"How Parikchit received the age of Kali"

Skandham-1.

Chapter -16. 

 

Slokam 1 to 36. 

How Parîkchit Received the Age of Kali

 

 

 (1) Sûta said: "o learned ones, thereafter Parîkchit, the great devotee, ruled over the earth under the instructions of the twice-born, with the qualities the astrologers, predicting the future at the time of his birth, had thought he would have. (2) He married Irâvatî, the daughter of King Uttara, and begot four sons in her with Janamejaya as the first. (3) At the Ganges he performed three horse-sacrifices with proper rewards for Kripâcârya, whom he selected for his spiritual master, and the godly that came into view with it. (4) Once on a chastising campaign he, the valiant hero, by his prowess managed to punish the master of Kali-yuga who, disguised as a king, lower than a s'ûdra was hurting the legs of a cow and bull."

 

 

 

 (5) S'aunaka inquired: "Why did he only punish the master of Kali during his campaign - he was dressed up like a king, but as the lowest of the s'ûdras striking the legs of a cow. Please describe, o fortunate one, all that to us as far as it relates to the discourse about Krishna. (6) What would, for the ones liberated who relish the honey at His lotusfeet, be the use of wasting their life with endless illusory discussions? (7) O Sûta, only short is the life of the human beings who are sure to meet death. The eternal is of those who desire herein to call for the representative of the Lord, Yamarâja, the controller of death, to limit the performances. (8) No one will die as long as the one who causes death is present here, for the reason of which he as the great lord has been invited by the sages - let the ones under his grip drink of the nectar of the narrations about His pastimes. (9) Those who are lazy, of trivial interest and short-lived pass their days the way they sleep at night, in activities without a purpose."   (10) Sûta said: "When Parîkchit, residing in the Kuru capital, heard that the symptoms of Kali-yuga had entered the domain of his jurisdiction, he thought the news not very palatable and took he, devoted to military action, up his arrows and bow. (11) Well decorated under the protection of the lion in his flag and with black horses pulling his chariot, he left the capital accompanied by charioteers, cavalry, elephants and infantry troops for the purpose of conquering. (12) Bhadrâs'va, Ketumâla, Bhârata, the northern countries of Kuru and Kimpurus'a behind the Himalayas were the parts of the planet he conquered keeping strength exacting tribute. (13-15) Everywhere he went he continuously heard what great souls his forefathers were and he had also indications of the glorious acts of Lord Krishna from the people he saw. He as well heard of his own deliverance from the powerful rays of the weapon of As'vatthâmâ and of the devotion amongst the descendants of Vrishni and Parthâ for Lord Kes'ava [Krishna as the killer of the demon Kes'î, the mad horse]. Extremely pleased rewarded he, with eyes open of joy, the people magnanimously with clothes, necklaces and other riches. (16) Figuring as a chariot driver, presiding in assemblies, acting as a servant, being a friend and a messenger and keeping the watch at night had the one of Vishnu, who was universally obeyed Himself [Krishna], acted with prayers and obeisances relating to the godfearing sons of Pându. This filled the king with devotion unto His lotus feet."   (17)" Now you may know from me about how astonishingly he, day after day, kept himself close in being absorbed in such thoughts about the good of the forefathers. (18) The wandering personality of the religion, that stood on one leg only [the so called'bull'of dharma whose legs stand for the four fundamental human values], met with the aggrieved cow [mother Earth] who had tears in her eyes like a mother that has lost her child. (19) He said: 'Madam, are you hale and hearty? Looking aggrieved with a gloomy face you appear to be affected by a disease or to be thinking of a friend far away, o mother. (20) Are you lamenting about the diminishing of my legs as I stand on one only, or is it because the offensive meat-eaters are to exploit you? Or is it because the theists are bereft of their share due to a lack of sacrifices or because the living beings increasingly suffer from scarcity, famine and drought? (21) Are you grieving about the unhappy women and children on earth who are without the protection of their men or are you sorry about the way one speaks in the families of the learned against the principles of the goddess [of knowledge]? Or do you lament about the way most of them act against the culture of learning taking shelter with the ruling class? (22) Is it because the unworthy administrators are bewildered under the influence of Kali-yuga and here and there have messed up the affairs of the state? Or is it because of the way society is inclined to take its food and drink and how one sleeps, bathes and has intercourse? (23) Could it be, o mother Earth, that you are thinking of the salvation brought by the activities of the incarnation of the Lord who decreased your heavy load but is now out of sight? (24) Please inform me, o reservoir of all riches, about the reason of your tribulations that reduced you to such weakness. Is it mother, that your good fortune that was adored by even the godly, was forcibly taken away by the very powerful influence of time?'

 

 

 

 (25) Mother Earth replied: 'O personality of religion ['Dharma'], I will certainly, one after another, reply to all that you, from your good self, have asked me, as by your four legs you exist in all the worlds to bring happiness. (26-30) Truthfulness, cleanliness, compassion, self-control, magnanimity, contentment, straightforwardness, concentration, sense-control, responS'ibility, equality, tolerance, equanimity and loyalty. And certainly also knowledge, detachment, leadership, chivalry, influence, power, dutifulness, independence, dexterity, beauty, serenity and kindheartedness, as well as ingenuity, gentility, mannerliness, determination, knowledgeability, propriety, pleasantness, joyfulness, immovability, faithfulness, fame and dignity - all these and many others are the everlasting qualities of the Supreme Lord, the never diminishing higher nature which can be attained by those worthy of that greatness. By Him am I myself, just as the goddess of fortune, such a reservoir of qualities, but in the absence of Him as the resting place, is Kali, the store of all sins, seen in all the worlds. (31) I am also lamenting for you as well as for the best of the godly, the gods and the ancestors in heaven, the sages and the devotees, as well as for all in their status orientations in society. (32-33) Lakshmî [the goddess of fortune] whose grace was sought by demigods like Brahmâ who for many days were doing penance in surrender to the Lord, has for the sake of worship forsaken her own abode in the forest of lotus flowers out of attachment to the all-blissful feet. From Him, having myself obtained the special powers of the lotusflower, thunderbolt, flag and driving rod, I could, being under the impression of the marks of the feet of the Supreme Lord, the owner of all opulence, being decorated that way beautifully supersede the three worlds - but at the end when I was feeling so fortunate, He has left me. (34) He who certainly relieved me of the burden of the hundreds of military divisions of atheist kings, incarnated also for you in the Yadu-family, as you lacking in strength had difficulty to keep yourselves standing. (35) Who therefore can tolerate it to be separated from the love, glances, smiles and hearty appeal of the Supreme Original Person who conquered the passionate wrath and gravity of women like Satyabhâmâ and made my hair [grass] stand on end out of pleasure under the imprint of His feet.'

 

 

 

 (36) While the earth and the personality of religion were thus conversing, arrived Parîkchit, who had the name to be the saint among the kings, at the Sarasvatî river flowing to the east."