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Shloka 29

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

तस्याक्षिभिर्गरलमुद्वमत: शिर:सु यद् यत् समुन्नमति नि:श्वसतो रुषोच्चै: । नृत्यन् पदानुनमयन् दमयां बभूव पुष्पै: प्रपूजित इवेह पुमान् पुराण: ॥ २९ ॥

tasyākṣibhir garalam udvamataḥ śiraḥsu yad yat samunnamati niḥśvasato ruṣoccaiḥ nṛtyan padānunamayan damayāṁ babhūva puṣpaiḥ prapūjita iveha pumān purāṇaḥ

กาลียะพ่นพิษออกจากดวงตา และบังอาจยกเศียรที่หายใจแรงด้วยความโกรธขึ้นมา พระผู้เป็นเจ้าจึงทรงร่ายรำบนเศียรนั้นและปราบมัน บังคับให้มันก้มลงด้วยพระบาท เหล่าเทวดาถือโอกาสนี้บูชาพระองค์ ผู้เป็นบุรุษดั้งเดิม ด้วยการโปรยปรายดอกไม้

तस्यof him (the serpent)
तस्य:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine/Neuter, Genitive Singular (6th/षष्ठी)
अक्षिभिःwith (his) eyes
अक्षिभिः:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootakṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Instrumental Plural; ‘with (his) eyes’
गरलम्poison
गरलम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootgarala (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative Singular; ‘poison’
उद्वमतःof (him) spewing
उद्वमतः:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeVerb
Rootud-vam (धातु)
FormŚatṛ-present participle (शतृ), Masculine Genitive Singular; ‘of (him) spewing out’
शिरःसुon (his) heads
शिरःसु:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootśiras (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Locative Plural (7th/सप्तमी); ‘on the heads’
यत्which
यत्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative Singular; relative-distributive
यत्whatever
यत्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative Singular; ‘whatever’
समुन्नमतिrises up
समुन्नमति:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootsam-ud-nam (धातु)
FormPresent (लट्), 3rd person, Singular; Parasmaipada; ‘rises up’
नि:श्वसतःof (him) hissing
नि:श्वसतः:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeVerb
Rootniḥ-śvas (धातु)
FormŚatṛ-present participle (शतृ), Masculine Genitive Singular; ‘of (him) breathing hard/hissing’
रुषाwith anger
रुषा:
Hetu/Kāraṇa (हेतु/कारण)
TypeNoun
Rootruṣ (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Instrumental Singular; ‘with anger’
उच्चैःloudly/high
उच्चैः:
Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootuccaiḥ (अव्यय)
FormAdverb (उच्चार्थक-अव्यय)
नृत्यन्dancing
नृत्यन्:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootnṛt (धातु)
FormŚatṛ-present participle, Masculine Nominative Singular; ‘dancing’
पदान्his feet/steps
पदान्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootpada (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative Plural; ‘feet/steps’
अनुनमयन्making (them) bend
अनुनमयन्:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootanu-nam (धातु)
FormŚatṛ-present participle, Masculine Nominative Singular; causative nuance ‘making (them) bow down’ (denominative/cause)
दमयाम्subjugation
दमयाम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootdamayā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Accusative Singular; abstract noun ‘subduing/taming’ (as object/complement)
बभूवbecame
बभूव:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootbhū (धातु)
FormPerfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Singular; ‘became/was’
पुष्पैःwith flowers
पुष्पैः:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootpuṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Instrumental Plural; ‘with flowers’
प्रपूजितःwell worshipped
प्रपूजितः:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootpra-pūj (धातु)
FormKta-प्रत्ययान्त (क्त), Masculine Nominative Singular; ‘well-worshipped’
इवas if
इव:
Upamā (उपमा)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiva (अव्यय)
FormComparative particle (उपमा-निपात)
इहhere
इह:
Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देश-अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiha (अव्यय)
FormAdverb (देशवाचक-अव्यय)
पुमान्the person
पुमान्:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootpumān/puman (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative Singular; ‘man/person’
पुराणःprimeval
पुराणः:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootpurāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative Singular; ‘ancient/primeval’ (qualifying pumān)
Ś
Śrī Kṛṣṇa
K
Kāliya

FAQs

This verse describes Kṛṣṇa subduing Kāliya by dancing on his many hoods, pressing them down whenever they rise in rage and poison—showing the Lord’s effortless mastery over even the deadliest evil.

Because Kṛṣṇa’s divine dance on Kāliya resembles a victorious, worshipful spectacle—His feet moving like a sacred dance, as though the serpent’s raised hoods were an altar and the moment a flower-offering to the Supreme Person.

When “poison” like anger, hatred, or harmful impulses rise again and again, the teaching is to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa and steady devotion—trusting that sincere surrender brings inner control and purification.