Through the episode of Kaliya Mardana (the defeat of
Kaliya), Paramatma taught the world a sublime and beautiful lesson on
individual constitution and bashing up of ego.
The venomous and arrogant serpent, Kaliya, surrendered to
Lord Krishna when his entire prowess was systematically destroyed. Sri Krishna,
the Lord of all moving and non-moving things, upon the surrender of Kaliya along
with his family, graciously advised Kaliya to leave the waters without
polluting it and causing any further harm to life. This was also part of His
purpose of visit to the earth – the preservation of Dharma.
The banishment of Kaliya from the river has important
worldly and spiritual significances.
Beings with malicious intent try their level best to infect
the nature with malicious dispositions. They get some initial success in their
sadistic thoughts. With this background, they try to make a direct attack on Dharma
and sometimes even the Lord. However, the embodiments of unrelenting cruelty of
such deceitful persons whose purpose is to poison the surroundings and people
will be exposed by the Supreme Being at right moment when the unruliness appear
to be misleading the people. Sri Purusha overpowers the brutal habits of such
adharmic lot and stripping them of all their ways will eradicate them too – in
the process helping them in their upward divine unfoldment and Self-realization.
Source – Saptagiri Magazine August 2017 published by
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam. The article was written by Vamanan Namboodiri.