Krishna and the serpent Kaliya

1. 5.7. Part 5, Section 7

   5.7.1One day young Krishna went to the forest of Vrindavana without his brother Balarama, wearing flower garlands and surrounded by cowherd boys. He went to the sparkling Kalindi (Yamuna) river and found a pool where the terrible serpent Kaliya lived, its water boiling with poison.
2. 5.7.2The poison had withered the big trees on the shore and burned birds touched by the spray. Seeing the serpent, as frightening as death itself, Krishna thought: this is the wicked snake Kaliya, whom I defeated and forced to leave the ocean.
3. 5.7.3Krishna thinks: this serpent has poisoned the Yamuna river, so the thirsty cows and herders cannot drink. He decides to defeat it so the people of Vraja can live happily without fear. He says he came to earth to punish the wicked, so he will climb a Kadamba tree and jump into the pool.
4. 5.7.4Krishna tightens his clothes and boldly jumps into the serpent's pool. The lake churns, and the poisoned spray sets distant trees on fire until the whole sky seems to blaze. In the water, Krishna slaps his arms loudly to challenge the serpent.
5. 5.7.5Hearing the noise, the serpent king Kaliya comes out with copper-red eyes and hoods flaming with venom. Many other poisonous snakes and richly adorned serpent-women come with him. They wrap around Krishna and bite him with fiery, poisonous fangs.
6. 5.7.6Seeing Krishna wrapped by snakes, his friends run back to the village crying that he foolishly jumped into Kaliya's lake and is being eaten. The news hits like thunder, and the cowherds and their wives, led by Yashoda, Krishna's mother, rush to the lake.
7. 5.7.7The women cry out, confused, "Where has Krishna gone?" Yashoda hurries, stumbling with fear. Balarama, Nanda (Krishna's father), and the cowherds reach the river and see Krishna motionless in the serpent's coils. Nanda and Yashoda are frozen with shock at the sight of their son.
8. 5.7.8The grieving women say they will follow Yashoda into the lake and will not return home without Krishna. They ask what a day is without the sun or a night without the moon; their village without Krishna would be like a pond with no water.
9. 5.7.9The cowherd women go on crying out that they cannot live without Krishna. He is so dear to them that even their mothers' homes would mean nothing without him. They notice that even while the snakes wrap around him, Krishna is still smiling at them.
10. 5.7.10Parashara, the narrator, says that Rama (Balarama, Krishna's older brother, son of Rohini) sees Nanda staring in shock and Yashoda about to faint. So Balarama reminds Krishna who he really is. He asks why Krishna, the god of gods, is acting like a helpless human. He says Krishna is the center of all creation, like the hub of a wheel.
11. 5.7.11Balarama says he himself is a part of Krishna, born as his older brother. The gods have also been born as cowherds to share in Krishna's life on earth. He asks why Krishna is ignoring his friends and family, who are now so sad.
12. 5.7.12Balarama ends by saying Krishna has played the part of a human child long enough. Now he should defeat this terrible poisonous snake.
13. 5.7.13Once Balarama reminds him of his true nature, Krishna smiles and slips free of the snakes' coils. He grabs Kaliya's middle head, pushes it down, and dances on it. Each time the serpent tries to lift a head, Krishna stamps it down again.
14. 5.7.14Krishna's dancing feet crush the snakes until they faint and spit up blood. Kaliya's wives see their husband hurt and bleeding, so they beg Krishna, called the Slayer of Madhu, for mercy.
15. 5.7.15Kaliya's wives say they now know Krishna is the supreme god. Even the gods cannot praise him enough, so how could they? Earth, sky, water, fire and air are only parts of him. Even holy hermits have failed to fully understand him.
16. 5.7.16The wives bow to Krishna as smaller than the smallest atom and larger than the largest thing. He was never born and can never be destroyed. They say he is not punishing Kaliya out of anger but to protect the world. They beg him, as the most forgiving one, to show pity.
17. 5.7.17The wives point out that Kaliya is weak compared to Krishna, who holds up the whole universe. Someone so great has no reason to fight someone so small. They ask Krishna, as an act of kindness, to give them back their dying husband.
18. 5.7.18Kaliya is worn out, but he also weakly asks Krishna to forgive him. He says Krishna has unmatched power and is beyond everything, so he cannot find words to praise him.
19. 5.7.19Kaliya asks how he could ever praise the one from whom all the gods came, including Brahma, Rudra (Shiva), Indra and others. The whole universe is only a small part of Krishna. Even Brahma cannot understand his nature.
20. 5.7.20Kaliya says Krishna is worshipped by the king of the gods, and by sages who picture him in their hearts during meditation. Kaliya cannot worship him properly, so he asks Krishna to be pleased with him out of mercy alone. He adds that serpents are crooked by nature.
21. 5.7.21Kaliya argues that he acted cruelly because he was born a snake, and God made every creature the way it is. He would deserve punishment only if he went against his nature. He says being punished by Krishna is actually a blessing.
22. 5.7.22Kaliya says Krishna has taken away all his strength and poison. He asks only to be allowed to live, and asks what Krishna wants him to do.
23. 5.7.23Krishna tells Kaliya to leave the lake at once and go to the sea with his family. He promises that Garuda, the eagle who hunts snakes, will not harm him once he sees Krishna's footprints on his head. Kaliya bows and leaves with his whole family.
24. 5.7.24When the snake is gone, the cowherds hug Krishna as if he had come back from the dead, and they cry happy tears. People are amazed that the river's water is clean again. They praise Krishna, and he returns home to Vraja.