Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.16.25
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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krīḍan
—
playing
From √krīḍ — to play. Even in combat, Bhagavān krīḍati — He plays. Gauḍīya: krīḍā is the inner name of līlā; the cosmos exists for His sport.
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khaga - indraḥ
—
the king of birds (Garuḍa)
Compound: khaga (sky-goer, bird) + indra (chief). Garuḍa, Bhagavān's eternal vāhana and natural eater of snakes. The simile makes the eternal serpent-Garuḍa enmity present inside Kṛṣṇa's playful circling.
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ati - karāla
—
very terrible
Compound: ati (very) + karāla (fearsome). The asura's signature face — yet Kṛṣṇa is aprati-bhayam (verse 9), unmoved before any face.
Lord Kṛṣṇa moved around the serpent so skillfully that Kāliya could find no opportunity to bite Him. Thus the snake was defeated by Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental agility.
Kaliya repeatedly licked his lips (dve srkkani pari lelihanam). Krsna moved around Kaliya so that Kaliya would keep turning around. Kaliya kept following Krsna, looking for an opportunity to bite him. But because of Krsna’s skilful movements, Kaliya could find no chance. Krsna began to move in the opposite direction to avoid Kaliya.
He played with Kāliya who was constantly licking his two lips (pari) simultaneously with his forked tongue. Though it is the nature of snakes to do so, out of extreme anger he now did this. This indicates his ferocious nature. His glance was full of terrible fire. This description is repeated from the previous verse to indicate his nature. Hi is used for emphasis. Kṛṣṇa circled him. The example of Garuḍa is used to show his strength while playing or to show his quickness. Kāliya at every step (pra) watched intently (sam) for an opportunity to bite him. This showed Kṛṣṇa’s fun in playing with the snake.
He played with Kāliya who was constantly licking his two lips (pari) simultaneously with his forked tongue. Though it is the nature of snakes to do so, out of extreme anger he now did this. This indicates his ferocious nature. His glance was full of terrible fire. This description is repeated from the previous verse to indicate his nature. Jihvayā is in the singular, but indicates all the tongues of his many mouths. His two nostrils stands for the many nostrils of his many heads. Each head had one tongue and two nostrils. Hi is used for emphasis. Kṛṣṇa circled him. The example of Garuḍa is used to show his strength while playing or to show his quickness. Kāliya at every step (pra) watched intently (sam) for an opportunity to bite him. This showed Kṛṣṇa’s fun in playing with the snake.
Kāliya licks his lips again and again, looking for an opening. Kṛṣṇa circles him as Garuḍa would — playfully, deftly, never giving an angle. The serpent's enemy-since-birth has assumed boy-form, but the relation has not changed: Garuḍa's playmate of snakes is now their cousin Kṛṣṇa.
Garuḍa, Viṣṇu's eternal carrier, is by nature the predator of nāgas. The Bhāgavatam will later describe (verse 63) that Kāliya took shelter in the Yamunā precisely to hide from Garuḍa.
Gauḍīya tradition reads the simile here exactly: when Bhagavān Himself plays the role of Garuḍa, no hiding place serves. The serpent's old enemy has descended in a sweeter form, and the game ends.
My note
Source: vedabase.io