Shloka 28

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

Devanagari script

यद् यच्छिरो न नमतेऽङ्ग शतैकशीर्ष्ण- स्तत्तन् ममर्द खरदण्डधरोऽङ्‍‍‍‍‍घ्रिपातै: । क्षीणायुषो भ्रमत उल्बणमास्यतोऽसृङ् नस्तो वमन् परमकश्मलमाप नाग: ॥ २८ ॥

Transliteration

yad yac chiro na namate ’ṅga śataika-śīrṣṇas tat tan mamarda khara-daṇḍa-dharo ’ṅghri-pātaiḥ kṣīṇāyuṣo bhramata ulbaṇam āsyato ’sṛṅ nasto vaman parama-kaśmalam āpa nāgaḥ

Translation

ข้าแต่พระราชา กาลียะมีเศียรใหญ่ 101 เศียร และเมื่อเศียรใดไม่ยอมก้มลง พระกฤษณะผู้ลงทัณฑ์คนชั่ว ก็จะทรงเหยียบเศียรนั้นจนแหลกด้วยพระบาท เมื่อกาลียะเข้าสู่ภาวะใกล้ตาย มันเริ่มหมุนเศียรไปมาและอาเจียนเป็นเลือดออกจากปากและจมูก งูร้ายจึงได้รับความเจ็บปวดและทุกข์ทรมานอย่างแสนสาหัส

Synonyms

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative Singular; relative pronoun used correlatively

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative Singular; repetition for distributive sense (यद् यत् = ‘whatever’)

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative Singular; here ‘head’ as object of action implied

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-अव्यय)

• नमते: bows
• नमते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nam (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 3rd person, Singular; Ātmanepada; ‘bows’

• अङ्ग: O dear
• अङ्ग: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aṅga (अव्यय)
• Form: Vocative particle/interjection (सम्बोधन-निपात)

• शत-एक-शीर्ष्णः: hundred-headed
• शत-एक-शीर्ष्णः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śata + eka + śīrṣan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular; द्विगु-समास: ‘having one hundred heads’ (qualifying nāgaḥ)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative Singular; correlative to यत्

• तत्: each (one)
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative Singular; distributive (तत् तत् = ‘each such’)

• ममर्द: crushed
• ममर्द: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: mṛd (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Singular; Parasmaipada; ‘crushed/pressed’

• खर-दण्ड-धरः: the wielder of a harsh staff
• खर-दण्ड-धरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khara + daṇḍa + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular; ‘the bearer of a harsh rod’ (epithet of Kṛṣṇa)

• अङ्घ्रि-पातैः: with foot-strokes
• अङ्घ्रि-पातैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅghri + pāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental Plural; ‘by the strikes of (his) feet’

• क्षीण-आयुषः: whose life was waning
• क्षीण-आयुषः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣīṇa + āyus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive Singular; ‘of one whose lifespan is diminished’ (qualifying nāgaḥ)

• भ्रमतः: of (him) reeling
• भ्रमतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhram (धातु)
• Form: Śatṛ-present participle (शतृ), Masculine Genitive Singular; ‘of (him) whirling’

• उल्बणम्: copious/terrible
• उल्बणम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ulbaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative Singular; qualifying asṛk/kaśmala

• आस्यतः: from (his) mouth
• आस्यतः: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative Singular (5th/पञ्चमी); ‘from the mouth’

• असृक्: blood
• असृक्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asṛj/asṛk (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative Singular; ‘blood’

• नस्तः: indeed
• नस्तः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nas (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात); here intensifier/pleonastic with vaman; reading as ‘indeed/then’ (textual)

• वमन्: vomiting
• वमन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vam (धातु)
• Form: Śatṛ-present participle (शतृ), Masculine Nominative Singular; ‘vomiting’

• परम-कश्मलम्: utter poison/filth
• परम-कश्मलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parama + kaśmala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative Singular; कर्मधारय: ‘supreme/utter poison/defilement’

• आप: met with
• आप: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Singular; ‘attained/met with’

• नागः: the serpent
• नागः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular; ‘serpent’

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• King Parīkṣit
• Kālīya

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Kaliya being punished by Krishna?

This verse describes how Śrī Kṛṣṇa repeatedly stamped down any of Kālīya’s hoods that refused to bow, bringing the serpent to extreme distress—showing the Lord’s decisive correction of arrogance and harm.

Why did Śukadeva Gosvāmī describe Krishna’s stamping on Kaliya’s heads to King Parīkṣit?

Śukadeva narrates the Kālīya-damana līlā to show Parīkṣit how the Lord personally protects His devotees and subdues destructive pride, compelling even a powerful offender toward submission.

Practical application of surrender and humility from the Kaliya episode?

When ego refuses to “bow,” suffering increases; this verse teaches that humility, accountability, and turning away from harmful actions are the path to relief and spiritual progress.