Shloka 1
Garuḍa, Saubhari’s Curse, Kāliya’s Refuge, and Kṛṣṇa Saves Vraja from Forest Fire
श्रीराजोवाच नागालयं रमणकं कथं तत्याज कालिय: । कृतं किं वा सुपर्णस्य तेनैकेनासमञ्जसम् ॥ १ ॥
śrī-rājovāca nāgālayaṁ ramaṇakaṁ kathaṁ tatyāja kāliyaḥ kṛtaṁ kiṁ vā suparṇasya tenaikenāsamañjasam
King Parīkṣit inquired: “Why did Kāliya abandon Ramaṇaka Island, the abode of the serpents? And why did Suparṇa Garuḍa become hostile to him alone—what improper deed had he done?”
FAQs
In this verse, King Parīkṣit asks the reason; the narrative explains that Kāliya was driven away due to fear of Garuḍa after offending him, leading Kāliya to seek refuge elsewhere.
Suparṇa is Garuḍa, the divine eagle and carrier of Lord Viṣṇu, famed as the natural enemy and chastiser of serpents.
It highlights that wrongdoing brings specific consequences, and sincere inquiry—like Parīkṣit’s—opens the door to deeper understanding of dharma and divine narratives.