Ancients Speak
Suman K Sharma
The ground on the bank of a Jamuna pool in Vrindavanawas avoided by Krishna’s playmates. The pool was dark and forbidding. It was daring even to pass by it. But boys would be boys, then as now. Some of the courageous cowherds cast aside their fears and walked up to it. They died instantly because of the fumes rising from its depths. Krishna, however, revived them, pretending that they had merely come out of a fainting spell.
Meanwhile, something was cooking up in the capital city of Mathura. Kansa, Krishna’s maternal uncle, who had usurped his own father’s throne, was alarmed at his nephew’s rising popularity and particularly of His mystic powers. He wanted to get rid of Him this way or that.
It so happened that Narada visited Kansa at that time. The king shared with the sage his worry. Narada then told him about the dark pool. He said that it was inhabited by the fearsome Kaliya Nag whose venom could kill anyone present in the vicinity. Kansa should, advised Narada Muni, order Nanda – Krishna’s foster-father and the chieftain of the cowherds of Braj – to present him a crore of lotus flowers growing in the dark pool. None else than Krishna would take the challenge, and in redeeming His word, He would be killed by Kaliya Nag. The intention of NaradaMuni was to bring about a situation in which Kaliya Nag would be killed; and King Kansa learn of Krishna’s might.
Kansa gave orders accordingly. Young Krishna heard Nanda receiving Kansa’s fearful dictate and was silent.
The following morning, inVrindavana, Krishna proposed to his friends, “Let us play at the pool side.” It was a challenge to their pride. The boys agreed, though with little enthusiasm. Krishna’s presence was enough to counter any harmful effect of the fumes.As they were playing, Krishna gave a powerful kick to the ball and it fell into the centre of the pool. The friends were clueless how to retrieve the ball from the pool. Kaliya Naga who lived in its depths with his wives and an alarming spoor of baby serpents would surely kill anyone who went there. Come what may, said Krishna, He would bring it back. And with that, He dived into the pool.
Krishna landed on the tail of the serpent. Kaliya was furious at the affront. He let out streams of venom at the intruder, asking Him what He was doing there. Krishna, unaffected by the serpent’s wrath, said calmly that He had come to retrieve His ball and also to collect lotus flowers for His uncle, who was the king of the land. Finding that his venom had done no harm to the delicate-looking boy, Kaliya changed his strategy. He wrapped his sinuous body round Krishna with the intent of squeezing Him to death in a python-like grip. But Krishna grew bigger and bigger till Kaliya Nag was about to burst. Realising at last that he was at the mercy of the Supreme Deity, he surrendered abjectly to Krishna.
Krishna spared Kaliya’s life, but on the condition that the serpent would leave the place forever with his entire family. As a token of subjugation of the fearsome beast, Krishna roped its hundred-plus hoods and danced on them before the whole population of Vrindaban which had gathered there in anxiety about His well-being. In Mathura, Kansa was none too happy when Nanda delivered to him a crore of lotus flowers, telling him that Krishna had subjugated Kaliya Nag.
Dance, sports and, of course, music have been the pastimes of our ancestors. Discus on the finger of Narayana Bhagwan, the bow and a quiver full of arrows of Shri Rama, the sitar of goddess Sharda and Krishna’s dancing stance with a flute on His lips bear ample testimony to our sportive ancients. Incidentally, discus-throwing and archery still figure as major events in the Olympic Games.
On a serious note, Kaliya Nag’s subjugation is an allegory to the need of controlling pollution. We cannot wish it away, but we must rein it in.
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