Kl16. The Story Of Kaliya And The Forest Fire Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

KRISHNA LEELA

There is a story behind,
Here the reader will find,
How Kaliya, the snake
Came to the Yamuna Lake?

Garuda, the God Vishnu's servant,
Every day, for his food, went,
To kill and eat a serpent,
Wherever it was present.

The killings increased day by day,
Kaliya found there was no way,
But to offer Garuda, the Eagle,
For its daily food, a serpent single.

Kaliya decided later on,
How long this to keep on?
Why to continue this
As a daily practice?

It started eating the serpent,
What was daily to be sent,
The Garuda became upset,
As its offer, it didn't get.

A fight arose in between,
Kaliya and Garuda then,
A defeat, the serpent faced,
To the Yamuna River it raced.

As a sage near that Lake,
Cursed Garuda not to take,
Any serpent for its food,
It hid there for its good.

Krishna drove it away,
And it found its way
To the remote ocean bed,
With its family, as He said.

One night a fire broke out,
And there was a big shout,
That the forest was on fire,
People ran out in great fear.

Krishna, to their rescue, came,
Once they chanted His name,
He swallowed the fire whole.
Thus He played the safe role.

Will the fire burn, when He's there?
No, He's the Earth, He's the water,
He's the Space, Himself is the Fire,
He's the Air, He takes all the care.