Having fulfilled all their duties with virtue and wisdom, the noble sons of Pāṇḍu, understanding the ultimate purpose of the self, turned their minds wholly to the lotus feet of the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha. With unwavering devotion and intellect purified by spiritual insight, they fixed their minds solely on that supreme abode of Nārāyaṇa. Thus, they attained an exceedingly rare state—one unreachable for those still entangled in sense pleasures and impurity, but gained only by souls who are truly pure. Vidura, too, at Prabhāsa, renounced his body, absorbed his mind in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa, and, united in consciousness with his forefathers, departed for his own spiritual abode. At that time, Draupadī, perceiving the detachment of her husbands, fixed her mind exclusively on Lord Vāsudeva, the Blessed One, and likewise attained that exalted state. It is said that whoever faithfully hears this sacred account of the departure of Pāṇḍu’s beloved sons, which is supremely purifying and brings auspiciousness, will attain devotion to Hari and perfection. Sūta continued: Then 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 begot four sons, beginning with Janamejaya. Parīkṣit performed three grand Aśvamedha sacrifices on the banks of the Gaṅgā, giving abundant gifts, with Śāradvata as his priest, and even the gods became visible at these ceremonies. Once, during his conquest of the directions, the heroic king encountered Kali, who, disguised as a king but actually a śūdra, was striking a cow and a bull with his foot. Śaunaka, hearing this, 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, collecting 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. Everywhere he went, Parīkṣit 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, his eyes wide with joy, the noble-hearted king gave abundant wealth, garments, and necklaces to those who honored him. 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, faithfully 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?” Earth replied: “You indeed know all that you ask me about, O Dharma, for you uphold the four legs that bring happiness to the world. Truth, purity, compassion, forgiveness, renunciation, contentment, straightforwardness, tranquility, self-control, austerity, equanimity, forbearance, withdrawal, and learning; knowledge, detachment, lordliness, heroism, brilliance, strength, memory, independence, skill, beauty, courage, and gentleness; boldness, humility, good conduct, endurance, vigor, strength, prosperity, depth, steadiness, faith, fame, honor, and absence of pride—all these and other great qualities, O blessed one, ever reside in you. Those who desire greatness seek them, for they never diminish in you. Therefore, I grieve now for the world, bereft of the presence of Śrīnivāsa, the worthy vessel of all virtues, and afflicted by the sinful gaze of Kali. I lament for myself, for you, the best among the rulers, for the gods, ancestors, sages, all the virtuous, and for all the social orders and stages of life. Even Brahmā and the others, longing for a mere sidelong glance, performed severe austerities, having surrendered to the Lord; yet that very goddess Śrī, abandoning her own abode in the lotus forest, lovingly worships the dust of His feet, which is adorned with auspicious marks.