Shloka 39

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

Devanagari script

नमस्तुभ्यं भगवते पुरुषाय महात्मने । भूतावासाय भूताय पराय परमात्मने ॥ ३९ ॥

Transliteration

namas tubhyaṁ bhagavate puruṣāya mahātmane bhūtāvāsāya bhūtāya parāya paramātmane

Translation

Nous T’offrons nos hommages, ô Bhagavān, Mahāpuruṣa, Paramātmā. Tu demeures dans le cœur de tous les êtres comme l’Âme suprême et Tu pénètres tout; Tu es l’abri originel des éléments créés et Tu existes avant la création; et bien que Tu sois la cause de tout, Tu transcendes toute causalité matérielle, Toi l’Esprit suprême.

Synonyms

• namaḥ: salutations
• namaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/utterance)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nipāta used as indeclinable interjection (नमः), salutation particle

• tubhyam: to you
• tubhyam: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/dative recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Ekavacana; pronoun

• bhagavate: to the Blessed Lord
• bhagavate: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Caturthī (4th), Ekavacana

• puruṣāya: to the Supreme Person
• puruṣāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Caturthī (4th), Ekavacana

• mahātmane: to the great-souled one
• mahātmane: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Caturthī (4th), Ekavacana; karmadhāraya: mahān ātmā yasya/mahātmā

• bhūtāvāsāya: to the abode of all beings
• bhūtāvāsāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūta (प्रातिपदिक) + āvāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Caturthī (4th), Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: bhūtānām āvāsaḥ

• bhūtāya: to the (supreme) being
• bhūtāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Caturthī (4th), Ekavacana

• parāya: to the transcendent one
• parāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Caturthī (4th), Ekavacana; used substantively

• paramātmane: to the Supreme Self
• paramātmane: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Caturthī (4th), Ekavacana; karmadhāraya: parama ātmā

Purport

The beautiful Sanskrit poetry of this verse should be chanted out loud for the transcendental pleasure of the reciter and the hearer.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Krishna as Paramatma?

This verse praises Kṛṣṇa as Paramātmā—the Supreme Self present within all beings—showing that the Lord is both transcendent (parāya) and immanent (bhūtāya).

Why did the wives of Kāliya pray to Krishna in Canto 10 Chapter 16?

Seeing Kṛṣṇa’s supremacy and fearing for Kāliya’s fate after his offense, the Nāga-patnīs offered heartfelt prayers, acknowledging Him as the Supreme Lord and seeking mercy.

Practical application of surrender (namas tubhyam) in modern life?

Cultivate humility and remembrance: offer your actions and anxieties to the Lord, recognizing Him as the inner guide (Paramātmā) and the ultimate shelter (bhūtāvāsa).