evaḿ paribhrama-hataujasam unnatāḿsam
ānamya tat-pṛthu-śiraḥsv adhirūḍha ādyaḥ
tan-mūrdha-ratna-nikara-sparśāti-tāmra-
pādāmbujo 'khila-kalādi-gurur nanarta
evam -- in this way; paribhrama -- because of the Lord's moving around him; hata -- spoiled; ojasam -- whose strength; unnata -- raised high; amsam -- whose shoulders; anamya -- making him bend down; tat -- his; prithu-sirahsu -- onto the broad heads; adhirudhah -- having climbed up; adyah -- the ultimate origin of everything; tat -- his; murdha -- on the heads; ratna-nikara -- the numerous jewels; sparsa -- because of touching; ati-tamra -- very much reddened; pada-ambujah -- whose lotus feet; akhila-kala -- of all arts; adi-guruh -- the original spiritual master; nanarta -- began to dance.
Having severely depleted the serpent's strength with His relentless circling, Sri Krishna, the origin of everything, pushed down Kaliya's raised shoulders and mounted his broad serpentine heads. Thus Lord Sri Krishna, the original master of all fine arts, began to dance, His lotus feet deeply reddened by the touch of the numerous jewels upon the serpent's heads.
Sri Hari-vamsa states, sirah sa krishno jagraha sva-hastenavanamya: "Krishna grabbed Kaliya'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 Krishna forcibly pushed Kaliya'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.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura explains that Lord Krishna's lotus feet became red like copper because of their contact with the numerous hard jewels upon the heads of Kaliya. Lord Krishna, 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 Vrindavana, who at this phase of their relationship with Krishna were seriously falling in love with Him.
