Who was Kaliya?

Kaliya (कालिय): Serpent of the Yamuna, one of the sages and supporting figures in the Mahabharata. The many-hooded naga whose venom poisoned the Yamuna until the boy Krishna danced upon his hoods and banished him, sparing him for his wives' prayers.

Quick Facts

Key facts about Kaliya
Sanskrit name	कालिय
Title / Epithet	Serpent of the Yamuna
Faction	Sages & Others
Key traits	venomous, proud, humbled
Featured in	2 stories

About Kaliya

The many-hooded naga whose venom poisoned the Yamuna until the boy Krishna danced upon his hoods and banished him, sparing him for his wives' prayers.

In Their Words

Your feet upon my head are a crown I did not seek.
Kaliya

Traits

venomous
proud
humbled

Story Appearances

The Boy God of VrindavanThe serpent danced into submission 24 min

Stories Featuring Kaliya

One further tale on this site names Kaliya.

The Divine ChildKrishna's life is the Mahabharata's answer to the question: What does God look like when God walks among us? The answer...Adi Parva28 min

Places in Kaliya's Story

Drawn from the stories Kaliya appears in.

Others counted among the Sages & Others.