Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.16.28
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesStubborn Resistance Meets the Lord’s Chastisement
“My dear King, Kāliya had 101 prominent heads, and when one of them would not bow down, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who inflicts punishment on cruel wrong-doers, would smash that stubborn head by striking it with His feet. Then, as Kāliya entered his death throes, he began wheeling his heads around and vomiting ghastly blood from his mouths and nostrils. The serpent thus experienced extreme pain and misery.”
What the purport teaches
- Kāliya had 101 prominent heads. Whenever one refused to bow, Kṛṣṇa struck it with His feet.
- Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is described here as one who punishes cruel wrong-doers.
- As Kāliya’s life ebbed, he wheeled his heads around and vomited blood. His resistance brought him extreme pain and misery.
Try this today
Pause today to acknowledge one stubborn attitude, and offer a respectful bow to Kṛṣṇa.
Ask yourself
What does Kāliya’s stubborn refusal to bow invite me to examine in myself?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.