Bhagavatapurana 10.17
English (machine translation) 10.17
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Contents
10.17.1
The King said: / Why did Kāliya abandon Ramaṇaka, the abode of serpents? / Or what improper deed was done by him alone toward Suparṇa?
10.17.2
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—
10.17.3
each serpent would deliver his own share at every lunar conjunction, / all of them for their own protection, to the great-souled Suparṇa.
10.17.4
Kāliya, however, a son of Kadrū, intoxicated with pride in his venom and prowess, / holding Garuḍa in contempt, devoured that tribute himself.
10.17.5
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.
10.17.6
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.
10.17.6.p1
Repelling him, the son of Tārkṣya, full of wrath, of terrifying speed, the mount of the slayer of Madhu,
10.17.7
struck the son of Kadrū with his left wing shining like gold, he of terrible prowess.
10.17.7.p1
[…]
10.17.8
Struck by the wing of Suparṇa, Kāliya was extremely distressed; / he entered the pool of the Kālindī, which was inaccessible and unapproachable to him.
10.17.9
There once, though forbidden by Saubhari, the hungry Garuḍa forcibly seized / a water creature that was his desired food.
10.17.10
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.
10.17.11
"If Garuḍa enters here and eats fish, / he will immediately be separated from life; this I speak as truth."
10.17.12
Kāliya alone knew this, no other serpent; / he dwelt there out of fear of Garuḍa, and was [now] driven away by Kṛṣṇa.
10.17.13
Kṛṣṇa, emerged from the pool, adorned with heavenly garlands, fragrances, and garments, / covered with many great jewels and ornamented with gold,
10.17.14
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, 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.
10.17.16
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.
10.17.17
The brāhmaṇas and elders, having come to Nanda with their wives, / said: "By good fortune, your son, seized by Kāliya, has been released.
10.17.18
Give gifts to the twice-born on account of Kṛṣṇa's deliverance." / Pleased in mind, O king, Nanda then gifted cows and gold.
10.17.19
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.
10.17.20
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.
10.17.21
Then, a forest fire born in the dry forest, surrounding Vraja / asleep at midnight on all sides, began to burn it up.
10.17.22
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:
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"Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, O greatly fortunate one! O Rāma of boundless prowess! / This most dreadful fire is indeed swallowing up us, who are yours!
10.17.24
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."
10.17.25
Beholding such distress among his own people, the Lord of the universe, / Ananta, who holds boundless power, drank down that fierce fire.
Translations (1)
- The Srimad Bhagavatam — S. Subba Rau 1928, English
Linked texts (1)
- Bhāgavatapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit