Shloka 26
Kāliya-damana: Kṛṣṇa Subdues the Serpent and Purifies the Yamunā
एवं परिभ्रमहतौजसमुन्नतांस- मानम्य तत्पृथुशिर:स्वधिरूढ आद्य: । तन्मूर्धरत्ननिकरस्पर्शातिताम्र- पादाम्बुजोऽखिलकलादिगुरुर्ननर्त ॥ २६ ॥
evaṁ paribhrama-hataujasam unnatāṁsam ānamya tat-pṛthu-śiraḥsv adhirūḍha ādyaḥ tan-mūrdha-ratna-nikara-sparśāti-tāmra- pādāmbujo ’khila-kalādi-gurur nanarta
こうして絶え間ない旋回で蛇の力を大いに削ぎ、万有の根源たるシュリー・クリシュナは、カーリヤの持ち上がった肩を押し下げ、その広い頭々の上に乗った。頭上の無数の宝珠に触れて蓮華の御足は深紅に染まり、あらゆる芸能の原初の師である主は舞い始めた。
Śrī Hari-vaṁśa states, śiraḥ sa kṛṣṇo jagrāha sva-hastenāvanamya: “Kṛṣṇa grabbed Kāliya’s head with His hand and forced it to bow down.” Most people in this world are quite reluctant to bow down to the Supreme Person, the Absolute Truth. In the contaminated state called material consciousness, we conditioned souls become proud of our insignificant position and are thus reluctant to bow our heads before the Lord. Yet just as Lord Kṛṣṇa forcibly pushed Kāliya’s heads down and thus defeated him, the Supreme Lord’s energy in the form of irresistible time kills all conditioned souls and thus forces them to bow down their arrogant heads. We should therefore give up the artificial position of material life and become faithful servants of the Supreme Lord, enthusiastically bowing down at His lotus feet.
FAQs
This verse describes how Lord Kṛṣṇa, the primeval master of all arts, mounted Kālīya’s bowed heads and danced upon them, His lotus feet reddened by contact with the serpent’s jeweled hoods—signifying the Lord’s complete subduing of Kālīya’s power and pride.
Because Kālīya’s arrogance and strength had to be broken; after being whirled and weakened, the serpent bowed his many hoods, and Kṛṣṇa stood upon them and danced, demonstrating divine mastery and compelling surrender.
The shloka highlights that ego collapses when one is humbled and then chooses surrender; a devotee can apply this by replacing pride with humility, accepting correction, and placing oneself under the guidance of dharma and devotion.