Shloka 12
Garuḍa, Saubhari’s Curse, Kāliya’s Refuge, and Kṛṣṇa Saves Vraja from Forest Fire
तत् कालिय: परं वेद नान्य: कश्चन लेलिह: । अवात्सीद् गरुडाद् भीत: कृष्णेन च विवासित: ॥ १२ ॥
tat kāliyaḥ paraṁ veda nānyaḥ kaścana lelihaḥ avātsīd garuḍād bhītaḥ kṛṣṇena ca vivāsitaḥ
Unter allen Schlangen erkannte nur Kāliya diese Angelegenheit vollständig; aus Furcht vor Garuḍa nahm er Wohnsitz in jenem See der Yamunā, doch später vertrieb ihn der Herr Kṛṣṇa von dort.
FAQs
This verse explains that Kāliya alone knew the true reason: he was terrified of Garuḍa and, having been driven away by Kṛṣṇa, he took shelter by residing there.
Garuḍa is the natural enemy of serpents; Kāliya’s fear of Garuḍa highlights how even powerful beings become helpless without divine shelter, setting the stage for Kṛṣṇa’s intervention.
It teaches that fear and displacement can drive harmful choices; the remedy is to seek purification and right shelter—turning toward the Lord’s guidance rather than spreading poison into one’s environment.