Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.16.28
यद् यच्छिरो न नमतेऽङ्ग शतैकशीर्ष्ण-
स्तत्तन् ममर्द खरदण्डधरोऽङ्घ्रिपातै: ।
क्षीणायुषो भ्रमत उल्बणमास्यतोऽसृङ्
नस्तो वमन् परमकश्मलमाप नाग: ॥ २८ ॥
yad yac chiro na namate ’ṅga śataika-śīrṣṇas
[yad yach chiro na namate ’nga shataika-sheershnas]
tat tan mamarda khara-daṇḍa-dharo ’ṅghri-pātaiḥ
[tat tan mamarda khara-danda-dharo ’nghri-paataih]
kṣīṇāyuṣo bhramata ulbaṇam āsyato ’sṛṅ
[ksheenaayusho bhramata ulbanam aasyato ’srin]
nasto vaman parama-kaśmalam āpa nāgaḥ
[nasto vaman parama-kashmalam aapa naagah]
Word-for-word
yat yat
—
whichever
śiraḥ
—
heads
na namate
—
would not bow down
aṅga
—
my dear King Parīkṣit
śata - eka - śīrṣṇaḥ
—
of him who had 101 heads
tat tat
—
those
mamarda
—
trampled down
khara
—
on those who are evil
daṇḍa
—
punishment
dharaḥ
—
the Lord who exerts
aṅghri - pātaiḥ
—
with the blows of His feet
kṣīṇa - āyuṣaḥ
—
of Kāliya, whose life was becoming depleted
bhramataḥ
—
who was still moving about
ulbaṇam
—
terrible
āsyataḥ
—
from his mouths
asṛk
—
blood
nastaḥ
—
from his nostrils
vaman
—
vomiting
parama
—
extreme
kaśmalam
—
trouble
āpa
—
experienced
nāgaḥ
—
the serpent .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yad yac chiro na namate ’ṅga śataika-śīrṣṇas
yat yat
whichever
śiraḥ
heads
na namate
would not bow down
tat tan mamarda khara-daṇḍa-dharo ’ṅghri-pātaiḥ
aṅga
my dear King Parīkṣit
śata - eka - śīrṣṇaḥ
of him who had 101 heads
tat tat
those
kṣīṇāyuṣo bhramata ulbaṇam āsyato ’sṛṅ
mamarda
trampled down
khara
on those who are evil
daṇḍa
punishment
dharaḥ
the Lord who exerts
aṅghri - pātaiḥ
with the blows of His feet
kṣīṇa - āyuṣaḥ
of Kāliya, whose life was becoming depleted
bhramataḥ
who was still moving about
ulbaṇam
terrible
āsyataḥ
from his mouths
nasto vaman parama-kaśmalam āpa nāgaḥ
asṛk
blood
nastaḥ
from his nostrils
vaman
vomiting
parama
extreme
kaśmalam
trouble
āpa
experienced
nāgaḥ
the serpent .
Important Words
-
na namate
—
would not bow
From √nam — to bend, to offer obeisance. Namaḥ is the Vaiṣṇava's first syllable. The hood that cannot say namaḥ is broken; the entire Kāliya episode is a parable about the cost of refusing to bow.
-
khara - daṇḍa - dharaḥ
—
the bearer of severe punishment
Compound: khara (harsh) + daṇḍa (rod) + dhara (bearer). One of Bhagavān's titles in His daṇḍa-aspect. Gauḍīya: the same hand that lifts Govardhana lifts the rod against the cruel; both are sevā to His devotees.
-
kaśmalam
—
wretchedness, anguish
The word for the deepest psychological collapse — used at Gītā 2.2 for Arjuna's state. Kāliya now tastes it. Even the asura is granted Arjuna's word.
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.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
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.
Commentary
Sataika here means one hundred chief heads, because in the thirtieth verse one thousand heads are mentioned. Krsna suddenly jumped upon those heads which had not bowed down, striking them with his feet. Blood began to flow from his Kaliya’s mouths and noses.
Śrīdhara Svāmī
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Kāliya had a hundred chief (eka) heads among many more, since in verse 30 it is said that he had thousands of hoods. He was almost dead (kṣīnāyuṣaḥ). Ulbaṇam means profuse. He experienced pain because blood flowed from his nostrils and mouths, blocking the openings so he could not breathe.
Related values & verses
Related values
Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Tejas (Inner Radiance / Vigour)Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)
Related verses
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Kāliya has 101 prominent heads; any that won't bow, Kṛṣṇa smashes underfoot. The serpent vomits blood and writhes in pain. Stubborn parts of resistance get extra attention; the unbending is broken so the surrender can complete.
Reflection Questions
- Which 'head' in me refuses to bow that needs the Lord's foot, not my polite persuasion?
- What stubborn opinion am I still defending while the rest of me has surrendered?
Analogy
One hundred and one hoods, one hundred and one chances to bow. Kṛṣṇa is patient — He waits for each head to refuse, then crushes that one, then waits for the next. The chastisement is not blind violence; it is per-head pedagogy. Every head that finally cannot bow is broken; every head that bows is spared.
My note
Source: vedabase.io