Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.28.14

na śeke so 'vituḿ tatra

puru-kṛcchroru-vepathuḥ

gantum aicchat tato vṛkṣa-

koṭarād iva sānalāt

SYNONYMS

na — not; śeke — was able; saḥ — he; avitum — to protect; tatra — there; puru — very much; kṛcchra — difficulty; uru — great; vepathuḥ — suffering; gantum — to go out; aicchat — desired; tataḥ — from there; vṛkṣa — of a tree; koṭarāt — from the hollow; iva — like; sa-analāt — on fire.

TRANSLATION

As a serpent living within the cavity of a tree wishes to leave when there is a forest fire, so the city's police superintendent, the snake, wished to leave the city due to the fire's severe heat.

PURPORT

It becomes very difficult for snakes to leave a forest when there is a fire. Other animals may flee due to their long legs, but serpents, only being able to crawl, are generally burnt in the fire. At the last stage, the limbs of the body are not as much affected as the life air.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness