As Dharma and the Earth conversed in sorrow and concern, King Parīkṣit, renowned as a royal sage, arrived at the banks of the eastern Sarasvatī river. At that sacred moment, prayers and salutations arose, invoking the Supreme Person—the great soul, the abode and source of all beings, transcendent and the Supreme Self. Reverence was offered to the treasure-house of knowledge and wisdom, the Absolute of infinite power, beyond all qualities, unchanging and not of this world. Homage was paid to Time, the origin and witness of all its divisions, the universe itself, the overseer and cause of all creation. Salutations continued to the Self within all elements, senses, life-breath, mind, intellect, and inner disposition—experienced inwardly, yet concealed by identification with the three qualities. Praise was given to the infinite, the subtle, the immutable, the all-knowing, who accommodates every doctrine and empowers both the spoken and unspoken. 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 resounded. The prayers honored Kṛṣṇa, Rāma, the son of Vasudeva, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, and the Lord of the Sātvatas. Salutations were offered to the lamp of the qualities, to the one who veils Himself with the qualities, who is perceived through their functions, the seer of the qualities, and the inner consciousness. To Him who sports in the unmanifest and perfects all that is manifest, Hṛṣīkeśa, the sage, the silent ascetic, salutations were made. Homage was paid to the Lord who knows the course of the higher and lower, who is both the unmanifest and manifest, the seer and cause of all. Though unattached to the qualities, the Lord presides over the birth, existence, and dissolution of the world, upholding the power of time and awakening various natures in beings, engaging in wondrous play by His unfailing glance. The prayers acknowledged that the Lord cherishes all forms in the three worlds—peaceful, restless, and deluded—but the peaceful are especially beloved, for now, out of desire to uphold dharma, He strives to protect the virtuous. A ruler must endure a single offense committed by his own subject; forgiveness is urged for those who act in ignorance. The wives of the serpent pleaded for mercy, begging the Lord to restore their husband, who was abandoning his life, for he was their very life and deserved compassion. They asked for His command, so they might carry out His order faithfully and be freed from all fear. Śuka narrated that, thus praised by the serpent’s wives, the Lord released the unconscious serpent, whose head was broken, from the crushing of His feet. Regaining his senses and breath, Kaliya looked upon Hari. Weak, distressed, and struggling to breathe, he spoke with folded hands: “We are wicked by birth, enveloped in darkness and anger. This nature is hard to abandon, for it is the false grasping found among all beings. By you, O Creator, this universe has been fashioned, with its distribution of qualities; its natures, powers, energies, forms, seeds, and inclinations all arise from you. Among them, we serpents are born with fierce anger. How can we abandon your māyā, which is hard to give up, when we ourselves are deluded by it? You are the cause of all, omniscient Lord of the universe; whether you grant mercy or punishment, do as you deem fit for us.” Śuka continued: Hearing these words, the Lord, acting as a human, spoke: “You must not remain here, O serpent; go to the ocean without delay. Leave this river to be enjoyed by cows, men, and your own kin, children, and wives. Whoever among mortals remembers this instruction and recites it at both twilights will not suffer fear from you. Whoever bathes here, where I played, offers water to the gods, fasts, worships me, and remembers me, will be freed from all sins. Having left the island of Ramanaka and taken refuge in this lake, you were not devoured by Suparna out of fear, for you bear my foot-mark.” The sage described how Krishna, whose deeds are wondrous, was worshipped joyfully and respectfully by the serpent’s wives. They honored Him with divine garments, garlands, precious jewels, ornaments, fragrant ointments, and a great garland of lotuses. Having worshipped the Lord of the universe, pleased Garuda-bannered Krishna, they circumambulated Him and offered respectful salutations. With his wives, friends, and sons, Kaliya departed for the ocean’s island. At that moment, the Yamuna became free of poison, by the grace of the Lord who played in human form. He worshipped with incense, perfumes, and other offerings, using the twelve-syllable mantra. Sūta then spoke: There, King Parīkṣit saw a cow and a bull being beaten helplessly by a low-born man holding a club—a disgrace to royalty. The bull, white as a lotus stalk, trembled as if urinating in fear, shaking, standing on one leg, and weakened by blows from the Śūdra. The cow, who once gave warm milk, was now distressed, severely struck by the feet of the Śūdra, separated from her calf, with a tearful face, emaciated, and longing for grass. Mounted on his chariot adorned with golden fittings, Parīkṣit, with a deep, thunderous voice and his bow raised, questioned them: “Who are you, who in this world, under my protection, unjustly harms the weak? Though you appear as a king, your actions are like those of an actor, not a twice-born. You, who attack the innocent in secret, deserve to be killed, now that Kṛṣṇa has departed far away with the bearer of the Gāṇḍīva bow. Or are you, white as a lotus stalk, walking with diminished feet, a deity in the form of a bull, causing us distress? Never, while the earth was embraced by the mighty arms of the Kaurava kings, did grief afflict living beings here, except through you. O daughter of Surabhi, do not grieve here; let your fear of the low-born vanish. Do not weep, mother; may auspiciousness be yours. I am the punisher of the wicked.” Thus, the story unfolds, weaving together the prayers, the mercy of the Lord, and the king’s righteous intervention—each moment echoing the eternal commitment to dharma and compassion.