In ancient times, there were peoples known as the Bāhlikas, Kāmarūpas, Romans, Khurajas, and the Shathas. A mighty ruler arose who established clear boundaries for each leader among the mlecchas, setting their domains apart. This noble soul allotted a region for the mlecchas beyond the Sindhu river, marking their place in the world. Within the land of the Hūṇas, amidst the mountain dwellers, a virtuous man encountered the king. The king asked, “Who are you?” The man replied with joy, declaring himself a speaker of the mleccha dharma, devoted to truth and steadfast in his vows. Hearing this, the great king spoke, for the age had come when truth had begun to wane. Among the mlecchas, a terrifying ruler of robbers appeared, spreading fear and chaos. The king proclaimed, “Among the mlecchas, I have established dharma. Hear this, O king: one should recite the pure and supreme teachings, adopting the recitation of the traders.” He explained that through meditation, one should worship the Lord who dwells within the solar orb—the unmoving Lord, ever manifest as the sun, drawing together all moving elements equally everywhere. The Lord’s form, attained in the heart, is eternally pure and brings auspiciousness. The king, hearing these words, bowed respectfully to the worshipper of the mlecchas. Having attained sovereignty, the king performed the great horse sacrifice. Listen now to what happened after this king ascended to heaven. Śrī Sūta tells us that in the lineage of Śālivāhana, ten kings arose. In their time, proper conduct gradually faded from the earth. Witnessing the decline of righteousness, a powerful king set out to conquer the directions, accompanied by an army of ten thousand and the wise Kālidāsa. He defeated the kings of Gandhāra, the foreigners, the people of Kashmir, and the deceitful Nāras. Along the way, a foreign teacher joined him. The king worshipped the great god Mahādeva, who dwells in the desert, offering sandalwood and other gifts, praising Hara in his heart. King Bhoja declared, “To the destroyer of Tripurāsura, who sets many illusions in motion; to the one concealed by foreigners, pure, and of the nature of existence, consciousness, and bliss, King Bhoja must go to the place of Mahākāleśvara.” He observed that the land called Vāhīka had been thoroughly corrupted by foreigners. There appeared again the great magician whom he had previously burned. This magician, not born from a womb, had received a boon from King Bhoja and became the increaser of demons. King Bhoja was warned, “O king, you must not go to that land of demons and tricksters.” Hearing this, the king returned to his own country. The master of illusion, skilled in magic, spoke lovingly to the king, saying, “O king, see how one may eat what I have left as remnants.” The king’s mind became fixed in the harsh religion of the foreigners. Hearing this, Kālidāsa angrily addressed Mahāmada, declaring, “I will slay this wicked, immoral Vāhīka, the lowest of men.” Kālidāsa recited ten thousand times and offered one-tenth of that in oblation. Taking the ashes of his own guru, he became free from arrogance. This was established by them in the middle of the land, where those devoted to arrogance remained. At night, one possessing a divine form and skilled in many illusions appeared. “O King,” it was said, “the noble dharma is indeed yours, remembered as the highest of all dharmas.” Yet, he who is castrated, without a topknot, and bearing a beard is a defiler. Thus, the story unfolds, reflecting the struggles between dharma and adharma, the shifting tides of righteousness, and the enduring quest for truth and purity amidst changing times.