Bhagavatapurana 10.17: atha saptadaśo'dhyāyaḥ

10.17.1

/0 śrī-rājovāca
nāgālayaṃ ramaṇakaṃ kathaṃ tatyāja kāliyaḥ /
kṛtaṃ kiṃ vā suparṇasya tenaikenāsamañjasam //

The King said: / Why did Kāliya abandon Ramaṇaka, the abode of serpents? / Or what improper deed was done by him alone toward Suparṇa?

1. The king said:— Why did Kaleeya leave his home, the island of Ramanaka? And what wrong had he done to Suparna (Garuda?)

10.17.2

/0 śrī-śuka uvāca
upahāryaiḥ sarpa-janair māsi māsīha yo baliḥ /
vānaspatyo mahā-bāho nāgānāṃ prāṅ-nirūpitaḥ //

Śrī Śuka said: / The tribute which had formerly been ordained for serpents to offer here month by month, O mighty-armed one, / at the base of a tree by the serpent folk who brought offerings—

2. (Thou hast been), O long-armed one, been told of already (of an old arrangement) how the snakes promised to Garuda to bring him every month the prey of snakes to the foot of a particular tree.

10.17.3

svaṃ svaṃ bhāgaṃ prayacchanti nāgāḥ parvaṇi parvaṇi /
gopīthāyātmanaḥ sarve suparṇāya mahātmane //

each serpent would deliver his own share at every lunar conjunction, / all of them for their own protection, to the great-souled Suparṇa.

3. All Nagas were for their protection sending by turns to Suparna regularly every fortnight (on the Fullmoon or Newmoon day) their several shares of his prey.

10.17.4

viṣa-vīrya-madāviṣṭaḥ kādraveyas tu kāliyaḥ /
kadarthī-kṛtya garuḍaṃ svayaṃ taṃ bubhuje balim //

Kāliya, however, a son of Kadrū, intoxicated with pride in his venom and prowess, / holding Garuḍa in contempt, devoured that tribute himself.

4. But Kaleeya, the son of Kadru, grew proud of his strength and poison, lost his good sense and, despising Garuda, himself ate up the prey (offering) intended for Suparna.

10.17.5

tac chrutvā kupito rājan bhagavān bhagavat-priyaḥ /
vijighāṃsur mahā-vegaḥ kāliyaṃ samapādravat //

Hearing of that, O King, the divine Garuḍa, beloved of the Lord, became enraged; / wishing to kill him, endowed with mighty speed, he rushed upon Kāliya.

5. On knowing that fact the worshipful Garuda, beloved of the Lord, got very angry, O king, and intent upon killing him, rushed at him in great haste and vehemence.

10.17.6

tam āpatantaṃ tarasā viṣāyudhaḥ pratyabhyayād utthita-naika-mastakaḥ /
dadbhiḥ suparṇaṃ vyadaśad dad-āyudhaḥ karāla-jihrocchvasitogra-locanaḥ //

As he swooped down forcefully, the serpent whose weapons were venom, raising his many heads, advanced against him; / using his fangs as weapons, he bit Suparṇa with his teeth, his dreadful tongue extended and his eyes fierce with fury.

6. With all his hoods spread out and erect the serpent, whose weapon is poison, hastened towards the advancing Suparna and bit him with all his fangs which are his weapons and he looked terrific with his formidable tongues and wide open fiery eyes.

10.17.6.p1

taṃ tārkṣya-putraḥ sa nirasya manyumān $ pracaṇḍa-vego madhusūdanāsanaḥ &

Repelling him, the son of Tārkṣya, full of wrath, of terrifying speed, the mount of the slayer of Madhu,

7. The wrathful son of Tarkshya, the vehicle of Madhusudhana, made him turn back by the force of his fearful rush and in a violent attack dealt a severe blow to Kadru's son (Kaleeya) with his right wing brilliant like gold.

10.17.7

pakṣeṇa savyena hiraṇya-rociṣā % jaghāna kadru-sutam ugra-vikramaḥ //

struck the son of Kadrū with his left wing shining like gold, he of terrible prowess.

10.17.8

suparṇa-pakṣābhihataḥ kāliyo 'tīva vihvalaḥ /
hradaṃ viveśa kālindyās tad-agamyaṃ durāsadam //

Struck by the wing of Suparṇa, Kāliya was extremely distressed; / he entered the pool of the Kālindī, which was inaccessible and unapproachable to him.

8. Beaten by Suparna's wing, Kaleeya in his perplexity betook himself to the deep pool of Kalindi to which Garuda could not go.

10.17.9

tatraikadā jala-caraṃ garuḍo bhakṣyam īpsitam /
nivāritaḥ saubhariṇā prasahya kṣudhito 'harat //

There once, though forbidden by Saubhari, the hungry Garuḍa forcibly seized / a water creature that was his desired food.

9. Once, from that pool, though prohibited by the sage Sowbhari, Garuda pinched with hunger carried away by force an aquatic creature which was his favourite food.

10.17.10

mīnān su-duḥkhitān dṛṣṭvā dīnān mīna-patau hate /
kṛpayā saubhariḥ prāha tatratya-kṣemam ācaran //

Seeing the fish utterly aggrieved and miserable when the king of fish was killed, / out of compassion Saubhari spoke, acting for the welfare of those dwelling there.

10. When their lord (the king-fish) was carried away, all the helpless fish in the pool were so full of grief that the sage Sowbhari took pity on them and, for the safety of those that lived in the pool, pronounced (a curse as follows.)

10.17.11

atra praviśya garuḍo yadi matsyān sa khādati /
sadyaḥ prāṇair viyujyeta satyam etad bravīmy aham //

"If Garuḍa enters here and eats fish, / he will immediately be separated from life; this I speak as truth."

11. 'If Garuda should enter this and eat the fish herein he will at once lose his life and I speak the truth (what I say shall be true.)'

10.17.12

tat kāliyaḥ paraṃ veda nānyaḥ kaścana lelihaḥ /
avātsīd garuḍād bhītaḥ kṛṣṇena ca vivāsitaḥ //

Kāliya alone knew this, no other serpent; / he dwelt there out of fear of Garuḍa, and was [now] driven away by Kṛṣṇa.

12. Kaleeya alone was aware of this utterance (curse) and no other; so he dwelt in this pool and now he is driven out of it by Sri Krishna.

10.17.13

kṛṣṇaṃ hradād viniṣkrāntaṃ divya-srag-gandha-vāsasam /
mahā-maṇi-gaṇākīrṇaṃ jāmbūnada-pariṣkṛtam //

Kṛṣṇa, emerged from the pool, adorned with heavenly garlands, fragrances, and garments, / covered with many great jewels and ornamented with gold,

13. & 14. On seeing Krishna coming up from the pool adorned with celestial garlands, sandal pigments and clothes and with precious jewels and big gems and with ornaments of gold, all the Gopas and others rose to their feet as if their life returned to them (like creatures restored to life) and in their overflowing fullness of joy embraced one another in great affection.

10.17.14

upalabhyotthitāḥ sarve labdha-prāṇā ivāsavaḥ /
pramoda-nibhṛtātmāno gopāḥ prītyābhirebhire //

perceiving him, all arose like vital breaths regaining life; / their hearts filled with joy, the cowherds embraced him with love.

10.17.15

yaśodā rohiṇī nando gopyo gopāś ca kaurava /
kṛṣṇaṃ sametya labdhehā āsan śuṣkā nagā api //

Yaśodā, Rohiṇī, Nanda, the cowherd women and cowherds, O descendant of Kuru, / meeting Kṛṣṇa, regained their life's activity, and even the dried-up trees did so.

15. Recovering their senses Yasoda, Rohini, Nandagopa, Gopas and Gopis, O one of Kuru race, perceived the fulfilment of their wishes when they again met their Krishna.

10.17.16

rāmaś cācyutam āliṅgya jahāsāsyānubhāva-vit /
premṇā tam aṅkam āropya punaḥ punar udaikṣata /
gāvo vṛṣā vatsataryo lebhire paramāṃ mudam //

Rāma embraced Acyuta and laughed, knowing his power; / placing him on his lap with love, he looked at him again and again; / the cows, bulls, and heifers experienced the highest delight.

16. Balarama, too, who knew the great power of Krishna embraced him and laughed. [He set him on his lap and in great affection looked at him intensely again and again]; the trees, the cows, the bulls, the calves had all their fill of joy.

10.17.17

nandaṃ viprāḥ samāgatya guravaḥ sa-kalatrakāḥ /
ūcus te kāliya-grasto diṣṭyā muktas tavātmajaḥ //

The brāhmaṇas and elders, having come to Nanda with their wives, / said: "By good fortune, your son, seized by Kāliya, has been released.

17. Wise brahmins, preceptors with their wives came up to Nanda and said, "Providentially thy son Krishna, seized by Kaleeya, got himself freed".

10.17.18

dehi dānaṃ dvi-jātīnāṃ kṛṣṇa-nirmukti-hetave /
nandaḥ prīta-manā rājan gāḥ suvarṇaṃ tadādiśat //

Give gifts to the twice-born on account of Kṛṣṇa's deliverance." / Pleased in mind, O king, Nanda then gifted cows and gold.

18. "Bestow gifts on brahmins on account of Sri Krishna's escape with life (in this danger)", and Nanda with gladdened heart, O king, then gave them cows and gold.

10.17.19

yaśodāpi mahā-bhāgā naṣṭa-labdha-prajā satī /
pariṣvajyāṅkam āropya mumocāśru-kalāṃ muhuḥ //

The most fortunate and virtuous Yaśodā also, having recovered her lost child, / embraced him, placed him on her lap, and shed tears again and again.

19. The fortunate and highly blessed Yasoda too got back her son who was given up for lost, embraced him (pressed him to her bosom), placed him on her lap and showered profuse tears of joy.

10.17.20

tāṃ rātriṃ tatra rājendra kṣut-tṛḍbhyāṃ śrama-karṣitāḥ /
ūṣur vrayaukaso gāvaḥ kālindyā upakūlataḥ //

That night, O ruler of kings, worn out with fatigue from hunger and thirst, / the inhabitants of Vraja and the cows remained by the bank of the Kālindī.

20. There, not very far from the bank of the river Yamuna all the residents of Vraja and the cattle spent that night, severely pinched by hunger and thirst, O king.

10.17.21

tadā śuci-vanodbhūto dāvāgniḥ sarvato vrajam /
suptaṃ niśītha āvṛtya pradagdhum upacakrame //

Then, a forest fire born in the dry forest, surrounding Vraja / asleep at midnight on all sides, began to burn it up.

21. Just at this time, O foremost one of Kurus, a great wild fire broke out in the forest during that summer and surrounded the whole of sleeping Vraja and began to consume it.

10.17.22

tata utthāya sambhrāntā dahyamānā vrajaukasaḥ /
kṛṣṇaṃ yayus te śaraṇaṃ māyā-manujam īśvaram //

Then, rising up bewildered and being scorched, the residents of Vraja / sought refuge with Kṛṣṇa, the Lord appearing as a human through his creative power:

22. Then the residents of Vraja thus burnt awoke and, bewildered prayed for protection to Krishna, the Supreme Lord who was a man only at His will.

10.17.23

kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa mahā-bhaga he rāmāmita-vikrama /
eṣa ghoratamo vahnis tāvakān grasate hi naḥ //

"Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, O greatly fortunate one! O Rāma of boundless prowess! / This most dreadful fire is indeed swallowing up us, who are yours!

23. O Krishna, Krishna, O highly blessed one, O Balarama of unlimited prowess, this most terrific fire is consuming us, Thy creatures.

10.17.24

su-dustarān naḥ svān pāhi kālāgneḥ suhṛdaḥ prabho /
na śaknumas tvac-caraṇaṃ santyaktum akuto-bhayam //

Protect us, your own friends, from this fire of destruction so hard to overcome, O Lord! / We cannot abandon your feet, which bestow freedom from fear from any quarter."

24. Pray, Protect us, Thy friends, from this world-ending fire, impossible for us to escape from, O Lord, we would not forget Thy feet which are our fearless asylum.

10.17.25

itthaṃ sva-jana-vaiklavyaṃ nirīkṣya jagad-īśvaraḥ /
tam agnim apibat tīvram ananto 'nanta-śakti-dhṛk //

Beholding such distress among his own people, the Lord of the universe, / Ananta, who holds boundless power, drank down that fierce fire.

25. The unlimited Lord of unlimited powers perceived the peril and helplessness of His devotees and swallowed up that fire.