The prema for his family members (sva jana), in order to protect them, began to search for a suitable power. How can this very young, tender boy swallow this intense fire? Thus his sanharika sakti, power of destruction, swallowed the fire. Therefore the description of Krsna being the possessor of power (sakti dhrk) and thus drinking the fire is only a figure of speech, since his sanharika sakti did it.

Seeing or understanding all expressing many pitiful words out of love for him, he swallowed that ferocious (tam) fire, even though it was intolerably hot. This was because of his absorption in prema filled with compassion. “That may be so, but how was it possible to swallow it simply by being absorbed in prema?” He displays great intrinsic powers though they are hidden. With that intention the verse speaks. He is the person who gives powers to everything else since he is Lord of the universe (jagad-īśvaraḥ). Therefore what power does fire have in comparison to him? “How could this cowherd boy swallow the fire which was burning all around?” Though he has the form of a cowherd boy, his form manifests everywhere on its own by his powers (anantaḥ). Not only does he have power, but it is astonishing: he has infinite powers (ananta-śakit-dhṛk). The cowherds did not even get the opportunity to extinguish the fire.

Understanding directly (nirīkṣya) their condition known by their pitiful words (ittham), or caused by the forest fire (ittham), and seeing that previous to their informing him, that the fire arising from the dry forest had increased and spread everywhere, he extinguished the fire, intolerable and impossible to counteract (tīvram), as if swallowing it completely (apibat). This was beyond logic because he was controller of the creators of the universe like Brahmā (jagad-īśvaraḥ). He gives power to them including the power of fire to burn. Or he did this because he was capable of inconceivable pastimes since he was the supreme lord (jagad-īśvaraḥ). Or being non-different from Agni who is the mouth of the devatās, he placed it in his mouth, its proper place. This made Agni happy since the Lord gives happiness to all the devatās (jagad-iśvaraḥ). “We cannot be happy if there is fire in Kṛṣṇa’s mouth.” He is infinite and thus fire can exist inside a small portion of his mouth, somewhere, without harming it. And no one can see this. “How could Nanda and Yaśodā, so affectionate for Kṛṣṇa, tolerate his drinking the fire or made no attempts to stop him?” He has unlimited powers (ananta-śakti-dṛk). He could drink the fire without them even seeing it. Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to the Tenth Canto, Seventeenth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The History of Kāliya." 10.18: Lord Balarāma Slays the Demon Pralamba verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 Chapter Summary The killing of Pralambāsura is described in this chapter. While playing happily in Vṛndāvana, Lord Baladeva climbed up on the shoulders of the demon Pralamba and struck his head with His fist, destroying him. Śrī Vṛndāvana, where Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma enacted Their pastimes, was even during the summer decorated with all the qualities of spring. At that time Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa would become absorbed in various sports, surrounded by Balarāma and all the cowherd boys. One day they were intently dancing, singing and playing when a demon named Pralamba entered their midst, disguised as a cowherd boy. The omniscient Lord Kṛṣṇa saw through the disguise, but even as He thought of how to kill the demon, He treated him as a friend. Kṛṣṇa then suggested to His young friends and Baladeva that they play a game involving contending parties. Taking the role of leaders, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma divided the boys into two groups and determined that the losers would have to carry the winners on their shoulders. Thus when Śrīdāmā and Vṛṣabha, members of Balarāma's party, were victorious, Kṛṣṇa and another boy in His party carried them on their shoulders. Pralambāsura thought that the unconquerable Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa would be too great an opponent to contend with, so the demon fought with Balarāma instead and was defeated. Taking Lord Balarāma on his back, Pralambāsura began to walk away very swiftly. But Balarāma became as heavy as Mount Sumeru, and the demon, unable to carry Him, had to reveal his true, demoniac form. When Balarāma saw this terrible form, He struck the demon a ferocious blow on the head with His fist. This blow shattered Pralambāsura's head just as lightning bolts hurled by the king of the demigods shatter mountains. The demon repeatedly vomited blood and then fell upon the ground. When the cowherd boys saw Lord Balarāma return, they joyfully embraced and congratulated Him as the demigods showered garlands of flowers from the heavens and glorified Him.