॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
॥ सप्तदशोऽध्यायः - १७ ॥
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Discourse XVII
The Lord rescues the inhabitants of Vraja from a wild fire (Preamble)
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राजोवाच ।
नागालयं रमणकं कस्मात्तत्याज कालियः ।
कृतं किं वा सुपर्णस्य तेनैकेनासमञ्जसम् ॥ १॥
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The king (Parikṣit) submitted : Wherefore did Kāliya leave Ramaṇaka, the home of the Nāgas, and what wrong was done by him alone to Garuḍa? (1) (1)
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श्रीशुक उवाच ।
उपहार्यैः सर्पजनैर्मासि मासीह यो बलिः ।
वानस्पत्यो महाबाहो नागानां प्राङ्निरूपितः ॥ २॥
स्वं स्वं भागं प्रयच्छन्ति नागाः पर्वणि पर्वणि ।
गोपीथायात्मनः सर्वे सुपर्णाय महात्मने ॥ ३॥
विषवीर्यमदाविष्टः काद्रवेयस्तु कालियः ।
कदर्थीकृत्य गरुडं स्वयं तं बुभुजे बलिम् ॥ ४॥
तच्छ्रुत्वा कुपितो राजन् भगवान् भगवत्प्रियः ।
विजिघांसुर्महावेगः कालियं समुपाद्रवत् ॥ ५॥
तमापतन्तं तरसा विषायुधः
प्रत्यभ्ययादुच्छ्रितनैकमस्तकः ।
दद्भिः सुपर्णं व्यदशद्ददायुधः
करालजिह्वोच्छ्वसितोग्रलोचनः ॥ ६॥
तं तार्क्ष्यपुत्रः स निरस्य मन्युमान्
प्रचण्डवेगो मधुसूदनासनः ।
पक्षेण सव्येन हिरण्यरोचिषा
जघान कद्रूसुतमुग्रविक्रमः ॥ ७॥
सुपर्णपक्षाभिहतः कालियोऽतीव विह्वलः ।
ह्रदं विवेश कालिन्द्यास्तदगम्यं दुरासदम् ॥ ८॥
तत्रैकदा जलचरं गरुडो भक्ष्यमीप्सितम् ।
निवारितः सौभरिणा प्रसह्य क्षुधितोऽहरत् ॥ ९॥
मीनान् सुदुःखितान् दृष्ट्वा दीनान् मीनपतौ हते ।
कृपया सौभरिः प्राह तत्रत्यक्षेममाचरन् ॥ १०॥
अत्र प्रविश्य गरुडो यदि मत्स्यान् स खादति ।
सद्यः प्राणैर्वियुज्येत सत्यमेतद्ब्रवीम्यहम् ॥ ११॥
तं कालियः परं वेद नान्यः कश्चन लेलिहः ।
अवात्सीद्गरुडाद्भीतः कृष्णेन च विवासितः ॥ १२॥
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Śrī Śuka resumed : On every Amāvasyā (the day preceding a new moon) for their own protection all the Nāgas gave to the high-minded Garuḍa their own share of offerings which was brought for them from month to month as previously arranged to the foot of a tree (at Ramaṇaka) by the worshippers of the Nāgas, who served as food for the latter (and were consequently in constant terror of them), O mighty-armed one*! (2-3)
Puffed up with pride resulting from (superabundance of) venom and strength, however, Kāliya, son of Kadrū, would disregard Garuḍa and consume the offerings itself. (4)
Seized with wrath to hear this, the glorious Garuḍa (the favourite of the Lord) swooped on Kāliya with tremendous speed with intent to make short work of it, O king! (5)
With its many hoods raised and its fiery eyes wide open, the cobra (which had poison for its weapon) advanced to meet Garuḍa—who was rushing with (great) speed—and bit him hard with its fangs, using them as its weapon, wagging its fearful tongues. (6)
Pushing it back, the wrathful Garuḍa (son of Kaśyapa), who serves as a seat of Lord Viṣṇu (the Slayer of the demon Madhu) and is possessed of a terrible speed and formidable prowess, struck the son of Kadrū with his left wing, brilliant as gold. (7)
Beaten by the wing of Garuḍa, Kāliya felt extremely agitated and entered the aforesaid pool of the Kālidī, which was inaccessible to Garuḍa and could not be easily entered (because of its great depth). (8)
In that pool once upon a time (during the reign of Emperor Māndhātā) Garuḍa forcibly carried away, though stopped by the sage Saubhari, an aquatic creature (a large fish), his favourite food, hungry as he was. (9)
Seeing the (other) fish sore afflicted and miserable consequent on their leader having been killed, the sage Saubhari compassionately declared (as follows) with a view to ensuring the security of that pool (against the onslaughts of Garuḍa):—(10)
"If entering this pool the famous Garuḍa eats the fish (here), he will immediately be deprived of his life; I utter this (bare) truth." (11)
Kāliya alone was aware of this utterance, no other serpent knew it. Afraid of Garuḍa he was living there and was now expelled by Śrī Kṛṣṇa. (12) (2-12)
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अमायां वृक्षमूलं तु नागलोकेषु यद् भवेत्।
एकस्मिन् दिवसे तावदेकत्र स्थापयन्तु हि॥
ततो हि गरुडस्तस्मिन्तद् भुक्त्वा नैव पीडयेत्।
इति व्यवस्थायां सर्पा मासि मासि बलिं ददुः॥
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- In a commentary on Śrīmad Bhāgavata we read how Garuḍa—who bore a standing and inveterate grudge against the serpent race for the cruelty perpetrated on his mother Vinatā by the latter's mother, Kadrū—used to devour indiscriminately whatever serpent he could lay his hands on. Perceiving the imminent extermination of their race, the Nāgas sought the protection of Brahmā, who summoned Garuḍa and brought about peace between the two parties by laying it down—with mutual consent—that whatever was brought as an offering to the Nāgas at the foot of a tree in the realm of the Nāgas on every Amāvasyā should be collected and offered as food to Garuḍa, who should satisfy his hunger with those offerings and desist from killing the snakes:—
(Preamble)
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कृष्णं ह्रदाद्विनिष्क्रान्तं दिव्यस्रग्गन्धवाससम् ।
महामणिगणाकीर्णं जाम्बूनदपरिष्कृतम् ॥ १३॥
उपलभ्योत्थिताः सर्वे लब्धप्राणा इवासवः ।
प्रमोदनिभृतात्मानो गोपाः प्रीत्याभिरेभिरे ॥ १४॥
यशोदा रोहिणी नन्दो गोप्यो गोपाश्च कौरव ।
कृष्णं समेत्य लब्धेहा आसन् लब्धमनोरथाः ॥ १५॥
रामश्चाच्युतमालिङ्ग्य जहासास्यानुभाववित् ।
(प्रेम्णा तमङ्कमारोप्य पुनः पुनरुदैक्षत ।)
नगा गावो वृषा वत्सा लेभिरे परमां मुदम् ॥ १६॥
नन्दं विप्राः समागत्य गुरवः सकलत्रकाः ।
ऊचुस्ते कालियग्रस्तो दिष्ट्या मुक्तस्तवात्मजः ॥ १७॥
देहि दानं द्विजातीनां कृष्णनिर्मुक्तिहेतवे ।
नन्दः प्रीतमना राजन् गाः सुवर्णं तदाऽऽदिशत् ॥ १८॥
यशोदापि महाभागा नष्टलब्धप्रजा सती ।
परिष्वज्याङ्कमारोप्य मुमोचाश्रुकलां मुहुः ॥ १९॥
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Finding Śrī Kṛṣṇa come out of the pool adorned with an ethereal garland, bedaubed with a weird sandal paste and clad in heavenly raiment, decked all over with a number of large gems and graced with gold ornaments, all the cowherds rose even as the senses return on life being restored to them; and with their mind full of rapture they hugged the Lord with (great) love. (13-14)
Meeting with Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Yaśodā and Rohiṇī, Nanda as well as the other cowherds and cowherdesses, O Parikṣit (a scion of Kuru), regained sensibility and had their desire fulfilled. (15)
And, embracing Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the immortal Lord), Balarāma, who knew His greatness, laughed. (Even) mountains, cows, bulls and calves derived supreme joy. (16)
Coming up to Nanda, the Brāhmaṇas including his well-known preceptors with their wives said, "Luckily (enough for us) your son, who was seized by Kāliya, has been liberated. (17)
Bestow gifts on Brāhmaṇas on the ground of Śrī Kṛṣṇa's deliverance." With a delighted mind, O king, Nanda thereupon gave them cows and gold. (18)
The highly blessed and virtuous Yaśodā too, who had recovered her lost child, hugged Śrī Kṛṣṇa and placing Him in her lap, shed tears (of joy) again and again. (19) (13-19)
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तां रात्रिं तत्र राजेन्द्र क्षुत्तृड्भ्यां श्रमकर्शिताः ।
ऊषुर्व्रजौकसो गावः कालिन्द्या उपकूलतः ॥ २०॥
तदा शुचिवनोद्भूतो दावाग्निः सर्वतो व्रजम् ।
सुप्तं निशीथ आवृत्य प्रदग्धुमुपचक्रमे ॥ २१॥
तत उत्थाय सम्भ्रान्ता दह्यमाना व्रजौकसः ।
कृष्णं ययुस्ते शरणं मायामनुजमीश्वरम् ॥ २२॥
कृष्ण कृष्ण महाभाग हे रामामितविक्रम ।
एष घोरतमो वह्निस्तावकान् ग्रसते हि नः ॥ २३॥
सुदुस्तरान्नः स्वान् पाहि कालाग्नेः सुहृदः प्रभो ।
न शक्नुमस्त्वच्चरणं सन्त्यक्तुमकुतोभयम् ॥ २४॥
इत्थं स्वजनवैक्लव्यं निरीक्ष्य जगदीश्वरः ।
तमग्निमपिबत्तीव्रमनन्तोऽनन्तशक्तिधृक् ॥ २५॥
इति श्रीमद्भागवते महापुराणे पारमहंस्यां संहितायां
दशमस्कन्धे पूर्वार्धे दावाग्निमोचनं नाम सप्तदशोऽध्यायः ॥ १७॥
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Oppressed with hunger and thirst and worn out with fatigue, O king of kings, the inhabitants of Vraja as well as their cows spent that night near the bank of the Kālinḍī. (20)
In the course of that night a wild fire, that broke out in the forest dried with summer heat, surrounded the whole of Vraja lying asleep at midnight and began to burn it. (21)
Being scorched (with the fire), the said inhabitants of Vraja rose bewildered from that place and sought Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the almighty Lord, who looked like a human being through His Māyā (deluding potency), as their refuge. (22)
(They exclaimed,) "O Kṛṣṇa the enchanter of all, O highly blessed one, O Rāma of immeasurable prowess, this most terrible fire is actually consuming us, who are (exclusively) Yours. (23)
(Pray) protect us, Your own friends, from the deadly fire, which is most difficult to escape from. We are unable to leave for good Your feet, our fearless asylum." (24)
Observing the perturbation of His own people as aforesaid, the infinite Lord of the universe swallowed up that fierce conflagration, possessed as He was of unlimited energy. (25)
Thus ends the seventeenth discourse entitled "Śrī Kṛṣṇa rescues the inhabitants of Vraja from a wild fire," in the first half of Book Ten of the great and glorious Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahāṃsa-Sarhhitā. (20-25)
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