Śrī Hari-vaṁśa states, śiraḥ sa kṛṣṇo jagrāha sva-hastenāvanamya: “Kṛṣṇa grabbed Kāliya’s head with His hand and forced it to bow down.” Most people in this world are quite reluctant to bow down to the Supreme Person, the Absolute Truth. In the contaminated state called material consciousness, we conditioned souls become proud of our insignificant position and are thus reluctant to bow our heads before the Lord. Yet just as Lord Kṛṣṇa forcibly pushed Kāliya’s heads down and thus defeated him, the Supreme Lord’s energy in the form of irresistible time kills all conditioned souls and thus forces them to bow down their arrogant heads. We should therefore give up the artificial position of material life and become faithful servants of the Supreme Lord, enthusiastically bowing down at His lotus feet.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains that Lord Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet became red like copper because of their contact with the numerous hard jewels upon the heads of Kāliya. Lord Kṛṣṇa, with those glowing reddish feet, then began to demonstrate His artistic skill by dancing on the unsteady, moving surface of the serpent’s hoods. This extraordinary demonstration of dancing skill was meant for the pleasure of the young women of Vṛndāvana, who at this phase of their relationship with Kṛṣṇa were seriously falling in love with Him.