Text 1: Sūta said: At Kurukṣetra the King saw the śūdra dressed as a king beating an unprotected cow and a bull with a stick held in his hand.

Text 2: The śūdra was beating the bull, white like a water lily, fearful, trembling, weak and standing on one leg, who appeared to be urinating.

Text 3: He saw the cow, giver of ghee for sacrifice, without a calf, suffering greatly, as she was being kicked by the śūdra. The thin cow, with tears in her eyes, desired the share of sacrifice.

Text 4: Situated in his chariot, with his bow poised, in a voice deep as thunder, he questioned the śūdra dressed in gold.

Text 5: Who are you, having power? You attack the weak with force in the world under my protection. Like an actor, you appear to be a king by dress, but by actions you are a śūdra.

Text 6: Since Kṛṣṇa has departed with Arjuna, you are in pitiable position. By beating innocent creatures in a solitary place, you deserve to be killed.

Text 7: You are white like a water lily, and move around on one leg without the other legs in the form of a bull. Are you some devatā coming to afflict us by such an appearance?

Text 8: Except for your tears, the tears of living beings have never fallen on the earth which was ruled by the Kuru kings and well protected by arms of punishment.

Text 9: O son of Surabhī! Do not lament! Do not fear the śūdra! O mother! Do not weep! Since I am here as the punisher of sinners, you will have good fortune.

Text 10-11: O cow! The inattentive ruler in whose state all the citizens suffer from criminals loses his fame, lifespan, fortune and progress. This is the highest duty of the kings, to punish those who cause suffering to others. Therefore I will kill that sinful killer.

Text* 12: Son of Surabhī! You have four legs. Who has cut off three of your legs? There should never be such a condition in the state ruled by kings following Kṛṣṇa.

Text 13: O bull! May you, who is innocent and of pure character, have good fortune! Tell me who has disfigured you, who has spoiled the fame of the Pāṇḍavas.

Text 14: He who commits violence against the innocent must certainly fear me in all ways. By punishing the sinful, the innocent will be peaceful.

Text 15: I will cut off the arms along with the armbands of the person who without regard for rules commits violence against the innocent beings, even if he is a devatā.

Text 16: The highest duty of the king is to protect those who follow the rules given to them in the scriptures, and to punish the sinful who deviate from the scriptures when there is no emergency.

Text 17: Dharma said: These words which make one fearless of suffering are suitable for you, descendent of the Pāṇḍavas. Being attracted to their qualities of prema, Kṛṣṇa engaged in playing dice and other activities.

Text 18: O best of men! I do not know the person who is the cause of my suffering, since I am bewildered by different statements of scripture.

Text 19: Some say the self is the cause of suffering. Others say planets are the cause of suffering. Others say karma is the cause. Others say the inherent property of matter is the cause.

Text 20: And among these, some ascertain that happiness and distress come from that which is beyond reason and perception, O sage among kings! Consider the proper truth by your intelligence.

Text 21: Sūta said: O best of the brāhmaṇas! When dharma, the bull, spoke in this manner, the king, free from illusion by putting his mind in meditation, answered.

Text 22: The King said: O knower of dharma! You speak dharma (by not telling me the identity of your aggressor), because the person who points out the sinner attains the same place as the sinner. You are dharma in the form of a bull.

Text 23: It is certain that the course of the Lord’s māyā is beyond the thought and words of the living entities.

Text 24: In Satya-yuga you had complete dharma of four portions with four elements: austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truth. Three portions are broken by three portions of irreligion: pride, association with women, intoxication and other sins.

Text 25: O Dharma! Now in Kali-yuga truth remains prominent on the one remaining portion of dharma, by which a person can attain truth. But Kali, irreligion, increasing by untruth, desires to devour even truth.

Text 26: The cow is earth. The Lord relieved her of a great burden. She became most auspicious in all ways by the auspicious touch of his feet.

Text 27: With tears in her eyes, the chaste earth filled with misfortune, being abandoned by the Lord, laments “Śūdras dressed as kings with no respect for brāhmaṇas will enjoy me.”

Text 28: Pacifying Dharma and earth in this way, Parīkṣit took his sharp sword for killing Kali, the cause of adharma.

Text 29: Seeing the King intending to kill him he gave up the markings of a king in great fear and bowed his head to Parīkṣit’s feet.

Text 30: The praiseworthy warrior, worthy of taking shelter, affectionate to the helpless, did not kill him out of his mercy. He spoke to him with a slight smile.

Text 31: The King said: Coming with folded hands in front of the sustainer of Arjuna’s glory, you should have no fear at all. But you, friend of irreligion, cannot stay in my kingdom at all.

Text 32: When you become situated in devatās and men, all sorts of irreligion follow: greed, untruth, theft, vulgarity, giving up dharma, poverty, deceit, quarrel and pride.

Text 33: You cannot stay in Brahmāvarta where dharma and truth suitably reside, and where knowers of sacrifice worship the lord of sacrifice with sacrifice.

Text 34: You cannot reside where the Lord, Bhagavān, who is the soul of the devatās, who exists inside and outside like the air, being worshipped, distributes material and spiritual prosperity, what is useful to all moving and non-moving beings to the worshipper.

Text 35: Sūta said: Directed in this way by Parīkṣit, trembling Kali spoke to Parīkṣit who had his sword raised, appearing like Yama ready to kill him.

Text 36: Kali said: King of the whole earth! Wherever I will live, following your order, I will see only you with bow and arrow in your hand.

Text 37: Best of upholders of dharma! You should designate for me that place where I can reside permanently abiding by your order.

Text 38: Sūta said: He then gave to Kali who had made the request places where there were four types of irreligion: gambling, wine, unmarried women and slaughter of animals.

Text 39: When implored again, the King gave the place where there was gold. In that place there will be untruthfulness, intoxication, illicit sex, pride, and enmity.

Text 40: Kali, propagator of irreligion, following the order of the King, took up residence in these five places given by the son of Uttarā.

Text 41: The person who desires his own benefit, and particularly the religious king, the protector of people and the teacher, should not indulge in these five items.

Text 42: The King restored the three destroyed legs of the bull: austerity, cleanliness and mercy. Comforting the earth, he made her prosperous.