Shloka 8

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

Devanagari script

तस्य ह्रदे विहरतो भुजदण्डघूर्ण- वार्घोषमङ्ग वरवारणविक्रमस्य । आश्रुत्य तत् स्वसदनाभिभवं निरीक्ष्य चक्षु:श्रवा: समसरत्तदमृष्यमाण: ॥ ८ ॥

Transliteration

tasya hrade viharato bhuja-daṇḍa-ghūrṇa- vār-ghoṣam aṅga vara-vāraṇa-vikramasya āśrutya tat sva-sadanābhibhavaṁ nirīkṣya cakṣuḥ-śravāḥ samasarat tad amṛṣyamāṇaḥ

Translation

Trong hồ ấy, Kṛṣṇa vui đùa như một voi chúa oai hùng, xoay những cánh tay mạnh mẽ làm nước vang rền đủ kiểu. Nghe tiếng ấy, Kāliya hiểu có kẻ xâm phạm nơi cư trú của mình. Không thể chịu đựng, hắn lập tức lao ra đối mặt.

Synonyms

• tasya: of him/that (Kṛṣṇa)
• tasya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक; pronoun)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• hrade: in the lake
• hrade: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hrada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• viharataḥ: while (he was) sporting
• viharataḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/While sporting)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √hṛ हर् (vi + √hṛ; विहर्) (कृदन्त; शतृ/Present active participle)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ) used in genitive absolute-like relation with tasya

• bhuja-daṇḍa-ghūrṇa-vār-ghoṣam: the sound of water churned by (his) arm-strokes
• bhuja-daṇḍa-ghūrṇa-vār-ghoṣam: Karma (कर्म/Object of āśrutya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhuja (प्रातिपदिक) + daṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + ghūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + vāri (प्रातिपदिक) + ghoṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (ghoṣa produced by the swirling water due to arm-staff-like strokes)

• aṅga: O dear (one)
• aṅga: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aṅga (अव्यय/particle of address)
• Form: Avyaya; संबोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• vara-vāraṇa-vikramasya: of him whose prowess is like a mighty elephant
• vara-vāraṇa-vikramasya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक) + vāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + vikrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; तत्पुरुषः ('whose prowess is like a great elephant')

• āśrutya: having heard
• āśrutya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru श्रु (आ + √śru; absolutive/ल्यप्)
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), indeclinable verbal; 'having heard'

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म/Object of nirīkṣya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• sva-sadana-abhibhavam: the encroachment upon his own residence
• sva-sadana-abhibhavam: Karma (कर्म/Object of nirīkṣya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + sadana (प्रातिपदिक) + abhibhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; तत्पुरुषः ('overpowering/encroachment upon one's own abode')

• nirīkṣya: having observed
• nirīkṣya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √īkṣ ईक्ष् (नि + √īkṣ; absolutive/क्त्वा)
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा), indeclinable verbal; 'having seen/observed'

• cakṣuḥ-śravāḥ: Cakṣuḥśravā (Garuḍa)
• cakṣuḥ-śravāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cakṣuḥ-śravas (प्रातिपदिक; proper name)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; बहुव्रीहिः ('whose fame is seen/heard' → name of Garuḍa)

• samasarat: rushed forth / attacked
• samasarat: Kriyā (क्रिया/Finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sṛ सृ (सम् + √sṛ; लङ्)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म/Object of amṛṣyamāṇaḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; referring to Kṛṣṇa/that act

• amṛṣyamāṇaḥ: unable to tolerate (it)
• amṛṣyamāṇaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier of cakṣuḥ-śravāḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √mṛṣ मृष् (a- + √mṛṣ; present middle participle)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्/आनच्), ātmanepada sense; 'not tolerating'

Purport

According to the ācāryas, Lord Kṛṣṇa was producing wonderful musical sounds within the water simply by splashing His hands and arms.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Kāliya (Cakṣuḥśravā)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Krishna entering the Kaliya lake?

This verse describes Kṛṣṇa sporting in the lake and creating a powerful roar by the whirl of His arms, which signaled that the serpent’s domain was being challenged.

Why did Kaliya (Cakshushrava) rush toward Krishna?

Hearing the commotion and seeing his own residence being overrun, Kāliya could not tolerate the intrusion and therefore attacked.

Practical application of Krishna’s Kaliya-lila in modern life?

When toxic influences dominate one’s “inner lake” (mind and habits), the devotee remembers Kṛṣṇa’s power to subdue them and seeks refuge in disciplined devotion rather than fear.