Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 58
Kāliya-damana: Kṛṣṇa Subdues the Serpent and Purifies the Yamunā
वयं च तत्र भगवन् सर्पा जात्युरुमन्यव: । कथं त्यजामस्त्वन्मायां दुस्त्यजां मोहिता: स्वयम् ॥ ५८ ॥
vayaṁ ca tatra bhagavan sarpā jāty-uru-manyavaḥ kathaṁ tyajāmas tvan-māyāṁ dustyajāṁ mohitāḥ svayam
O Bhagavān, sa lahat ng uri sa Iyong materyal na paglikha, kaming mga ahas ay likas na laging madaling magalit. Nahihibang kami sa Iyong māyā na napakahirap talikuran; paano namin ito maiiwan sa sarili naming lakas?
Kāliya is here indirectly begging for the Lord’s mercy, realizing that on his own he can never become free from illusion and suffering. Only by surrendering to the Lord and obtaining His mercy can one be released from the painful conditions of material life.
FAQs
This verse states that the Lord’s māyā is intrinsically “dustyajā”—hard to abandon—because conditioned beings are already “mohitāḥ,” bewildered by it, and thus cannot easily free themselves by their own strength.
After being subdued by Kṛṣṇa in the Yamunā, Kāliya offers prayers admitting his natural tendency toward anger and harm, and he appeals to Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, acknowledging that only the Lord can free one from illusion.
Recognize harmful tendencies as obstacles, stop justifying them as “my nature,” and actively seek transformation through humility, prayer, and devotional discipline—relying on God’s grace rather than ego-driven self-reform alone.