Kṛṣṇa Swallows the Forest Fire (Dāvāgni-līlā) and Restores the Herd
तत: समन्ताद्देवधूमकेतु- र्यदृच्छयाभूत् क्षयकृद् वनौकसाम् । समीरित: सारथिनोल्बणोल्मुकै- र्विलेलिहान: स्थिरजङ्गमान् महान् ॥ ७ ॥
tataḥ samantād dava-dhūmaketur yadṛcchayābhūt kṣaya-kṛd vanaukasām samīritaḥ sārathinolbaṇolmukair vilelihānaḥ sthira-jaṅgamān mahān
忽然间,四面八方燃起如天兆彗烟般的巨大林火,欲毁灭林中众生。狂风如御者驱策火势前冲,骇人的火星四散飞射;那大火伸出火舌,舔向一切动与不动之物。
Just as Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and the cowherd boys were about to take their cows back home, the forest fire previously mentioned raged out of control and surrounded all of them.
In this verse, a sudden, all-consuming forest fire threatens all living beings, setting the stage for Krishna’s protective role—showing that overwhelming dangers can arise unexpectedly, yet the Lord remains the ultimate shelter for those in His care.
He uses vivid imagery to convey the fire’s organized, unstoppable advance—intensified by wind—so the listener feels the urgency and understands the scale of danger surrounding Vraja.
Unexpected crises can spread quickly like wildfire; this verse encourages steadiness and taking shelter in the Divine through prayer, remembrance, and right action rather than panic.