets down this earth or over the planets known as Siddhaloka, neither they aspire for the mystic power achieved by the yoga process.
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“Such pure devotees, what to speak of aspiring after such material opulences, they do not aspire even for liberation by becoming one with You. My dear Lord, therefore we consider that this snake has achieved something which is very, very rare for others, although he is born in a species of life which is caused by the most abominable modes of material nature, accompanied with the quality of anger, although he is the king of the snakes. Living entities who are wandering within this universe and getting different species of life can very easily achieve the greatest benediction by Your mercy."
It is also confirmed in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta that the living entities are wandering within the universe in various species of life, but by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and by the mercy of spiritual master, one can get the seed of devotional service, and thus his path of liberation becomes open.
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"We therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto You, my dear Lord, because You are the Supreme Person. You are living as the Supersoul within every living entities, and although You are transcendental of the cosmic manifestation, still everything is resting unto You. My dear Lord, You are the personified, indefatigable eternal time. The entire time force is existing on You. You are therefore seer of the embodiment of the entire time in the shape of past, present, future. You are month, day, hours, moments—everything. In other words...
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"My dear Lord, You are the personified indefatigable eternal time. The entire time force is existing on You. You are therefore seer of the embodiment of the entire time in the shape of past, present, future. You are month, day, hours, moments—everything. In other words, my Lord, You can see perfectly all the activities happening in every moment, in every hour, every day, every month, every year, past, present and future. You are Yourself the universal form, and still, You are different from this universe. In other words, You are simultaneously one and different from the universe. We therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto You.
“You are Yourself the whole universe, You are Yourself the creator of the whole universe. You are the whole superintendent and maintainer of this whole universe, and You are the original cause of this universe. Although You are present within this universe by Your three qualitative incarnation of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara, still, You are transcendental to this material creation. Although You are the cause of the appearance of all kinds of living entity, their senses, their lives, their minds, their intelligence, still You are to be realized by Your internal energy.
“Let us offer therefore our respectful obeisances unto You, who is unlimited, who is the finer than the finest, and who is the center of all creation and knower of everything. Although You are tried to be understood by different varieties of philosophical speculation, You are the ultimate goal of all philosophical reach. Actually, You are described by all kinds of philosophical vocabulary by different kinds of doctrines. Let us offer our respectful obeisances unto You, because You are the origin of all scripture and source of knowledge. You are the root of all evidences, and You are the Supreme Person who can bestow upon us the supreme knowledge. You are the cause of the beginning of all kinds of desires, and You are the cause of beginning of all kinds of satisfaction. You are personified Vedas; therefore we offer You our respectful obeisances.
"My dear Lord, You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, and You are also the supreme enjoyer now appeared as the son of Vasudeva, who is manifestation of the pure state of goodness. You are the predominating Deity of mind and intelligence, known as Pradyumna and Aniruddha, and You are the Lord of all Vaiṣṇavas. By Your expansion as caturvyūha—namely Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha and Pradyumna—You are the cause of developing mind, intelligence. By Your activities only, the living entities become covered by forgetfulness as well as become discovered of his real identity. This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (Fifteenth Chapter), that the Lord is sitting as the Supersoul in everyone's heart, and due to His presence a living entity is forgetting himself or reviving his original identity.
“We can partially understand that You are the witness within our heart of all our activities, but it is very difficult to appreciate Your presence, for every one of us can to some extent appreciate Your presence. You are the supreme controller of both the material and spiritual energies. Therefore, You are the supreme leader. Although You are different from this cosmic manifestation, You are the witness and creator and the ingredient of this cosmic manifestation. We therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto You.
“My dear Lord, in the matter of creating this cosmic manifestation, personally You have nothing to exert. But still, by expending Your different kinds of energy—namely the modes of goodness, the modes of passion and modes of ignorance—You can create, maintain and annihilate this cosmic manifestation. The controller of the entire time force, You can, simply glancing over the material energy, create this universe and energize the different force of material nature acting differently in different living creature. Nobody therefore can estimate how Your activities are going on within this world.
“My dear Lord, although You Yourself have expanded Yourself in three principal deities of this universe, namely Lord Brahmā, Lord Viṣṇu and Lord Śiva, for creation, maintenance and destruction, but still Your appearance as Lord Viṣṇu is for the (indistinct) benediction of the living creature. Therefore those who are actually peaceful and aspiring after the Supreme's peace, for them worship of Your peaceful appearance, Lord Viṣṇu, is recommended.
“My dear Lord, therefore we are submitting our prayers unto You. You can very much appreciate that this poor snake is going to give up his life in this way, and also You know that we women, our life and everything is our husband. Therefore we are praying unto You that You may kindly excuse this snake, our husband, because if this snake dies, then we shall be in great difficulty. So looking upon us only, You may excuse this great offender.
“My dear Lord, every living creature is Your offspring and You maintain them. Therefore this snake is also Your offspring, and once You can excuse him, although he is offender. As his foolishness has offended You undoubtedly, without knowing Your supremacy, therefore we are praying that he may be excused for this time. My dear Lord, we are offering our loving service unto You because we are all eternal servitors of Your Lordship. Now you can order and ask us to do anything, whatever You please. Every living entity can be relieved from all kinds of despair if he agrees to abide by Your order."
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Thus on the submission of the prayers of the Nāgapatnīs, Lord Kṛṣṇa released the Kāliya snake from his punishment as he was already unconscious on account of being hardly stricken by the beating process of the Lord. The Kāliya snake also, after getting consciousness and being relieved from the punishment, got back his life force and working power of the senses. Just becoming very humble, with folded hands, began to pray to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa: "My dear Lord, from the very beginning of our life we are born in such a species of life that by nature we are too angry, envious, on account of being in the darkest regions of the modes of ignorance. Your Lordship knows it very well that it is very difficult to give up one's natural instincts, although by such natural instincts the living creature transmigrates from one body to another." This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, that it is very difficult to give up the clutches of material nature, but if anyone surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, the modes of material nature no more act on them.
"My dear Lord, You are therefore the original creator of all kinds of modes of material nature. You are the cause the modes of material nature by which the universe is created. You are the cause of different kinds of mentality of the living creature by which they have obtained different varieties of bodies. As such, my dear Lord, we are born as a snake. By natural instinct we are very angry; then how it is possible to give up our acquired nature without Your mercy? It is very difficult to get out of the clutches of Your māyā, and by Your māyā we remain enslaved by her influence. My dear Lord, therefore You kindly excuse me for my inevitable material tendencies. I am surrendering unto You; now You can punish me or save me, as You desire."
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After hearing this, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who was acting as if a small human child, ordered the snake as follows: "You, Kāliya, you immediately leave this place, go to the ocean. Leave this place without any delay, and you can take with you all your offspring, wives and everything that you possess. Don't pollute this water of Yamunā. Let it be drunk by My cows and My cowherds boys without any hindrance." The Lord then declared that the order given to the Kāliya snake may be recited and heard by everyone so that he will not have any fear from the envious activities of the snakes. Anyone hearing the narration of this Kāliya snake and his punishment will have no more any fear from the envious activities of the snakes.
The Lord also declared that "Anyone who takes a bath in this Kāliya lake where we, namely Myself and My cowherds boyfriends, have taken bath, and if anyone offers oblation to the forefather by the water of this lake after having done a fasting for a day, such persons would be relieved from all kinds of sinful reaction." The Lord also assured the Kāliya snake that "You came here out of the fear of Garuḍa, who wanted to eat you in the beautiful land in the ocean. Now, since I have touched your head with My lotus feet, the Garuḍa will not any more disturb you, by seeing the mark on your head of My lotus feet."
The Lord Kṛṣṇa was pleased upon the snake and his wife. Immediately after hearing His order, they began to worship the Lord with great offerings like nice garments, flower garlands, jewels, ornaments, sandal pulp, lotus flower, nice eatable fruits and flowers. In this way they pleased the master of Garuḍa, from whom they were very much afraid. So in this way, taking order from Lord Kṛṣṇa, all of them left the lake within the Yamunā.
Kṛṣṇa, tape number twenty. Kṛṣṇa, tape number twenty. July 29, 1969.