rule



 

 
Canto 10

Arunodaya-kîrt./Jiv Jâgo

 



Chapter 17: The History of Kâliya and Krishna Swallows a Forest Fire

(1) The king said: 'Why did Kâliya give up Ramanaka, the abode of the serpents, and what caused the enmity of Garuda especially towards him?'

(2-3) S'rî S'uka said: 'The snake people of sacrifice here [in Nâgâlaya] were in the past urged to pay tribute to the serpents every month at the base of a tree, oh mighty-armed one. In order to secure their protection the serpents themselves every new moon each presented his portion to Garuda, the great power over them. (4) Kâliya, the son of Kadru, conceited under the influence of his venom and strength, in defiance of Garuda ate that offering himself. (5) Hearing about it, oh King, that mighty and beloved devotee of the Supreme Lord with great speed rushed forward to kill Kâliya. (6) Garuda, swiftly attacking, fell upon him who, armed with poison and full size raised with his many hoods, looked most fearsome with his tongues and terrible eyes. The snake then bit him with the help of his weapons, the fangs. (7) The carrier of Madhusûdana, the son of Târkshya [see 6.6: 21-22] with his formidable prowess full of anger swiftly moving, warded off Kâliya, the son of Kadru, and struck him with his left wing that glowed like gold. (8) Beaten by Garuda's wing Kâliya utterly distraught entered a lake of the Kâlindî where it was difficult for Garuda to go.

(9) Saubhari Muni [meditating under water] once had denied Garuda the right to desire any of its water creatures, his normal sustenance [see 9.6], but because he was hungry he resisted him and seized one. (10) Seeing the fish living there in a state of misery, most unhappy because the king of the fish had been killed [by Garuda], Saubhari, in order to set things right, out of compassion for the sake of their welfare said: (11) 'I swear, if Garuda enters this lake to eat fish, he will immediately lose his life!' (12) Kâliya was the only one who knew this, no other serpent, and therefore hiding in fear of Garuda he dwelled there, the very place from where he was expelled by Krishna.

(13-14) The moment the cowherds saw Lord Krishna rising up from the lake, divinely clad with a garland and being scented, covered by many fine jewels and decorated with gold, they all revived full of joy, like the senses do [after one wakes up]. They embraced Him affectionately. (15) When Yas'odâ, Rohinî and Nanda, the gopîs and the gopas, oh son of Kuru, rejoined with Krishna, they regained all their functions, and that even happened with the dried up trees. (16) Râma and Acyuta, the Infallible One, embraced each other laughing, well aware of Their potency. Out of love Balarâma raised Him on His lap and admired Him from all sides. Thus They, together with the cows, the bulls and she-calves, experienced the highest pleasure. (17) The learned and respectable personalities along with their wives all came to Nanda and said: 'Your son having been seized by Kâliya, has now by divine ordinance been freed. (18) For the sake of Krishna's safety, please make donations to the brahmins', and Nanda, happy minded, oh King, gave them cows and gold. (19) The chaste Yas'odâ, who had lost and retrieved her son, the One of Great Fortune, raised Him on her lap and hugged Him.

(20) That night, oh best of the kings, the cows and the people of Vraja remained there at the shore of the Kâlindî, for they were weakened because of thirst, hunger and fatigue. (21) Then, because of the summer heat, in the middle of the night from all sides a forest fire arose that closed in the sleeping Vrajasis and began to scorch them. (22) The people of Vraja thereupon woke up. In distress because they would burn, they turned to Krishna for shelter, He the Master, who by the power of His spiritual potency had appeared like a human being [compare 10.8: 16]. (23) 'Krishna, Krishna, oh Greatest of Fortune! Oh Râma of Unlimited Power, this most terrible fire is about to devour us who belong to You! (24) Please protect us, Your people, Your friends, against this insurmountable [deadly] fire of Time. Oh Master, we at Your benevolent, blessed feet which drive away all fear, are incapable [to escape from here]!' (25) The Lord of the Universe, the Unlimited One who possesses endless potencies, seeing His people that desperate, thereupon swallowed that terrible fire.'

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 Third revised edition, loaded July 30, 2020.

 

 

 

 

 

Previous Aadhar edition and Vedabase links:

Text 1

The king said: 'Why did Kâliya give up Ramanaka, the abode of the serpents, and what caused the enmity of Garuda especially towards him?'
The king said: 'Why did Kâliya give up Ramanaka, the abode of the serpents, and what caused the enmity of Garuda towards him alone?' (Vedabase)

 

Text 2-3

S'rî S'uka said: 'The snake people of sacrifice here [in Nâgâlaya] were in the past urged to pay tribute to the serpents every month at the base of a tree, oh mighty-armed one. In order to secure their protection the serpents themselves every new moon each presented his portion to Garuda, the great power over them.

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. (Vedabase)

     

Text 4

Kâliya, the son of Kadru, conceited under the influence of his venom and strength, in defiance of Garuda ate that offering himself.

Conceited under the influence of his venom and strength ate Kâliya, the son of Kadru, in defiance of Garuda that offering himself. (Vedabase)

 

Text 5

Hearing about it, oh King, that mighty and beloved devotee of the Supreme Lord with great speed rushed forward to kill Kâliya.

Hearing about it, o King rushed that great master and devotee of the Supreme Lord with great speed forward to kill Kâliya. (Vedabase)

 

Text 6

Garuda, swiftly attacking, fell upon him who, armed with poison and full size raised with his many hoods, looked most fearsome with his tongues and terrible eyes. The snake then bit him with the help of his weapons, the fangs.

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. (Vedabase)

   

Text 7

The carrier of Madhusûdana, the son of Târkshya [see 6.6: 21-22] with his formidable prowess full of anger swiftly moving, warded off Kâliya, the son of Kadru, and struck him with his left wing that glowed like gold.

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. (Vedabase)

 

Text 8

Beaten by Garuda's wing Kâliya utterly distraught entered a lake of the Kâlindî where it was difficult for Garuda to go.

Beaten by Garuda's wing entered Kâliya utterly distraught a hard to reach lake of the Kâlindîwhere Garuda wouldn't go. (Vedabase)

  

Text 9

Saubhari Muni [meditating under water] once had denied Garuda the right to desire any of its water creatures, his normal sustenance [see 9.6], but because he was hungry he resisted him and seized one.

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. (Vedabase)

 

Text 10

Seeing the fish living there in a state of misery, most unhappy because the king of the fish had been killed [by Garuda], Saubhari, in order to set things right, out of compassion for the sake of their welfare said:

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: (Vedabase)

 

Text 11

'I swear, if Garuda enters this lake to eat fish, he will immediately lose his life!'

'If Garuda ever enters this lake to eat the fish will he immediately lose his life; so be it as I speak!' (Vedabase)

   

Text 12

Kâliya was the only one who knew this, no other serpent, and therefore hiding in fear of Garuda he dwelled there, the very place from where he was expelled by Krishna.

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. (Vedabase)

 

Text 13-14

The moment the cowherds saw Lord Krishna rising up from the lake, divinely clad with a garland and being scented, covered by many fine jewels and decorated with gold, they all revived full of joy, like the senses do [after one wakes up]. They embraced Him affectionately.

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. (Vedabase)

 

Text 15

When Yas'odâ, Rohinî and Nanda, the gopîs and the gopas, oh son of Kuru, rejoined with Krishna, they regained all their functions, and that even happened with the dried up trees.

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. (Vedabase)

 

Text 16

Râma and Acyuta, the Infallible One, embraced each other laughing, well aware of Their potency. Out of love Balarâma raised Him on His lap and admired Him from all sides. Thus They, together with the cows, the bulls and she-calves, experienced the highest pleasure.

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. (Vedabase)

  

Text 17

The learned and respectable personalities along with their wives all came to Nanda and said: 'Your son having been seized by Kâliya, has now by divine ordinance been freed.

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. (Vedabase)

 

Text 18

For the sake of Krishna's safety, please make donations to the brahmins', and Nanda, happy minded, oh King, gave them cows and gold.

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. (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 hugged Him.

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. (Vedabase)

 

  Text 20

That night, oh best of the kings, the cows and the people of Vraja remained there at the shore of the Kâlindî, for they were weakened because of thirst, hunger and fatigue.

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. (Vedabase)

 

Text 21

Then, because of the summer heat, in the middle of the night from all sides a forest fire arose that closed in the sleeping Vrajasis and began to scorch them.

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. (Vedabase)

 

Text 22

The people of Vraja thereupon woke up. In distress because they would burn, they turned to Krishna for shelter, He the Master, who by the power of His spiritual potency had appeared like a human being [compare 10.8: 16].

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]. (Vedabase)

 

Text 23

'Krishna, Krishna, oh Greatest of Fortune! Oh Râma of Unlimited Power, this most terrible fire is about to devour us who belong to You!

'Krishna, Krishna, o Greatest of Fortune; o Râma of Unlimited Power, this most terrible fire is about to devour us who belong to You! (Vedabase)

 

Text 24

Please protect us, Your people, Your friends, against this insurmountable [deadly] fire of Time. Oh Master, we at Your benevolent, blessed feet which drive away all fear, are incapable [to escape from here]!'

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.' (Vedabase)

 

Text 25

The Lord of the Universe, the Unlimited One who possesses endless potencies, seeing His people that desperate, thereupon swallowed that terrible fire.'

This way seeing the desperation of His people, swallowed the Lord of the Universe, The Unlimited One who possesses endless potencies, that terrible fire.' (Vedabase)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Creative Commons
                License
The text and audio are offered under the conditions of the
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
The painting is titled: 'Krishna consuming the all-consuming forest fire in Mujavana' early Rajasthani.
Source:
Rajasthani Paintings of Krishna Lila.
Production:
Filognostic Association of The Order of Time.

 

 

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