Shloka 75
कालियदमना: यमुनाशुद्धिः, करुणा-निग्रहः, स्तुति-तत्त्वम्
नात्र स्थेयं त्वया सर्प कदाचिद् यमुनाजले सभृत्यपरिवारस् त्वं समुद्रसलिलं व्रज
nātra stheyaṃ tvayā sarpa kadācid yamunājale sabhṛtyaparivāras tvaṃ samudrasalilaṃ vraja
O serpent, you must never remain here in the waters of the Yamunā. Depart at once—go, together with your attendants and your whole retinue, to the waters of the ocean.
Sri Krishna (addressing the serpent Kāliya)
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: Krishna descends to safeguard Vraja by removing a persistent threat and reordering beings into appropriate habitats.
Leela: Loka-rakshana
Dharma Restored: Ecological and social order: the river is freed from poison and fear; the offender is relocated rather than annihilated
Concept: Divine justice can be restorative: the wrongdoer is restrained and redirected so that the innocent are protected and dharma is maintained.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Set firm boundaries against harm while allowing space for rehabilitation—remove the cause from vulnerable contexts.
Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s rulership orders beings according to their place and function within His body (śarīra-śarīrī-bhāva), preserving harmony without needless destruction.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
FAQs
It portrays Krishna’s divine sovereignty restoring purity and safety to a sacred river, re-establishing dharma by removing a disruptive force from its proper domain.
Krishna speaks as the ultimate ruler of creation, issuing a direct, non-negotiable command that relocates Kāliya—showing that even powerful beings must submit to divine order.
The verse emphasizes Vishnu’s role as Supreme Reality who governs the moral and cosmic balance—protecting devotees and sanctifying the world through decisive intervention.