Śaunaka, the wise sage, addressed Sūta with eagerness, his curiosity piqued by the tales of King Parīkṣit’s reign. “Tell us, O blessed one,” he asked, “for what reason did the king seize Kali during his conquests? Who was this śūdra, bearing royal insignia, who dared strike the cow with his foot? If this story is connected to the glories of Kṛṣṇa, please recount it to us.” He continued, “For those devoted to relishing the nectar of the Lord’s lotus feet, what value do we find in other fruitless discussions that only waste the precious span of our lives? O gentle one, for us mortals of brief life who yearn for immortality, the Lord Himself, as Death, has been summoned here by the sage Śāmīka. As long as Death remains in this place, no one dies; it is for this reason that the sages have called upon the Lord. Oh, let the world of men drink the nectar of Hari’s pastimes!” Śaunaka lamented the condition of people in this age: “Now, men are slow, dull of intellect, and short-lived; their nights are wasted in sleep, their days in vain pursuits.” Sūta then spoke, answering their longing. “When King Parīkṣit, residing in the land of the Kurus, heard the unwelcome news that Kali had entered his realm, the valiant archer immediately took up his bow. He mounted his splendid chariot, yoked with dark horses and adorned with a lion banner. Surrounded by his army—chariots, horses, elephants, and foot soldiers—he set out to conquer all directions. “He subdued the lands of Bhadrāśva, Ketumāla, Bhārata, the northern Kurus, Kimpuruṣa, and other regions, collecting tribute from each. He overcame cities and forests, rivers with pure waters, men who seemed like gods, and women of enchanting beauty. Dhanañjaya beheld wondrous sights never seen before—splendid dwellings and women as lovely as celestial nymphs. “Everywhere he went, he heard songs praising his noble ancestors, and in those praises, the greatness of Kṛṣṇa was revealed. He also heard how he himself had been saved from the fiery weapon of Ashvatthāman, of the deep affection between the Vṛṣṇis and the sons of Pāṇḍu, and of their devotion to Keśava. Overjoyed by their devotion and their words, Parīkṣit, his eyes wide with delight, generously rewarded them with wealth, garments, and necklaces. “The king, ever devoted to the lotus feet of Viṣṇu, served the Pāṇḍavas with deep affection. He acted as their charioteer, companion, attendant, friend, envoy, and shared their seat of valor. He followed them, praised them, and bowed to them, thus inspiring the world to bow before Viṣṇu. “While Parīkṣit thus followed the noble conduct of his forebears, day after day, a marvelous event unfolded not far away. Listen as I recount it to you. “Dharma, in the form of a bull now standing on only one leg, saw the Earth, her shadow diminished, weeping like a cow separated from her calf. Seeing her distress, Dharma questioned her gently: ‘O gentle one, is all well with you? Why do you appear so pale and withered? I sense a deep sorrow within you—are you grieving for a distant relative, O mother? Are you lamenting for your missing limb, fearing destruction by the wicked? Or for the gods, whose shares of sacrifice have been stolen? Or perhaps for the people, since Indra no longer sends rain? “‘Are you mourning for the women and children left unprotected, suffering at the hands of the cruel? Or for the sacred speech of the goddess, now corrupted among the brahmins? Or for noble families, degraded by unrighteous kings? Is it for the kṣatriya clans afflicted by Kali, or for the ruined kingdoms? Or for the people who now wander, seeking food, drink, shelter, and baths, their livelihoods disrupted? Or, O mother, do you remember the deeds of Hari, who incarnated to relieve your burden but has now departed, delaying your deliverance? Tell me, O Earth, what is the root of your distress? Has your good fortune, worshipped by the gods, been taken away by Time, the strongest of all?’ “The Earth replied, ‘O Dharma, you know all that you ask, 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, gentleness—boldness, humility, good conduct, endurance, vigor, prosperity, depth, steadiness, faith, fame, honor, and absence of pride—all these and more ever reside in you. Those who seek greatness pursue these qualities, for they never diminish in you. “‘Therefore, I grieve for the world, now bereft 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 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 and surrendered to the Lord. Yet that very goddess Śrī, abandoning her own abode in the lotus forest, lovingly worships the dust of His feet, adorned with auspicious marks. “‘I was adorned by the glorious footprints of the Lord—marked with the lotus, thunderbolt, goad, banner, and other symbols. Yet, having attained such splendor, I did not find favor with Him; in the end, He cast me aside, and the worlds, too, rejected me with disdain. He, by His own power, removed the unbearable burden of the earth—the hundred armies of demonic kings—established you, though your position was unstable and diminished, in your own strength, and delighted the Yadu dynasty by bearing their charming forms. “‘Who could bear separation from the Supreme Person, whose loving glances, radiant smiles, and sweet words steal away even the steadfastness of the honey-bees? The very dust of His feet, marked with auspicious signs, brings a thrill to my being.’ “As the Earth and Dharma thus conversed, at that very moment, King Parīkṣit, the royal sage, arrived at the eastern bank of the Sarasvatī river. “Obeisance to You, O Lord, the Supreme Person, the great soul, the abode of all beings, the source of all, the transcendent, the Supreme Self. Salutations to You, the treasure-house of knowledge and wisdom, the Absolute, of infinite power, beyond qualities, unchanging, and not of this world. Salutations to Time, the source of time, the witness of all its divisions, the universe itself, the overseer of all, the creator and cause of the universe. To the Self of elements, senses, life-breath, mind, intellect, and inner disposition, who is experienced inwardly yet concealed by identification with the three qualities—salutations. Salutations to the infinite, the subtle, the immutable, the all-knowing, who accommodates all doctrines and is the power behind both the spoken and the unspoken. Salutations to the one who is the root of all valid knowledge, the sage, the source of the scriptures, the path of action and renunciation, the Veda itself—again and again, salutations.