Srimad Bhagavatam – day 673
Krishna dances on the hoods of serpent Kaliya
“Seeing Krishna in the grip of the serpent Kaliya, Yashoda rushed towards the Kalindi pond seeking to enter into it. All the Gopikas collectively held her back”.
The huge serpent that was located in that pond had encircled Him completely in its grip. Everyone presumed that it was about to swallow Krishna and they felt desolate without Him. Yashoda, who could not live without her dearest son Krishna, decided to enter the pond but the Gopikas prevented her.
“Along with Yashoda, all the Gopikas were grieving. They began to recount the glories of Srikrishna”.
What are these unfathomable activities of Krishna? Last year He killed one demon. Before that another demon met His end in Krishna’s hands. They were recollecting all His past extra-ordinary miracles and convincing themselves that He would return from the snake’s grip. They were weeping inconsolably and yet trying to console themselves.
“The Gopikas fixed their gaze purely upon Srikrishna and remained like lifeless statues. Even to Nanda and other cowherds of Brindavan, Srikrishna was their life and breath. Hence they too sought to enter into the pond. At that juncture, Balarama who knew the greatness of Srikrishna, stopped them from entering into it.
Balarama believed that the Supreme Lord Srihari was enacting like a human having taken on a human form as Srikrishna. He knew that the Lord was pretending to be caught in the serpent coil and feigning helplessness in freeing himself from it. He thus considered it to be yet another sport of the Lord.
Srikrishna, the Supreme Lord, realized that the inhabitants of Gokula looked up only to Him for protection and support. He realized that all the women-folk of Brindavan, including the children and aged were grieving seeking His well-being”.
Krishna thought, ‘these people have sought shelter solely under me. They won’t survive without me’. Even Balarama thought in similar lines.
“Having spent some moments in the serpent’s grip, Krishna slowly began to extricate Himself. He began to expand His body. Seeing His efforts to free himself, the cowherds and their women-folk were filled with hope and joy. Krishna was clearly visible to them now!
As Krishna expanded His size, then due to pressure on its hood, serpent Kaliya experienced excruciating pain in its hood. It began to emit poison from its nostrils and fiery flames from its mouth. Its reddened eyes began burning like embers. In anger it raised his hood and while hissing loudly, it released Srikrishna from its grip and began to stare at Him. It was licking the corners of its mouth with its forked tongue. With burning eyes which appeared as if they were spitting fire, it appeared fearsome”.
Before a snake attacks, it licks the corners of its mouth thereby signalling its move.
“Like the eagle Garuda, the king of birds, Krishna playfully swam all around the snake”.
He would hold its tail, then jump on its hood, and then swim far away.
“The snake tried to find every opportunity to bite the boy nevertheless it was failing repeatedly. He was swimming all across the pond while the snake was chasing Him unrelentingly. Due to continuous swimming, the snake began to lose strength. Srikrishna is the primordial cause for the existence of this universe and is the teacher for every form of art. He bent the hoods of that serpent, which continued to remain at a height, leapt upon them and began to dance”.
The serpent could no longer bite Him who was now positioned upon its hood.
“Due to contact with the many precious gems on the serpent’s hood, His lotus feet began to illumine in reddish colour!
His devotees, the celestials known Cāraṇās, were witnessing this dance from heaven. In great elation they immediately began to blow trumpets, kettle-drums, drums and other auspicious musical instruments. Gandharvas sang melodiously while celestial maidens (apsaras) danced joyfully. Siddhas rained flowers upon Him and presented him with gifts. Devatas sang hymns in his praise.
Srikrishna, the punisher of the wicked, who was dancing upon the 101 hoods of serpent Kaliya, noticed those hoods that still remained uplifted. He punished the serpent by crushing with His feet those hoods which remained upright”.
He stamped with his foot all those hoods which did not bend.
“He was moving from one hood to another as He danced. With this, the snake was drained of all its energy”.
By chasing Him endlessly as He swam through the pond, the snake was already exhausted. Now as He stamped its hood and danced on them, continually it was totally rendered weak. On each hood of the serpent there were glittering gems. As Krishna danced on those hoods, the reflection of those gems caused His lotus feet to illumine. In the process of dancing, He ensured that all the hoods of the snake were bent.
“The snake, which was totally drained of energy, began to vomit blood mixed with poison from its mouth and nostrils even as it swam through the lake. It then fell unconscious. From its eyes it still continued to throw out poison while hissing in uncontrollable anger”.
It was now undergoing excruciating pain and did not know how to save itself from this torture. The Lord was stamping all its hoods one after another.
Krishna Krishna