The wives of the serpent, their hearts filled with reverence and humility, addressed the Lord with folded hands, saying, “Command us, O Lord, what your maidservants must do, so that we may carry out your order. For one who performs your command with faith is freed from all fear.” Śuka then narrated how, praised thus by the serpent’s wives, the Lord released the unconscious serpent, whose head had been crushed beneath His feet. Regaining his senses and breath, the serpent Kaliya slowly opened his eyes and beheld Hari before him. Struggling for breath, weak and distressed, Kaliya folded his hands and spoke to Krishna. He confessed, “We are wicked by birth, O Lord, enveloped in darkness and long-standing anger. This nature is hard to abandon, for it is the false grasping found in all beings. By you, O Creator, this universe has been fashioned, with its distribution of qualities; all its various natures, powers, energies, forms, seeds, and inclinations arise from you. Among these, O Lord, we serpents are born with fierce anger. How can we abandon your māyā, which is so difficult to give up, when we ourselves are deluded by it? For you are the cause of all this, omniscient Lord of the universe. Whether you grant mercy or punishment, do as you deem fit for us.” Hearing Kaliya’s words, the Lord, playing the part of a human, spoke to him: “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—your children and wives. Whoever among mortals remembers this instruction I have given you and recites it at both twilights will not suffer fear from you. Whoever bathes here, where I have played, and offers water to the gods and others, then fasts and worships me, remembering me, will be freed from all sins. Having left the island of Ramanaka and taken refuge in this lake, you were spared from being devoured by Suparna, for you bear the mark of my foot.” Śuka continued: Thus addressed by Krishna, whose deeds are wondrous, Kaliya was worshipped joyfully and respectfully by his wives. They honored Krishna with divine garments, garlands, precious jewels and ornaments, fragrant ointments, and a great garland of lotuses. Having worshipped the Lord of the universe and pleased Krishna, who bears Garuda on his banner, they circumambulated him and offered respectful salutations. Then, with all his wives, friends, and sons, Kaliya departed for the island in the ocean. At that moment, by the grace of the Lord who had played in human form, the waters of the Yamuna became free of poison. Kaliya, in gratitude, worshipped the Lord with incense, perfumes, and other offerings, using the twelve-syllable mantra. Meanwhile, Sūta continued his narration. In another place, the king came upon a distressing sight: a cow and a bull were being beaten as if they were helpless, and a low-born man, a disgrace to royalty, stood holding a club. The king saw the bull, white as a lotus stalk, trembling as if urinating in fear, shaking, standing on one leg, and weakened by the blows from the Śūdra. He saw the cow, who once gave warm milk, now distressed and severely struck by the feet of the Śūdra, separated from her calf, her face tearful, emaciated, and longing for grass. Mounted on his chariot adorned with golden fittings, the king, his voice deep and thunderous, his bow raised, questioned them sternly: “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 Krishna 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.” He turned to the cow, “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. In whose kingdom all subjects suffer from the wicked and the good alike, that intoxicated ruler loses his fame, lifespan, fortune, and path. This is the supreme duty of kings: to subdue the afflicted and punish their tormentors. Therefore, I shall kill this most wicked enemy of living beings. Who has cut off your three legs, O daughter of Surabhi, you four-footed one? May such as you never exist in the realm of kings who follow Krishna. Tell me, O bull, may auspiciousness be yours, who is the cause of the disfigurement of the innocent, the defamer of the fame of the sons of Pritha. One who inflicts harm on the innocent and spreads fear everywhere—only then is the welfare of the virtuous ensured when the wicked are subdued. He who, though innocent among beings, commits offenses without restraint, I shall seize his arm directly, even if he is mortal and wears a bracelet. For the king, the highest duty is to uphold his own dharma, to govern others according to the scriptures, and not to deviate from the path in adversity.” Then Dharma, in the form of the bull, replied, “Your words, O son of Pandu, are fitting for those who grant safety to the afflicted, for whom Lord Krishna was messenger and leader due to their virtues. We do not possess the seeds of suffering, O best among men; we are bewildered by the divisions in speech and do not recognize that person. Some, clothed in speculative opinions, declare the self to be the self; others say it is fate, some say it is action, and others claim nature as the master. For some, the conclusion is that it is inconceivable and indescribable; O royal sage, consider this according to your own discernment.” Sūta said: As Dharma spoke thus, the emperor addressed him, his mind focused, expressing his distress: “You speak of dharma, O knower of dharma, and you are dharma, taking the form of a bull. Wherever adharma is committed, the informer shares in its place. Or perhaps, indeed, the course of divine illusion is inaccessible to the mind and speech of beings—this is certain. Austerity, purity, compassion, and truth are the legs established in the age of virtue; three have been broken by your pride, attachment, and intoxication.” Thus unfolded the events, revealing the Lord’s compassion, the king’s righteous resolve, and the subtle mysteries of dharma in this world.