Krishna Narayana

Krishna kept stamping with His foot all those hoods of serpent Kaliya which continued to remain uplifted. The snake was no longer in a position to bite Him as He was now positioned over its head. Even then, it continued to raise those hoods and try to bite him. Krishna noticed the raised hoods, and then jumping on them He would stamp them. He was dancing from one hood to another. In this process, the snake which was totally drained of all energy, began to vomit blood mixed with poison from its eyes, mouth and nostrils. It was still hissing in rage.

Maharishi Śuka continued, “At this juncture, droplets of blood fell on the lotus feet of Śrikrishna, the primordial being, making it appear as if the snake had worshipped Him with red flowers. With the different types of dance performed by the Lord, the umbrella-type hoods of serpent Kaliya, were badly injured”.

The Lord had performed different types of dances on the snake’s hood. All the different methods in dancing which are presently in vogue were performed by Śrikrishna that morning. Through this endless dance He subdued this poisonous serpent and quelled its pride.

“In addition, all its limbs were broken. Blood began to gush profusely from its mouth.

Smṛtvā carācara-guruḿ puruṣaḿ purāṇaḿ

Nārāyaṇaḿ tam araṇaḿ manasā jagāma

Serpent Kaliya then mentally sought refuge in Lord Narayana, the father of the entire universe consisting of innumerable moving and non-moving living entities. Lord Nārāyaṇa, who is an embodiment of completeness, is the primordial cause for the existence of this entire universe. The entire universe rests in His womb. The feet of such Lord were crushing the umbrella-like hoods of serpent Kaliya and due to the force of His heels, his hoods were badly injured.

The wives of serpent Kaliya who witnessed their husband undergoing excruciating pain were agitated. They lamented a lot. Worrying for the safety of their husband, they rushed towards Krishna unmindful of their clothing, ornaments and hair bands that were slipping as they swam towards Him. Keeping their children ahead of them, they prostrated before Krishna, the Lord of all living entities.

Offering obeisance to the Lord these chaste wives prayed that their husband should be freed from his sins. Seeking that he should be protected and forgiven, they pleaded with Śrikrishna as follows,

‘O Lord, it is apt on your part to punish him who has sinned terribly by rendering the pond poisonous and killing innumerable living beings. Punishment is yet another of your forms, isn’t it? It is also the rightful method. Nevertheless O Lord, you always maintain feelings of equanimity towards your enemies. You do not differentiate between sons, friends and enemies. Undoubtedly You have incarnated for the destruction of the wicked, nevertheless, only after pondering over the methods by which the wicked can be reformed, You punish him aptly’.

The Lord ponders over the ways by which the wicked person can be reformed. In accordance to that He punishes him.

“Anugraho ‘yaḿ bhavataḥ kṛto hi no daṇḍo ‘satāḿ te khalu kalmaṣāpahaḥ

yad dandaśūkatvam amuṣya dehinaḥ krodho ‘pi te ‘nugraha eva sammataḥ

O Lord, through this punishment You have actually blessed us, for, the punishment that You inflict upon the wicked dispels their sins in entirety. This living entity obtained birth as a snake purely due to his past sins. We accept Your anger as a blessing being showered upon us.

We wonder what rigorous austerities this living being would have undertaken in his past births, having given up pride and while honouring others. Perhaps, he would have, due to extreme compassion towards all living entities, strictly adhered to righteousness”.

His sins have undoubtedly caused his birth as a snake but in addition, he must definitely have performed some extra-ordinary meritorious deeds. He would have given up pride and would have honoured other while simultaneously performing rigorous penance.

“This is because You, O Lord, who are the life-force within every living entity, are extremely pleased when living entities abide by penance and righteousness. Isn’t this living entity supremely fortunate to be blessed to touch the dust from Your holy feet? O Lord, if the dust from Your holy feet has touched his hoods, then what more can be said of his fortune?

The degree and the type of austerities undertaken by him in his previous births are beyond our understanding but, O Lord, Mother Lakshmi, giving up inclination towards luxuries of all forms, undertook severe penance with strict disciplines for a very long period of time only to be bestowed with the chance to wear the dust of Your holy feet on her head”.

What to say of his fortune? Those holy feet which are worshipped by Goddess Lakshmi, have touched his hoods. He would have performed limitless penance or strictly adhered to righteousness.

“He was fortunate to be blessed by the touch of Your holy feet, which are beyond the reach of any living entity. With Your lotus feet You are subduing his pride and his sins in totality. All the poison contained within him has been thrown out along with all the poisonous blood”.

By stamping him on his hoods, you have destroyed his sins in totality. In this way, all the wives of the serpent were praying to the Lord. Their bodies were experiencing horripilation. On one hand they grieved that their husband was experiencing unbearable agony and on the other they were rejoicing that the Supreme Lord had placed His foot on their husband’s hood. They were thrilled at his fortune. They were swimming in those waters and offering obeisance to the Lord.

Krishna Krishna