Shloka 36

Kāliya-damana: Kṛṣṇa Subdues the Serpent and Purifies the Yamunā

Devanagari script

कस्यानुभावोऽस्य न देव विद्महे तवाङ्‍‍‍‍‍घ्रिरेणुस्परशाधिकार: । यद्वाञ्छया श्रीर्ललनाचरत्तपो विहाय कामान् सुचिरं धृतव्रता ॥ ३६ ॥

Transliteration

kasyānubhāvo ’sya na deva vidmahe tavāṅghri-reṇu-sparaśādhikāraḥ yad-vāñchayā śrīr lalanācarat tapo vihāya kāmān su-ciraṁ dhṛta-vratā

Translation

Ô Seigneur, nous ne savons comment Kāliya a obtenu cette grande faveur d’être touché par la poussière de Tes pieds de lotus. Pour cette même poussière, la déesse de la fortune, Śrī (Lakṣmī), renonça à tout autre désir, observa des vœux austères et pratiqua des pénitences durant des siècles.

Synonyms

• kasya: of whom
• kasya: Sambandha (षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Interrogative pronoun, Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (षष्ठी) singular

• anubhāvaḥ: power, influence, glory
• anubhāvaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (of implied 'is')
• Type: Noun
• Root: anubhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative singular

• asya: of this (Lord)
• asya: Sambandha (षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Masculine/Neuter, Genitive singular

• na: not
• na: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध)

• deva: O Lord
• deva: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (सम्बोधन) singular

• vidmahe: we know
• vidmahe: Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (विद् धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (present) 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष) plural (बहुवचन), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद)

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Genitive singular

• aṅghri-reṇu-sparaśa-adhikāraḥ: the privilege of touching the dust of your feet
• aṅghri-reṇu-sparaśa-adhikāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (predicate-noun describing anubhāvaḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅghri (प्रातिपदिक) + reṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + sparaśa (प्रातिपदिक) + adhikāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Multi-member Tatpuruṣa: 'aṅghreḥ reṇoḥ sparaśe adhikāraḥ' (eligibility/right to touch the dust of the feet); Masculine Nominative singular

• yad-vāñchayā: by the desire for which
• yad-vāñchayā: Hetu/Karaṇa (cause/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक) + vāñchā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa: 'yasya vāñchayā' (by whose desire); Instrumental (तृतीया) singular (एकवचन), Feminine

• śrīḥ: Śrī (Lakṣmī), fortune
• śrīḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative singular

• lalanā: the beloved woman (goddess)
• lalanā: Karta (कर्ता) (appositional)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lalanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative singular (apposition to śrīḥ)

• acarat: performed, practiced
• acarat: Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √car (चर् धातु)
• Form: Luṅ (लुङ्, aorist) 3rd person singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative singular (object of acarat)

• vihāya: having given up
• vihāya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√hā (हा धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्): 'having abandoned'

• kāmān: desires
• kāmān: Karma (कर्म) (object of vihāya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative plural

• su-ciram: for a very long time
• su-ciram: Kālādhi-karaṇa (time adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: su (अव्यय) + ciram (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb of time with intensifier (बहुकालार्थक)

• dhṛta-vratā: one who kept her vow
• dhṛta-vratā: Viśeṣaṇa of Karta (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhṛta (कृदन्त; √dhṛ, धृ धातु) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa: 'dhṛtaṁ vrataṁ yayā' (she who has maintained a vow); Feminine Nominative singular agreeing with śrīḥ/lalanā

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Lakshmi (Shri)
• Kaliya

FAQs

What is the significance of the dust of Krishna’s lotus feet in Srimad Bhagavatam?

This verse teaches that even the touch of the Lord’s foot-dust is an extraordinary mercy, attainable only by rare qualification born of devotion, not by ordinary status or power.

Why do the Nāga-patnīs mention Lakṣmī while praying to Krishna in Canto 10 Chapter 16?

They invoke Lakṣmī as the supreme example of one who longs for the Lord’s favor, emphasizing that access to Krishna’s foot-dust is so rare that even Lakṣmī undertook long austerities for it—thereby pleading for mercy for Kāliya.

How can a devotee apply the message of Bhagavatam 10.16.36 in modern life?

Cultivate steady vows—regular prayer, humility, and disciplined devotion—valuing Krishna’s grace above temporary enjoyments, because spiritual qualification grows through consistent bhakti.