By the discipline of meditation, one should worship the Supreme Lord who resides within the orb of the sun. This Lord is ever-present, unmoving, and radiant, just as the sun itself is steadfast in the heavens. He draws together all the moving elements and principles of the universe, distributing them equally everywhere. The divine form of the Lord, realized within the heart through contemplation, is eternally pure and brings auspiciousness to all. Having heard these teachings, the king bowed with reverence before the sage who worshipped among the mlecchas. In due course, that king attained sovereignty and performed the great horse sacrifice. Listen now to what transpired after this king ascended to heaven. Śrī Sūta continued: In the illustrious line of Śālivāhana, there arose ten kings, one after another. In their time, righteousness and proper conduct gradually faded from the earth. Observing this decline of dharma, the powerful king resolved to conquer all directions, determined to restore order. With an army of ten thousand soldiers and accompanied by the renowned Kālidāsa, the king set forth. He vanquished the rulers of Gandhāra, the foreign invaders, the people of Kashmir, and the deceitful Nāras. During these campaigns, a foreign teacher joined his company. Seeking divine support, the king worshipped the great god Mahādeva, who dwells in the desert, offering sandalwood and other sacred items, and praised Hara with devotion in his heart. King Bhoja, in particular, prayed to the destroyer of Tripurāsura, the Lord who weaves countless illusions, who is hidden from the foreigners, yet is pure and of the very nature of existence, consciousness, and bliss. Bhoja resolved to journey to the sacred place of Mahākāleśvara. Yet, the land known as Vāhīka had become thoroughly corrupted by foreign influences. There appeared again the great magician whom Bhoja had previously burned—a being not born of a woman, who had received a boon from the king and became an increaser of demons. The god warned the king, "O king, you must not enter that land of demons and tricksters." Hearing this, the king returned to his own country. The master of illusion, skilled in many magical arts, then spoke to the king with gentle words, saying, "O king, observe how one may partake of what I leave as remnants." The king’s mind gradually became fixed in the harsh and foreign ways of these outsiders. When Kālidāsa heard of this, he became angry and addressed Mahāmada, vowing, "I will slay this wicked, immoral Vāhīka, the lowest of men." Kālidāsa undertook a great recitation ten thousand times and offered one-tenth of that in oblation. Taking the ashes of his own guru, he became free from arrogance. That consecrated place was established in the center of the land, and those devoted to pride remained there. By night, the master of illusion, possessing a divine form and adept in many magical arts, moved about. Yet, O King, the noble dharma is yours alone, remembered as the highest of all dharmas. The deity declared, "He who is castrated, without a topknot, and bearing a beard is a defiler. For such as these, animals not consecrated by Kaula rites may be considered edible by me. Therefore, those born with pestles are corrupters of dharma." Having spoken thus, the deity departed, and the king returned home. Among the Śūdras, the wise one established their natural language. He also set forth a code of conduct, comparable to those of all the gods. In the land, the noble classes remained, while at the edge of the Vindhya mountains, there arose mixed castes. In the regions of the Barbarians, in Tuṣa, and on various distant islands, similar conditions prevailed. Those born in these lands were short-lived and dull-witted, their lives ending after three hundred years. During their rule, the land was governed by many kings, and in their lineage, three kings also died after only two hundred years.