After the Lord had accomplished His purpose, He lightened the burden of the earth by orchestrating the destruction of the mighty Yadu dynasty, allowing them to annihilate one another, just as the powerful vanquish the less powerful. Govinda’s words, spoken with perfect sensitivity to time, place, and circumstance, brought solace to distressed hearts and enchanted the minds of those who remembered them. Arjuna, immersed in contemplation of Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet with deep affection, found his mind becoming tranquil and pure. Through unwavering devotion and constant meditation upon Vāsudeva’s feet, Arjuna’s mind was cleansed of all lingering impurities and established in the highest consciousness. He recalled the sacred knowledge imparted by the Blessed Lord upon the battlefield, and by this remembrance overcame the darkness of time, fate, and delusion. Freed from sorrow by attaining the state of Brahman, all doubts of duality were cut away, and Arjuna merged into a nature beyond the modes, transcending bodily identification and birth. Yudhiṣṭhira, hearing of the Lord’s departure and the end of the Yadu dynasty, composed his mind and resolved to follow the path to higher realms. Pṛthā, too, upon hearing from Arjuna about the destruction of the Yadus and the Lord’s departure, fixed her mind in exclusive devotion to the transcendent Lord, withdrawing from the cycle of birth and death. The unborn Lord, having removed the earth’s burden, abandoned His body as one removes a thorn with another and discards both. Just as an actor assumes and then relinquishes forms—like that of a fish and others—so did He who had lifted the earth’s burden relinquish that body. When Mukunda, the Blessed Lord, departed from this earth along with His auspicious form, at that very moment, Kali, the cause of unrighteousness, began to act upon those whose minds were not awakened. Yudhiṣṭhira, wise and discerning, observed the advance of Kali manifesting as greed, falsehood, and violence—in the city, the kingdom, his household, and even himself—and thus prepared to depart. Seeing his own grandson, equal in virtue and discipline, he installed him as lord of the earth in Hastināpura, on the banks of the Ganges. In Mathurā, he installed Vajra as the chief of the Śūrasenas, and then, performing the proper rites, the Lord drank the sacrificial fire. There, having relinquished all attachments—relatives, followers, and possessions—Yudhiṣṭhira became free from possessiveness and ego, severing all bonds. He offered his speech into his mind, his mind into his breath, and the other senses into darkness; he offered his outgoing breath into death, and thus entered the state of dissolution. Having offered the five elements into each other and then into unity, the sage offered everything into the Self, and the Self into the imperishable Brahman. Clad in bark, fasting, with matted hair bound and head uncovered, Yudhiṣṭhira appeared as if dull, mad, or possessed, revealing his true form. Indifferent, he departed, not hearing like one deaf, and entered the northern path, as the great souls had done before, meditating on the Supreme Brahman in his heart, from which he would not return. All his brothers, having resolved firmly, followed him, for the people of the earth had been afflicted by Kali, the friend of unrighteousness. Having fulfilled all duties virtuously and knowing the ultimate goal of the self, they fixed their minds on the lotus feet of the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha. With unwavering devotion and purified intellect, they fixed their minds solely on that supreme abode of Nārāyaṇa. They attained that exceedingly rare state, which cannot be reached by those attached to sense objects and impurity, but is gained only by the pure soul. Vidura too, renouncing his body at Prabhāsa, absorbed his mind in Kṛṣṇa and, united in consciousness with his forefathers, went to his own abode. At that time, Draupadī, perceiving the detachment of her husbands, fixed her mind exclusively on Lord Vāsudeva, the Blessed One, and attained that state. Whoever faithfully hears this account of the departure of Pāṇḍu’s beloved sons, which is most purifying and brings auspiciousness, attains devotion to Hari and perfection. Then, Sūta continued: Parīkṣit, the great devotee, ruled the earth according to the instructions of the foremost brāhmaṇas, just as expert guides direct a noble child at birth. He married Irāvatī, the daughter of Uttara, and from her he begot four sons, beginning with Janamejaya. Parīkṣit performed three Aśvamedha sacrifices on the banks of the Gaṅgā, giving abundant gifts, with Śāradvata as his priest, where even the gods became visible. Once, during his conquest of the directions, the heroic king seized Kali, who, disguised as a king but actually a śūdra, was striking a cow and a bull with his foot. Śaunaka then asked: For what reason did the king capture Kali during his conquest? Who was this śūdra, bearing royal insignia, who struck the cow with his foot? O blessed one, please tell us, if it relates to the stories of Kṛṣṇa. For those devoted to tasting the nectar of the Lord’s lotus feet, what use are other fruitless talks, which only waste the span of life? O gentle one, for mortal men of short life who desire immortality, the Lord, as Death, has been invited here by the sage Śāmīka. No one dies as long as Death remains here; for this reason, the Lord was called by the great sages. Oh, let the nectar of Hari’s pastimes be drunk in the world of men! In this age, people are slow, of dull intelligence, and short-lived; their nights are wasted in sleep, and their days in vain activities. Sūta replied: When Parīkṣit, residing in the land of the Kurus, heard the unwelcome news that Kali had entered his kingdom, the valiant archer took up his bow. He mounted his well-adorned chariot, yoked with dark horses and bearing the lion banner, and, surrounded by his army of chariots, horses, elephants, and infantry, set out to conquer the directions. He conquered Bhadrāśva, Ketumāla, Bhārata, the northern Kurus, and the regions of Kimpuruṣa and others, and collected tribute from them. He subdued cities and forests, rivers with pure waters, men resembling the gods, and women of pleasing appearance. Dhanañjaya beheld wondrous sights never seen before, splendid dwellings, and women resembling celestial nymphs.