Shloka 69
कालियदमना: यमुनाशुद्धिः, करुणा-निग्रहः, स्तुति-तत्त्वम्
सर्पजातिर् इयं क्रूरा यस्यां जातो ऽस्मि केशव तत्स्वभावो ऽयम् अत्रास्ति नापराधो ममाच्युत
sarpajātir iyaṃ krūrā yasyāṃ jāto 'smi keśava tatsvabhāvo 'yam atrāsti nāparādho mamācyuta
“O Keśava, the race of serpents is fierce—into that very kind I have been born. This is the inborn nature that abides here; therefore, O Acyuta, the fault is not mine.”
A serpent (nāga) addressing Lord Vishnu (Keśava/Acyuta) in a justificatory appeal about innate nature
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: To be addressed as Keśava/Acyuta while the speaker grapples with innate nature and moral responsibility under divine lordship.
Leela: Dharma-upadesa
Dharma Restored: Clarifying the tension between svabhāva (innate disposition) and accountability under divine order.
Concept: The speaker argues that conduct follows birth-nature (sarpajāti’s krūratā), raising the problem of culpability when svabhāva is given.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Notice inherited tendencies without fatalism; seek transformation through satsanga, discipline, and prayer rather than excusing harm as ‘nature’.
Vishishtadvaita: Even if dispositions arise within the Lord’s cosmic governance, the soul remains a responsible agent capable of turning toward grace and correction.
Vishnu Form: Hari
Bhakti Type: Dasya
FAQs
The verse frames cruelty as a species-bound disposition (svabhāva) and raises the question of how far moral blame applies when behavior is rooted in birth and constitution.
Here the speaker argues diminished culpability due to jāti-based nature, while still placing Vishnu as the ultimate arbiter who upholds cosmic order beyond such self-justifications.
By invoking Vishnu’s supreme steadiness (Acyuta) and lordship (Keśava), the verse emphasizes that even innate tendencies fall under the sovereignty of the Supreme Reality who governs dharma and the moral structure of the world.