FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.16.8

तस्य ह्रदे विहरतो भुजदण्डघूर्ण- वार्घोषमङ्ग वरवारणविक्रमस्य । आश्रुत्य तत् स्वसदनाभिभवं निरीक्ष्य चक्षु:श्रवा: समसरत्तदमृष्यमाण: ॥ ८ ॥
tasya hrade viharato bhuja-daṇḍa-ghūrṇa-
[tasya hrade viharato bhuja-danda-ghoorna-]
vār-ghoṣam aṅga vara-vāraṇa-vikramasya
[vaar-ghosham anga vara-vaarana-vikramasya]
āśrutya tat sva-sadanābhibhavaṁ nirīkṣya
[aashrutya tat sva-sadanaabhibhavam nireekshya]
cakṣuḥ-śravāḥ samasarat tad amṛṣyamāṇaḥ
[chakshuh-shravaah samasarat tad amrishyamaanah]
Word-for-word
tasya — of Him hrade — in his lake viharataḥ — who was playing bhuja - daṇḍa — by His mighty arms ghūrṇa — swirled about vāḥ — of the water ghoṣam — the resounding aṅga — my dear King vara - vāraṇa — like a great elephant vikramasya — whose prowess āśrutya — hearing tat — that sva - sadana — of his own residence abhibhavam — the trespassing nirīkṣya — taking note of cakṣuḥ - śravāḥ — Kāliya samasarat — came forward tat — that amṛṣyamāṇaḥ — being unable to tolerate .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tasya hrade viharato bhuja-daṇḍa-ghūrṇa-
tasya
of Him
hrade
in his lake
viharataḥ
who was playing
bhuja - daṇḍa
by His mighty arms
ghūrṇa
swirled about
vār-ghoṣam aṅga vara-vāraṇa-vikramasya
vāḥ
of the water
ghoṣam
the resounding
aṅga
my dear King
vara - vāraṇa
like a great elephant
vikramasya
whose prowess
āśrutya tat sva-sadanābhibhavaṁ nirīkṣya
āśrutya
hearing
tat
that
sva - sadana
of his own residence
abhibhavam
the trespassing
nirīkṣya
taking note of
cakṣuḥ-śravāḥ samasarat tad amṛṣyamāṇaḥ
cakṣuḥ - śravāḥ
Kāliya
samasarat
came forward
tat
that
amṛṣyamāṇaḥ
being unable to tolerate .
Important Words
  • viharataḥ — of (Him who was) playing
    From vi+hṛ — to disport, to play. Vihāra is the technical Gauḍīya term for Bhagavān's pastimes. Even at the brink of mortal combat, Kṛṣṇa is at play, not at war.
  • bhuja - daṇḍa — by His staff-like arms
    Compound: bhuja (arm) + daṇḍa (staff, rod). The wrestler-vocabulary returns. Kṛṣṇa's arms are described in dhyāna-mantras as ājānubāhu — reaching to the knees — emblematic of His protective strength.
  • vara - vāraṇa — the best of elephants
    Compound: vara (best) + vāraṇa (elephant). The simile: Kṛṣṇa splashes like a lordly elephant. Recalls Gajendra (SB 8.2–3), the elephant whom the Lord rescued from a different aquatic enemy.
  • amṛṣyamāṇaḥ — being intolerant
    From a + √mṛṣ — unable to bear. The asura's signature trait — intolerance of Bhagavān's presence in 'his' domain. The contrast with the devotee's tolerance (titikṣā) is exact.
Kṛṣṇa began sporting in Kāliya’s lake like a lordly elephant — swirling His mighty arms and making the water resound in various ways. When Kāliya heard these sounds, he understood that someone was trespassing in his lake. The serpent could not tolerate this and immediately came forward.
Purport

According to the ācāryas, Lord Kṛṣṇa was producing wonderful musical sounds within the water simply by splashing His hands and arms.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Kṛṣṇa began sporting in Kāliya's lake like a lordly elephant—swirling His mighty arms and making the water resound in various ways. When Kāliya heard these sounds, he understood that someone was trespassing in his lake. The serpent could not tolerate this and immediately came forward.
Commentary

Krsna began playing in the water, by making musical sounds with the water and swimming. As he churned the water with his two arms, a thunderous roar arose. Hearing that sound, the snakes concluded that there must be some rebellion (abhibhavam) above their snake hole houses. Not being able to bear that ( tad amrsyamanah), they arrived there (samsarat).

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Kṛṣṇa sported in the water by swimming about, making noise by splashing the water. He was powerful like an elephant of the directions (vara-vāraṇa). O king (aṅga)! Śukadeva calls him affectionately to remove his sorrow.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Kṛṣṇa sported in the water by swimming about, making noise by splashing the water. O king (aṅga)! Śukadeva calls him affectionately to remove his sorrow. Or “O relative acting as Kṛṣṇa’s limb (aṅga)!” He was powerful like an elephant of the directions (vara-vāraṇa). Or he had playful movements (vikrama) like a mad elephant in the water. Or he had special powers (vikrama) even in his little toe (aṅga) even greater than a mad elephant. He made loud sounds with his arms. That was not astonishing since he had such strength. Kāliya saw him, hearing being his eyes. This means that, hearing the sound, he looked, but he did not at all see Kṛṣṇa’s beauty. Otherwise it would be impossible for him to bite Kṛṣṇa. Or cakṣuḥ-śravāḥ means “he whose fame was in his eyes.” He perfected his hearing by seeing. He confirmed everything by seeing.

Related values & verses
Related values
Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Dana (Charity / Generosity)Discriminative WisdomAparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Asteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)Yajña (Sacrifice / Spirit of Offering)Santosha (Contentment)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)
Related verses
BG 17.20 BG 7.1 BG 18.1 BG 8.2 BG 16.1 BG 8.1 BG 12.6 BG 13.8
Concepts
Jiva
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Kṛṣṇa sports like a lordly elephant, splashing musical sounds in the lake. Hearing the trespass, Kāliya cannot tolerate it and rushes out. Sometimes the Lord deliberately summons the enemy by playing in his territory.
Reflection Questions
  • What 'territory' am I avoiding because the resident demon would emerge?
  • Where does the Lord want me to make joyful noise precisely where I have been quiet?
Analogy

Like a lordly bull-elephant splashing in the river it owns, Kṛṣṇa makes the water resound with His arms. He is the householder of Vraja's waters, not a trespasser. Kāliya thinks he hears an intruder; the boy in the lake is the actual proprietor.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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