Shloka 20
Garuḍa, Saubhari’s Curse, Kāliya’s Refuge, and Kṛṣṇa Saves Vraja from Forest Fire
तां रात्रिं तत्र राजेन्द्र क्षुत्तृड्भ्यां श्रमकर्षिता: । ऊषुर्व्रयौकसो गाव: कालिन्द्या उपकूलत: ॥ २० ॥
tāṁ rātriṁ tatra rājendra kṣut-tṛḍbhyāṁ śrama-karṣitāḥ ūṣur vrayaukaso gāvaḥ kālindyā upakūlataḥ
O best of kings, weakened by hunger, thirst, and fatigue, the people of Vraja and the cows spent that night right there, lying near the bank of the Kālindī (Yamunā).
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī points out that although the people were weak from hunger and thirst, they did not drink the milk from the cows present there because they feared it had been contaminated by the serpent’s poison. The residents of Vṛndāvana were so overjoyed to get back their beloved Kṛṣṇa that they did not want to go back to their houses. They wanted to stay with Kṛṣṇa on the bank of the Yamunā so that they could continuously see Him. Thus they decided to take rest near the riverbank.
FAQs
It says the Vraja residents and their cows spent the night there on the Yamunā’s bank, exhausted by hunger, thirst, and fatigue while the Kāliya episode was unfolding.
Śukadeva is narrating to King Parīkṣit and respectfully addresses him as the best of kings while describing the Vraja residents’ condition during Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes.
It highlights human limitation—hunger, thirst, and exhaustion—and encourages humility and reliance on the Lord during anxious, draining situations.