There, at the end of his earthly journey, he let go of all attachments—family, followers, possessions—casting aside every trace of possessiveness and ego, severing the bonds that tie one to the world. He gathered his speech into his mind, gathered his mind into his breath, and then offered his senses into darkness. His outgoing breath he surrendered into the hands of death, thus entering the state of dissolution. He offered the five elements—earth, water, fire, air, and ether—into one another, merging them into unity, and then offered that unity into the Self, and the Self into the imperishable Brahman. Clad in simple bark, fasting, his matted hair unbound and his head uncovered, he moved through the world as if dull, mad, or possessed, yet in this guise, he revealed his true form. Indifferent to all around him, he departed, not hearing as if he were deaf, and took the northern path—the path trodden by great souls before him—his mind absorbed in meditation on the Supreme Brahman within his heart, from which there is no return. Seeing his resolve, all his brothers, their minds made up, followed him, for the world had been afflicted by the coming of Kali, the friend of unrighteousness. Having fulfilled every duty with virtue and understanding the ultimate goal of the self, they fixed their minds on the lotus feet of the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha. With unwavering devotion and intellect purified, they focused solely on the supreme abode of Nārāyaṇa. Thus, they attained that exceedingly rare state, unreachable by those attached to sense objects and impurity, gained only by the pure soul. Vidura, too, at Prabhāsa, renounced his body, 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 supreme state. Whoever faithfully hears this sacred account of the departure of Pāṇḍu’s beloved sons, which is most purifying and brings auspiciousness, attains devotion to Hari and perfection. Sūta continued: Then Parīkṣit, the great devotee, ruled the earth according to the guidance of the foremost brāhmaṇas, just as expert guides care for a noble child at birth. He married Irāvatī, the daughter of Uttara, and from her he begot four sons, beginning with Janamejaya. He performed three Aśvamedha sacrifices on the banks of the Gaṅgā, giving abundant gifts, with Śāradvata as his priest; there, even the gods became visible. Once, during his conquest of the directions, the heroic king seized Kali, who, though disguised as a king, was truly a śūdra, and was striking a cow and a bull with his foot. At this, Śaunaka 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. Indeed, 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 said: 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, collecting tribute from them. He subdued cities and forests, rivers with pure waters, men resembling gods, and women of pleasing appearance. Dhanañjaya beheld wondrous sights never seen before—splendid dwellings and women resembling celestial nymphs. Everywhere, he heard the glories of his noble ancestors being sung—praises that revealed the greatness of Krishna. He also heard of how he himself was saved from the fiery weapon of Ashvatthāman, of the affection between the Vṛṣṇis and the sons of Pāṇḍu, and of their devotion to Keśava. Greatly pleased with them, his eyes wide with joy, the noble-hearted king gave them abundant wealth, garments, and necklaces. The king, devoted to the lotus feet of Viṣṇu, served the Pāṇḍavas with affection—acting as charioteer, companion, attendant, friend, envoy, sharing their seat of valor, following them, praising and bowing to them, and thus brought the world to bow before Viṣṇu. While he was thus engaged, following the conduct of his forebears day by day, a marvelous event occurred not far away—listen as I recount it to you. Dharma, moving on one foot, saw the Earth, her shadow diminished, weeping like a cow separated from her calf, and questioned her: “O gentle one, is all well with you? Why do you appear so pale and withered? I perceive some inner sorrow in you—are you grieving for a distant relative, O mother? Are you grieving for your missing limb, for yourself about to be consumed by the wicked, or for the gods whose shares of sacrifice have been stolen, or for the people, since Indra no longer sends rain? Are you mourning for women and children left unprotected on earth, suffering at the hands of cruel men? Or for the sacred speech of the goddess, corrupted in the brahmin class, or for the noble families degraded by unrighteous kings? Is it for the kṣatriya clans afflicted by Kali, or for the kingdoms they have ruined? Or for the people who wander here and there, seeking food, drink, shelter, and baths, their livelihoods disrupted? Or, O mother, do you remember the deeds performed by Hari, who incarnated to relieve your heavy burden, but has now departed, delaying your deliverance? Tell me, O Earth, what is the root of your distress, by which you have been afflicted. Has your good fortune, worshipped by the gods, been taken away by Time, the strongest of the strong?