Hare Krsna,
Hearing the pastime of Krsna subduing Kaliya reminds me of the pitiable condition of my heart. The tranquil lake of my heart has been polluted by the poisonous venom emanating from the mouth of a poisonous snake (which represents the dark ignorance of avidya established since time immemorial). This snake has many hoods represented by unlimited and unfavorable material desires and unwanted habits (such as pride, deceit, harming others, and cruelty). Because of this poison, the whole area of my heart has become so contaminated that it emanates poisonous material desires twenty-four hours a day. If a bird carrying sweet transcendental message were to pass over the spot, the divine voice would be immediately subdued by the cacophony of material desires. The lake is quite wide and even the demigods could not cross over it to reach me. Approaching the lake is difficult for its shores are covered with the holes in which the serpents of material desires live. All around the river is a fog generated by the fire of the serpents’ poison, and this powerful fire would at once burn up every blade of bhakti-lata creeper and wish-fulfilling trees. Worse of all, my spirit soul is entangled by the coils of this snake. Despite its best efforts, the powerless and infinitesimally minute soul is unable to free itself from the strong coils.
In such turmoil of my soul, Krsna (the Supersoul) is watching from the branch of a Kadamba tree situated on the bank of the river and waiting to be summoned for help. The pride of my soul wants to fight it out alone without seeking any help. Alas, the coils of the serpent binds me (the soul) harder and harder until I have no alternative but to cry out to Krsna (Supersoul) for help. For my bhakti to blossom, the anarthas of pride, deceit, harming others and cruelty must be driven out of the heart.
The presence of Kadamba tree on the banks of the river of my heart is not a mere coincidence. Why did the tree remain on the bank when everything else died? It remained because it is Krsna’s tree; He is sitting and waiting on a branch to help His lost friend (my soul).
Hearing my cries for help, Kṛṣṇa, who advented Himself just to kill all undesirable elements in the world, immediately tightened His belt cloth and, flapping His arms just like a wrestler, jumped in the midst of the poisonous lake. When He jumped into the water, the river overflooded its banks, as if something very large had fallen into it. This exhibition of Kṛṣṇa’s strength is not at all uncommon because He is the reservoir of all strength.
Expectedly the serpents of my heart will not sit idle and let them be subdued by Krsna. They became extremely agitated and began breathing heavily, further polluting my heart with volumes of poisonous material desires. It’s as if Krsna has found a capable opposition who is resisting Krsna’s intervention will full might. Little does it know that Supreme Lord possesses infinite strength. Our sweet Krsna began sporting in the lake of my heart like a lordly elephant—swirling His mighty arms and making the water resound in various ways. When the serpent heard these sounds, he understood that someone was trespassing in his waters. The serpent could not tolerate this and immediately came forward.
The Lord looked extremely beautiful. He wore yellow silken garments, was very delicate, His attractive body shining like a glowing white cloud, His chest bearing the mark of Śrīvatsa, His face smiling beautifully and His feet resembling the whorl of a lotus flower. The Lord was playing fearlessly in the water. Despite His wonderful appearance, the envious Kāliya furiously bit Him on the chest and then completely enwrapped Him in his coils.
Seeing Krsna enveloped in the snake’s coils, my heart cries in agony. How much danger I, the ignorant fool, have put the Lord into for rescuing me!
No wonder in the actual pastime when the members of the cowherd community, who had accepted Kṛṣṇa as their dear most friend, saw Him enveloped in the snake’s coils, motionless, they were greatly disturbed. They had offered Kṛṣṇa everything—their very selves, their families, their wealth, wives and all pleasures. At the sight of the Lord in the clutches of the Kāliya snake, their intelligence became deranged by grief, lamentation and fear, and thus they fell to the ground. Even the cows, bulls and female calves, in great distress, called out piteously to Kṛṣṇa. Fixing their eyes on Him, they stood still in fear, as if ready to cry but too shocked to shed tears.
(Adapted from the verses of SB 10.16.1-12 and related chapter from Krsna book)
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Krsna Katha 