॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
॥ सप्तदशोऽध्यायः ॥
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Discourse XVII
King Parikṣit subdues Kali (Preamble)
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सूत उवाच ।
तत्र गोमिथुनं राजा हन्यमानमनाथवत्
दण्डहस्तं च वृषलं ददृशे नृपलाञ्छनम् ॥ १॥
वृषं मृणालधवलं मेहन्तमिव बिभ्यतम् ।
वेपमानं पदैकेन सीदन्तं शूद्रताडितम् ॥ २॥
गां च धर्मदुघां दीनां भृशं शूद्रपदाहताम् ।
विवत्सां साश्रुवदनां क्षामां यवसमिच्छतीम् ॥ ३॥
पप्रच्छ रथमारूढः कार्तस्वरपरिच्छदम् ।
मेघगम्भीरया वाचा समारोपितकार्मुकः ॥ ४॥
कस्त्वं मच्छरणे लोके बलाद्धंस्यबलान् बली ।
नरदेवोऽसि वेषेण नटवत्कर्मणाद्विजः ॥ ५॥
कस्त्वं कृष्णे गते दूरं सहगाण्डीवधन्वना । (यस्त्वं कृष्णे)
शोच्योऽस्यशोच्यान् रहसि प्रहरन् वधमर्हसि ॥ ६॥
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Sūta said There (on the bank of the Saraswati) the king (Parikṣit) saw a Śūdra, bearing the insignia of royalty, and with a club in his hand belabouring a cow and a bull as though they had no protector. (1)
The bull, who was white as a lotus stalk and stood with difficulty on one leg alone, was seen trembling and urinating as it were with fear while being beaten by the Śūdra. (2)
As for the cow, who yields materials (in the shape of milk, ghee etc.) useful for religious acts (such as the performance of sacrifices etc.), the king found her most miserable, being kicked by the Śūdra and bereft of her calf. Her cheeks were bathed in tears, and she had grown very lean and thin and was hungry. (3)
Mounted on his gold-plated car and stringing his bow, he challenged the tyrant in accents deep as the rumbling of a cloud:— (4)
"Who are you that are powerful enough to strike the weak so violently in this land protected by me ?" Like an actor on the stage you have put on the garb of a king; but by your action you are a Śūdra. (5)
By striking harmless creatures in a lonely place and at a time when Śrī Kṛṣṇa has gone far away (ascended to His divine Abode) along with Arjuna (the wielder of the Gāṇḍiva bow), you have proved yourself to be an offender and therefore, deserve to be slain. (6)
- The term 'Bhaga' has been defined in our scriptures as below :—
(1-6)
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ऐश्वर्यस्य समग्रस्य धर्मस्य यशसः श्रियः।
ज्ञानवैराग्ययोश्चैव षण्णां भग इतिरणा॥
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"The word 'Bhaga' denotes power, virtue, fame, affluence, wisdom and dispassion, each in its fullest measure."
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who has been referred to earlier as Bhagavān Himself (कृष्णस्तु भगवान् स्वयम्) naturally possessed all these six attributes in their entirety, Dharma (virtue) as part of these six attributes thus existed in Him complete in all its limbs, although in the Dvāpāra age, when the Lord appeared on earth, it had lost two of its limbs. This is what mother Earth seeks to convey in the above lines. (Preamble)
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त्वं वा मृणालधवलः पादैर्न्यूनः पदा चरन् ।
वृषरूपेण किं कश्चिद्देवो नः परिखेदयन् ॥ ७॥
न जातु पौरवेन्द्राणां दोर्दण्डपरिरम्भिते । (कौरवेन्द्राणां)
भूतलेऽनुपतन्त्यस्मिन् विना ते प्राणिनां शुचः ॥ ८॥
मा सौरभेयानुशुचो व्येतु ते वृषलाद्भयम् ।
मा रोदीरम्ब भद्रं ते खलानां मयि शास्तरि ॥ ९॥
यस्य राष्ट्रे प्रजाः सर्वास्त्रस्यन्ते साध्व्यसाधुभिः ।
तस्य मत्तस्य नश्यन्ति कीर्तिरायुर्भगो गतिः ॥ १०॥
एष राज्ञां परो धर्मो ह्यार्तानामार्तिनिग्रहः ।
अत एनं वधिष्यामि भूतद्रुहमसत्तमम् ॥ ११॥
कोऽवृश्चत्तव पादांस्त्रीन् सौरभेय चतुष्पद ।
मा भूवंस्त्वादृशा राष्ट्रे राज्ञां कृष्णानुवर्तिनाम् ॥ १२॥
आख्याहि वृष भद्रं वः साधूनामकृतागसाम् ।
आत्मवैरूप्यकर्तारं पार्थानां कीर्तिदूषणम् ॥ १३॥
जनेऽनागस्यघं युञ्जन् सर्वतोऽस्य च मद्भयम् ।
साधूनां भद्रमेव स्यादसाधुदमने कृते ॥ १४॥
अनागःस्विह भूतेषु य आगस्कृन्निरङ्कुशः ।
आहर्तास्मि भुजं साक्षादमर्त्यस्यापि साङ्गदम् ॥ १५॥
राज्ञो हि परमो धर्मः स्वधर्मस्थानुपालनम् ।
शासतोऽन्यान् यथाशास्त्रमनापद्युत्पथानिह ॥ १६॥
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(Turning to the bull, he went on:) "As for yourself, are you some divinity in the guise of a bull, white as a lotus stalk and moving on one foot only, having lost your other three feet, and thus causing us great sorrow? (7)
On this earth, securely guarded by the stout arms of the Paurava kings, tears were never seen to drop from the eyes of creatures other than you. (8)
Grieve no more, O bull; let your fear of the Śūdra be gone. Weep not, mother; may all be well with you so long as I am here to punish the evil-doer. (9)
The good reputation, longevity, fortune and prospects in the other world of that wild king go to the dogs, in whose dominion, O virtuous one, the people are indiscriminately oppressed by the impious. (10)
To put an end to the suffering of the distressed, this indeed is the foremost duty of kings. Therefore, I shall slay this most wicked fellow, and enemy of living beings that he is. (11)
Who is it that amputated your three feet, O bull, a quadruped as you are ? Let there be no afflicted souls like you in the realm of kings who are votaries of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. (12)
Tell me, O bull, who it was that mutilated innocent and good souls like you, and thus sullied the fair name of the Pāṇḍavas (the sons of Pṛthā). May good come to you. (13)
He who does evil to an innocent creature must have fear from me on all sides. Pious souls are surely benefited when vile creatures are subdued. (14)
I shall certainly cut off the arm, along with the armlet adorning it, of the individual, be he a veritable god, who in his unbridled madness inflicts injury on harmless creatures. (15)
It is, indeed, the paramount duty of a monarch to protect those who stick to their own Dharma. Punishing according to the injunctions of the scriptures those other people who in this world have strayed from the path of virtue otherwise than in adversity." (16) (7-16)
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धर्म उवाच ।
एतद्वः पाण्डवेयानां युक्तमार्ताभयं वचः ।
येषां गुणगणैः कृष्णो दौत्यादौ भगवान् कृतः ॥ १७॥
न वयं क्लेशबीजानि यतः स्युः पुरुषर्षभ ।
पुरुषं तं विजानीमो वाक्यभेदविमोहिताः ॥ १८॥
केचिद्विकल्पवसना आहुरात्मानमात्मनः ।
दैवमन्ये परे कर्म स्वभावमपरे प्रभुम् ॥ १९॥
अप्रतर्क्यादनिर्देश्यादिति केष्वपि निश्चयः ।
अत्रानुरूपं राजर्षे विमृश स्वमनीषया ॥ २०॥
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Dharma replied : "Such an assurance of protection to the distressed is quite becoming of you, the scions of Pāṇḍu, whose hosts of virtues compelled the divine Śrī Kṛṣṇa to accept the (humble) role of an envoy etc., to you (your forbears). (17)
Bewildered as we are by the conflicting statements of various thinkers, we know not the person who is responsible for the causes of suffering, O jewel among men ! (18)
Some, who deny all difference, declare their own self as responsible for their suffering; others attribute it to Providence; yet others ascribe it to their own doings; a fourth school avers nature to be the cause of suffering; while still others declare God as the bestower of suffering. (19)
Some, again, hold that the cause of suffering is something beyond the reach of speech or mind. Now investigate, O royal sage, by your own judgement, which of these views is sound." (20) (17-20)
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सूत उवाच ।
एवं धर्मे प्रवदति स सम्राड्-द्विजसत्तम ।
समाहितेन मनसा विखेदः पर्यचष्ट तम् ॥ २१॥
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Sūta continued : When Dharma spoke in this strain, Emperor Parikṣit, O Śaunaka, was disillusioned and with a calm mind, replied to him as follows: (21) (21)
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राजोवाच ।
धर्मं ब्रवीषि धर्मज्ञ धर्मोऽसि वृषरूपधृक् ।
यदधर्मकृतः स्थानं सूचकस्यापि तद्भवेत् ॥ २२॥
अथवा देवमायाया नूनं गतिरगोचरा ।
चेतसो वचसश्चापि भूतानामिति निश्चयः ॥ २३॥
तपः शौचं दया सत्यमिति पादाः कृते कृताः ।
अधर्मांशैस्त्रयो भग्नाः स्मयसङ्गमदैस्तव ॥ २४॥
इदानीं धर्म पादस्ते सत्यं निर्वर्तयेद्यतः ।
तं जिघृक्षत्यधर्मोऽयमनृतेनैधितः कलिः ॥ २५॥
इयं च भूमिर्भगवता न्यासितोरुभरा सती ।
श्रीमद्भिस्तत्पदन्यासैः सर्वतः कृतकौतुका ॥ २६॥
शोचत्यश्रुकला साध्वी दुर्भगेवोज्झिताधुना ।
अब्रह्मण्या नृपव्याजाः शूद्रा भोक्ष्यन्ति मामिति ॥ २७॥
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The king said : You speak what is right, O knower of Dharma (righteousness). Evidently you are Dharma (the god of virtue) in the guise of a bull. (You refuse to tell the name of your persecutor) only because (you know that) the lot which falls to a wrong-doer is also shared by the denouncer. (22)
Or the (right) conclusion is that the ways of the divine Māyā (deluding potency) are surely beyond the scope of the mind and speech of living beings. (23)
In the Kṛta age (Satyayuga) you had four whole feet in the form of austerity, purity, compassion and truthfulness. Three of them have since been destroyed by the progeny of unrighteousness, viz., pride, attachment and hauteur. (24)
Now, O Dharma, you have only one foot left in the shape of truthfulness, on which you are somehow supporting yourself. Yonder unrighteousness in the shape of Kali, however, seeks to rob you of the same, strengthened as it is by falsehood. (25)
And this cow is no other than the good mother Earth, whose heavy burden was relieved by the Lord and who was adorned all round by His charming footprints. (26)
Forsaken by Him, the holy mother now grieves like an unlucky woman, with tears in her eyes, to think that Śūdras who hate the Brāhmaṇas and pretend to be kings will rule over her. (27) (22-27)
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इति धर्मं महीं चैव सान्त्वयित्वा महारथः ।
निशातमाददे खड्गं कलयेऽधर्महेतवे ॥ २८॥
तं जिघांसुमभिप्रेत्य विहाय नृपलाञ्छनम् ।
तत्पादमूलं शिरसा समगाद्भयविह्वलः ॥ २९॥
पतितं पादयोर्वीरः कृपया दीनवत्सलः ।
शरण्यो नावधीच्छ्लोक्य आह चेदं हसन्निव ॥ ३०॥
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Having thus comforted Dharma as well as mother Earth, Parikṣit (who was a great car-warrior) drew his sharp-edged sword in order to dispose of Kali, the spring of unrighteousness. (28)
Perceiving that the king was bent upon killing him, he threw off his insignia of royalty and placed his head at the king's feet, overwhelmed with fear. (29)
The praiseworthy hero (Parikṣit), who was kind to the meek and hospitable to those who sought his protection, took compassion on Kali, who had fallen at his feet, and did not slay him, but smilingly spoke thus: (30) (28-30)
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राजोवाच ।
न ते गुडाकेशयशोधराणां
बद्धाञ्जलेर्वै भयमस्ति किञ्चित् ।
न वर्तितव्यं भवता कथञ्चन
क्षेत्रे मदीये त्वमधर्मबन्धुः ॥ ३१॥
त्वां वर्तमानं नरदेवदेहे-
ष्वनुप्रवृत्तोऽयमधर्मपूगः ।
लोभोऽनृतं चौर्यमनार्यमंहो
ज्येष्ठा च माया कलहश्च दम्भः ॥ ३२॥
न वर्तितव्यं तदधर्मबन्धो
धर्मेण सत्येन च वर्तितव्ये ।
ब्रह्मावर्ते यत्र यजन्ति यज्ञै-
र्यज्ञेश्वरं यज्ञवितानविज्ञाः ॥ ३३॥
यस्मिन् हरिर्भगवानिज्यमान
इज्यामूर्तिर्यजतां शं तनोति ।
कामानमोघान् स्थिरजङ्गमाना-
मन्तर्बहिर्वायुरिवैष आत्मा ॥ ३४॥
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The king said : You have no cause for fear when you have joined your palms before us, that have inherited the glorious traditions of Arjuna (who had overcome sloth). But on no account should you stay in my realm, a friend as you are of unrighteousness. (31)
Ever since you took up your abode in the body of kings (gods among men), these numerous vices—greed, falsehood, thieving, wickedness, proneness to sin, poverty, wile, cantankerousness and hypocrisy—have followed you. (32)
Therefore, O ally of unrighteousness, you should not remain in Brahmāvarta, which is a fit abode for piety and truth, and where Brāhmaṇas well-versed in the elaborate ritual propitiate the Lord of sacrifices through sacrificial performances. (33)
In this land ( of Brahmāvarta) Lord Śrī Hari abides in the form of sacrifices and blesses His votaries. Nay, moving inside as well as outside all animate and inanimate beings like the air, that Universal Soul grants all their desires. (34) (31-34)
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सूत उवाच ।
परीक्षितैवमादिष्टः स कलिर्जातवेपथुः ।
तमुद्यतासिमाहेदं दण्डपाणिमिवोद्यतम् ॥ ३५॥
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Sūta continued : Kali trembled to hear this command of king Parikṣit. He made the following request to the king, who stood ready to strike with his uplifted sword, as Yama with his rod of punishment. (35) (35)
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कलिरुवाच ।
यत्र क्वचन वत्स्यामि सार्वभौम तवाज्ञया ।
लक्षये तत्र तत्रापि त्वामात्तेषुशरासनम् ॥ ३६॥
तन्मे धर्मभृतां श्रेष्ठ स्थानं निर्देष्टुमर्हसि ।
यत्रैव नियतो वत्स्य आतिष्ठंस्तेऽनुशासनम् ॥ ३७॥
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Kali said : Wherever I think of taking up my abode in obedience to your command, O emperor, I find you bow and arrow in hand. (36)
Therefore, O jewel among champions of righteousness, it behoves you to tell me the place where I may settle down permanently in compliance with your orders. (37) (36-37)
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सूत उवाच ।
अभ्यर्थितस्तदा तस्मै स्थानानि कलये ददौ ।
द्यूतं पानं स्त्रियः सूना यत्राधर्मश्चतुर्विधः ॥ ३८॥
पुनश्च याचमानाय जातरूपमदात्प्रभुः ।
ततोऽनृतं मदं कामं रजो वैरं च पञ्चमम् ॥ ३९॥
अमूनि पञ्च स्थानानि ह्यधर्मप्रभवः कलिः ।
औत्तरेयेण दत्तानि न्यवसत्तन्निदेशकृत् ॥ ४०॥
अथैतानि न सेवेत बुभूषुः पुरुषः क्वचित् ।
विशेषतो धर्मशीलो राजा लोकपतिर्गुरुः ॥ ४१॥
वृषस्य नष्टांस्त्रीन् पादान् तपः शौचं दयामिति ।
प्रतिसन्दध आश्वास्य महीं च समवर्धयत् ॥ ४२॥
स एष एतर्ह्यध्यास्त आसनं पार्थिवोचितम् ।
पितामहेनोपन्यस्तं राज्ञारण्यं विविक्षता ॥ ४३॥
आस्तेऽधुना स राजर्षिः कौरवेन्द्रश्रियोल्लसन् ।
गजाह्वये महाभागश्चक्रवर्ती बृहच्छ्रवाः ॥ ४४॥
इत्थम्भूतानुभावोऽयमभिमन्युसुतो नृपः ।
यस्य पालयतः क्षोणीं यूयं सत्राय दीक्षिताः ॥ ४५॥
इति श्रीमद्भागवते महापुराणे पारमहंस्यां संहितायां
प्रथमस्कन्धे कलिनिग्रहो नाम सप्तदशोऽध्यायः ॥ १.१७॥
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Sūta continued : Thus entreated by Kali, the king then allocated to him the following (four) places—dice, wine, woman and shambles, the hotbeds of the four vices (falsehood, intoxication, passion and cruelty). (38)
On Kali asking for more abodes, the mighty king assigned him gold (as the fifth abode). Thus he allotted to him falsehood, intoxication, passion and slaughter with animosity as the fifth. (39)
In obedience to the king's command Kali, the progenitor of unrighteousness, occupied these five abodes assigned by Parikṣit (the son of Uttarā). (40)
Hence a man seeking blessedness, especially a pious monarch, a leader of the people and a religious preceptor should never resort to these. (41)
The king then restored the three lost legs of the bull, viz., penance, purity and compassion, and comforted and cherished mother Earth. (42)
The selfsame monarch still occupies the royal throne which was bequeathed to him by his granduncle, king Yudhiṣṭhira, while retiring to the forest. (43)
Shining with the glory of the Kaurava kings, that most blessed emperor of extensive renown, the royal sage Parikṣit dwells even now at Hastināpura. (44)
Such is the majesty of king Parikṣit (the son of Abhimanyu) during whose rulership over the earth you have undertaken the vow of performing this sacrifice. (45)
Thus ends the seventeenth discourse entitled "The Subjugation of Kali", in Book One of the great and glorious Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahamsa-Sarhhitā*
* In verses 43 to 45 the great king Parikṣit has been spoken of as if he were present at the time when the holy sacrifice at Naimiṣāraṇya was in progress. According to the aphorism of Pāṇini 'वर्तमानसामीप्ये वर्तमानब्रह्म' the present tense can be used even with reference to the immediate past or future. The great Ācārya Vallabha of revered memory points out in his famous commentary (the Subodhini) that, even though Parikṣit had departed from this world, his renown and glory were still alive. The distance of time which divided him from the period of the sacrifice undertaken by Śaunaka and others has been eliminated in order to evoke the utmost reverence for him. His soul had merged in the Lord; that was also one reason why Sūta visualized him as present before his eyes. Not only the learned speaker but his saintly audience too felt his presence. According to the Vedic maxim 'आत्मा वै जायते पुत्रः' (the father himself is reborn as a son) it was Parikṣit himself who occupied the throne of Hastināpura in the person of his son and worthy successor, Janamejaya. Considered from all these points of view, a reference to Parikṣit in the present tense goes to heighten the effect of the discourse. (38-45)
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