As Lord Krishna danced on Kaliya’s mighty hood, Kaliya felt immense pain. He trembled with terror to realise that he was about to meet with his end. ‘If I do not beg for mercy now, I will surely die,’ thought the king of the serpents. The mighty serpent also understood that the young boy dancing on his hood could not be an ordinary mortal. In sheer terror, the truth sank into Kaliya’s mind that his tormentor was in truth Lord Vishnu. So he begged, “Have mercy on me. I regret my mistake.” ‘So, the serpent is ready to accept defeat. Though he is evil yet, he is ready to accept his mistake and he is begging for mercy. His wives are also pleading for mercy,’ thought Lord Krishna. As the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, He was filled with compassion even for the poisonous serpent. He decided to show mercy to the snake.
Kaliya Begs for Mercy
