Shloka 51
Kāliya-damana: Kṛṣṇa Subdues the Serpent and Purifies the Yamunā
अपराध: सकृद् भर्त्रा सोढव्य: स्वप्रजाकृत: । क्षन्तुमर्हसि शान्तात्मन् मूढस्य त्वामजानत: ॥ ५१ ॥
aparādhaḥ sakṛd bhartrā soḍhavyaḥ sva-prajā-kṛtaḥ kṣantum arhasi śāntātman mūḍhasya tvām ajānataḥ
Zumindest einmal sollte ein Herr die Verfehlung seines Kindes oder Untertanen ertragen. O friedvolle Höchste Seele, vergib unserem törichten Gatten, der nicht erkannte, wer Du bist.
Because of their extreme anxiety, in this verse Kāliya’s wives mention the same idea twice: that the Supreme Lord should kindly forgive their foolish husband. The Supreme Lord is śāntātmā, the supreme peaceful Soul, and therefore the Nāgapatnīs suggest it would be proper for Him to overlook, at least this once, the great offense committed by the ignorant Kāliya.
FAQs
This verse shows that Krishna, as the perfectly peaceful Lord, is approached as the supreme forgiver—one who can pardon even serious offenses when the offender admits fault and takes shelter.
After being subdued by Krishna, Kaliya pleads for mercy, arguing that a sovereign often pardons a subject’s offense at least once, and he confesses his ignorance of Krishna’s true divinity.
Admit wrongdoing without excuses, recognize the harm caused, and sincerely ask forgiveness—while also cultivating the humility to accept correction and change one’s behavior.