In the assembly of the wise, a profound truth was spoken: in the cycle of existence, the handless are food for the handed, the footless for the four-footed; among all creatures, the weak sustain the strong—life feeds upon life. This is the nature of the world. O King, the Supreme Lord, the one Self within all selves, perceives Himself by His own power and dwells both within and without. He is seen everywhere, manifesting through the wondrous force of His own illusion. This very Lord, the creator and sustainer of all beings, has now descended in the form of Time, intent on the destruction of the enemies of the gods. The divine mission has been fulfilled, and now the Lord awaits what remains to be done. Until then, all should observe in reverence, as long as the Lord abides here. Dhritarashtra, accompanied by his brother and Gandhari his wife, has journeyed south of the Himalayas to the hermitage of the sages, seeking refuge and peace. There, the celestial Ganga divides herself into seven streams for the pleasure of the seven sages, earning her the name "river of seven streams." In that sacred place, Dhritarashtra, bathing at the proper times and offering fire oblations as prescribed, lives on water alone, his mind tranquil and free from desires. He has mastered posture and breath, withdrawn his senses, and through meditation on Hari, destroyed the impurities of passion and ignorance, becoming pure in the mode of goodness. Merging his mind into knowledge, dissolving the knower into the Self, and placing the Self in Brahman—just as space within a pot merges into the vast sky—he abides in unity. With the residue of illusion and its qualities destroyed, his senses and mind restrained, having relinquished all food, he remains unmoving like a pillar. May no obstacle arise for him, who has renounced all actions. O King, from today, in five days, he will abandon his body, which will be reduced to ashes. As her husband’s body burns in the fire, the faithful Gandhari, together with her brother-in-law, will stand outside, gazing upon her husband as he enters the flames. Hearing this astonishing news, O descendant of the Kurus, Vidura, filled with both joy and sorrow, will depart to visit holy places. Having spoken thus, Narada, accompanied by Tumburu, ascended to heaven, and Yudhishthira, holding Narada’s words in his heart, relinquished his grief. What is this wonder? In Vasudeva, the Soul of all, unprecedented love grows among the people of Vraja and their children. In that land where the unconquered Lord resided, even natural enemies—men and beasts—lived together as friends, alongside swift deer and other creatures. There, the Supreme, non-dual, infinite Lord, whose knowledge is unfathomable, enacted His childhood pastimes as a cowherd boy, searching for calves and friends, holding a morsel of food in His hand. Brahma, the creator, beheld Him in this form. Seeing Krishna, Brahma quickly descended from his vehicle, bowed to the earth as if casting down a golden staff, and touched the Lord’s feet with the crowns of his four heads. With tears of joy, he performed an abhisheka. Rising again and again, he fell at Krishna’s feet after a long time and sat, recalling the greatness he had witnessed before. Then, rising slowly and wiping his eyes, with bowed neck, he gazed upon Mukunda. With joined palms, full of humility and composure, trembling, he spoke in a choked, tearful voice. Meanwhile, Sūta continued: When Arjuna departed for Dvārakā, longing to see his relatives and to learn of the deeds of the illustrious Krishna, several months passed, yet Arjuna did not return. Then, O best of the Kurus, ominous signs of dreadful appearance began to manifest. Yudhishthira observed the fierce course of Time, the reversal of natural order, and the worsening conduct of people, driven by anger, greed, and falsehood. Dealings became crooked, friendship tainted with deceit, and quarrels arose among fathers, mothers, friends, brothers, and married couples. When such dire omens appeared as Time advanced among people, the king, seeing the rise of greed and unrighteousness, spoke to his younger brother: “Arjuna was sent to Dvārakā, longing to see his relatives and to learn of the deeds of the illustrious Krishna. Now seven months have passed, and your younger brother Bhīmasena has not returned; for what reason, I do not know. Has the time foretold by the divine sage now arrived, when the Lord intends to relinquish His earthly play? By His grace we obtained wealth, kingdom, wives, life, family, subjects, victory over enemies, and even the worlds. See these portents, O tiger among men—celestial, terrestrial, and bodily—terrible and ominous, appearing nearby, filling us with fear and confusion. My thighs, eyes, and arms tremble, my heart is unsteady; surely, something inauspicious is approaching. The she-jackal, with fiery mouth, howls at the rising sun; and this dog cries at me like one who is afraid. Animals circle me on the left and right, and I see my horses weeping. This pigeon, a messenger of death, and the owl, unsettling my mind, and the screeching of the night-owl—these portend sleeplessness and emptiness. The quarters are filled with smoke, the horizons tremble with the mountains, and there are thunderclaps and lightning. The wind blows harshly, scattering dust and darkness; the clouds rain blood everywhere, in a dreadful manner. See the sun, its brilliance dimmed, and the planets colliding in the sky, while the heavens seem ablaze and crowded with strange beings. The rivers and streams are agitated, the lakes and minds as well; the fire does not blaze even with ghee. What will this time bring? Calves do not drink from their mothers’ udders, nor do the cows yield milk; the cows, with tearful faces, cry, and the bulls in the herd do not rejoice. The deities seem to weep, sweat, and tremble; these towns, villages, gardens, lakes, and hermitages have lost their splendor and joy. What misfortune are they showing us?” Thus unfolded the story, revealing the signs and wonders as the course of Time advanced, and the hearts of the wise trembled in anticipation of what was to come.