Chapter 16 – A dialogue between the Earth and Dharma
Sūta said:
1.) After the ascent of the Pāṇḍavas to heaven, king Parīkṣit who was a great devotee of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, ruled over the earth according to the instructions given to him by great Brāhmaṇas (e.g. Kṛpācārya, etc.). He possessed, O Śaunaka, the same noble virtues as had been predicted by expert astrologers at the time of his birth.
2.) He married Irāvatī, the daughter of King Uttara (his own maternal uncle) and begot through her four children, the first of whom was Janmejaya and others.
Special Note – King Uttara was the brother of Parīkṣit’s mother (Uttarā), they have a very similar name, the only difference is in the ending letter pronunciation. The father of King Uttara and Uttarā was King Virāt. It seems it was customary among the princes in those days to marry the daughter of their own maternal uncle (mother’s brother), which is otherwise regarded as incestuous and prohibited by the scriptures.
3.) Taking Kṛpācārya (the son of Śāradvata) to be his Guru (family-priest), he performed on the bank of the Gaṅgā three Aśvamedha yajñas (horse-sacrifices), offering liberal sacrificial fees (to the officiating priests). In these sacrifices the gods accepted the offerings in the presence of all assembled there.
4.) While conquering various regions (of the earth), the powerful King Parīkṣit once came across Kali (the Spirit of Kali Yuga in a human form), who had taken the form of a king but was actually a person of a demonic nature. He saw him beating a cow and a bull with his foot (the cow signifies mother Earth, & the Bull signifies Dharma). Parīkṣit, being a righteous and valiant ruler, immediately recognized the injustice and moved to restrain him.
Śaunaka said:
5-6.) Why did the king (Parīkṣit) just merely subdue the spirit of the Kali age in the course of his conquest (instead of killing him outright and thus ridding humanity of his evil influence once in for all)? For, though disguised as a King, he was after all a vile demonic person, who took it into his head to strike a cow and a bull with his foot. Therefore, O blessed one, tell me all that, if it is connected with the story of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Or, for those saintly persons who are like bees tasting the nectar from His lotus feet (in the form of devotion), what is the use of other useless discourses, in which life is wantonly spent?
7.) For Human Beings have a very short life, and those whose desires are still limited to worldly gains, death is inevitable for them (Saṃsāra). However, when the blessed Bhagavān (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) is invoked, He becomes the ultimate remedy to this inevitable fate (of Saṃsāra), bringing an end to the sufferings caused by the actions of those who act in ignorance (through his causeless grace helps us to attain Mokṣa).
8.) No one dies as long as the god of Death (Yamarāja) does not act (as the God of death & his servants would always stay away from the devotees of Śrī Hari). Indeed, for this very reason, the Supreme Lord is called upon by the great sages. He, being the embodiment of all divine power, ensures that death does not claim those who are devoted to Him. How fortunate is the human world (the earth), for it has the nectar-like discourses of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, which bring eternal bliss and liberation through the remembrance of His divine play (Līlā).
9.) In this age (Kali Yuga), people are generally dull, short-lived, and lacking in spiritual intelligence. Their nights are wasted in excessive sleep, and their days are lost in fruitless, mundane activities. Thus, their lives pass away without meaning or higher purpose
Sūta said:
10.) When King Parīkṣit was residing in the land of the Kurus, in the region known as Kurujāṅgala (a specific area within the Kuru kingdom), he heard the disturbing news that Kali (the Spirit of Kali Yuga) had entered the territories protected by his army. Being a mighty warrior and expert in battle, Parīkṣit immediately took up his bow, determined to confront and punish the intruder.
11.) Mounted on a beautifully adorned chariot, drawn by black horses and bearing the emblem of a lion on its banner, King Parīkṣit set out. Surrounded by his full army—consisting of chariots, cavalry, elephants, and infantry—he departed for his conquest of the world, determined to uphold righteousness across the earth.
12.) Having conquered Bhadrāśva, Ketumāla, Bhārata, Northern Kurus and big regions such as Kimpuruṣa and other countries, he received tributes.
13.) Wherever the King visited, he continuously heard the glories of his great forefathers (Pāṇḍavas), who were all great devotees of the Lord, and also of the glorious acts of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
14.) He also heard how he himself had been protected by the Lord (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) from the powerful heat of the missile launched by Aśvatthāmā. People also mentioned about the friendship between the descendants of Vṛṣṇi (Yādavas) and the sons of Pṛthā (Pāṇḍavas), and their great devotion to Lord Keśava (Śrī Kṛṣṇa).
15.) Highly pleased with them (those who sang these stories) the noble-minded emperor bestowed on them costly garments and necklaces, his eyes wide open with joy.
16.) Hearing how Śrī Kṛṣṇa had played the role of a charioteer (to Arjuna), attended the councils of the Pāṇḍavas, waited upon them, played the friend and ambassador, kept watch outside their camp at night in the pose of a warrior, followed them as a waiter, eulogized Yudhiṣṭhira and bowed to him not only Himself, but caused the whole world to bow at the feet of His beloved Pāṇḍavas (made them worthy of adoration for the whole world), the emperor (Parīkṣit) developed devotion to His lotus feet.
17.) As he was thus following in the footsteps of his forefathers from day to day (in the course of his conquest of the world) a strange incident occurred not very far from his territorial limits. Hear of it from me.
18.) Dharma (the god of virtue), who had appeared in the form of a bull and was now standing on only one leg, moved with great difficulty. Coming upon a cow (mother earth in the form of a cow) in distress and having lost all her radiance, he approached her. Seeing her weeping (bathing her cheeks in tears) like a mother separated from her calf, he gently inquired about her sorrow.
Dharma said:
19.) Oh blessed one, are you well, I hope no illness has befallen you? I see you pale and weakened, your face withering like a fading flower. From your expression, it seems as if you are deeply troubled within. Are you grieving for a loved one far away, O gentle mother?
20.) It may be you are sorrowing for me, deprived as I am of three of my feet and left with just one. Or you may be feeling sorry for yourself, knowing that people with a demonic nature (Tamas) are going to rule over you hereafter? Or are you grieving for the gods and other heavenly beings that have been robbed of their share (offerings) in sacrifices? Or do you sorrow for the people who are suffering due to Indra (the god of rain) withholding rain?
21.) Oh earth! Are you grieving for unprotected women and children, or for news of men behaving like cannibals (human-eating demons)? (Are you grieving for) the sacred speech (Vedas) in the priestly families being contaminated due to bad conduct, or for the lack of Brāhmaṇas (learnt people who truly have realized, Brahma – The Absolute), or for the those in royal families (Kings) who are engaging in sinful actions, abandoning their noble and righteous traditions (and duties)?
22.) Do you grieve for the degradation of the rulers (Kings), who have now been overtaken by Kali? Or about the corruption of the kingdoms and regions, which are now under the influence of this age of darkness? Or is it because the people are now indulging in the vices of excessive drinking, improper living, bathing in contaminated waters, and engaging in sinful actions that have led to the degradation of their way of life?
23.) Or, Oh mother Earth, are you remembering Śrī Hari, who incarnated to relieve your great burden, and (are you sad) because His pastimes, which bestow liberation, have ceased for the time being?
24.) O Vasundharā (earth), please tell me the root cause of your distress, by which you have become emaciated. Or has your auspiciousness (Earth being the storehouse of all riches), which was worshiped even by the gods, been taken away by Time, the most powerful among the powerful?
The Earth said:
25.) Oh Dharma, you surely know all that you ask me. It was due to Him (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) that you were endowed (till the other day) with all your four feet, that were conducive to the happiness of the world.
Special Note – The four feet of Dharma represent the foundational principles of righteousness:
- Truthfulness
- Cleanliness/Purity (or Charity/Generosity)
- Austerity/Penance
- Compassion/Mercy
These are the essential virtues that uphold cosmic order and moral conduct.
26-29.) Truthfulness, purity, compassion, forbearance, liberality, contentment, guilelessness, composure of mind, subjugation of the senses, austerity, evenness of temper, endurance, quietism, sacred knowledge, self-realization, dispassion (absence of thirst for sensuous enjoyment), lordship (power to rule), heroism, majesty, strength, right judgment, independence (absolute freedom), dexterity, loveliness of form, fortitude, gentleness of disposition, exceptional intelligence, modesty, amiability, quickness of mind, acuteness of the senses and bodily vigour, good fortune, sobriety, steadiness, reverence, good reputation, respectability and absence of egotism—these and many other excellent virtues, which are sought by humans aspiring for greatness, are ever present in Him (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) and never decline, O blessed one.
30.) By Him (Śrī Kṛṣṇa), who is the receptacle of all noble qualities and the abode of Śri (the goddess of prosperity) has the world been deserted today, and has thus fallen under the eye of the wicked Kali (Age). It is such a world that I am grieving for.
31.) I am equally concerned for myself (Earth), for you the chief of divinities (Dharma), and the other gods (the celestial gods), manes (spirits of deceased ancestors), sages, and holy persons, as well as for the generality of human beings belonging to all grades of society and stages of life.
32.) Even Brahmā and other gods, desiring liberation by His glance (to secure Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s grace), intensely practice austerities and surrender to Śrī Hari. That very goddess of fortune Śrī (Lakṣmījī), gave up her own abode in the forest of lotus flowers and engaged herself in the service of the lotus feet of the Lord.
33.) Exquisitely adorned by the glorious feet of the same divine Lord, that bore the marks of a lotus, thunderbolt, goad and flag, and deriving great splendour through them, I once outshone all the three worlds; and when that good luck ceased, He forsook me, proud as I was (of my great good fortune).
34.) Absolutely independent as He is, He assumed a charming personality in the race of Yadu in order to make you whole (with all your feet restored) as a part of His own Being by His own might, finding you grieved at the loss of your two feet. He removed my oppressive burden in the shape of a hundred Akṣauhiṇīs of kings who belonged to the demon race in their previous incarnation.
35.) What woman could bear separation from that Supreme Person, who stole away by His endearing looks, bright smiles and sweet words, the patience as well as the pride of loving and proud ladies (like Satyabhāmā and others), and adorned by whose footprints I felt a thrill of joy?
36.) As mother Earth and Dharma (the god of virtue) were thus talking, the royal sage Parīkṣit arrived at the bank of the Sarasvatī River, where it flows towards the east.
Thus ends the sixteenth discourse entitled “The dialogue between Goddess Earth and Dharma”, in Book One of the great and glorious Bhāgavata Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahaṁsa-Saṁhitā (the book of the God-realized souls).
Summarization Of The Entire Chapter :
After the departure of the Pāṇḍavas to the higher realms, King Parīkṣit, the grandson of Arjuna and a pure devotee of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, assumed the responsibility of ruling the earth. He was a monarch not merely in title but in truth—a righteous, dhārmic ruler who governed in accordance with the counsel of noble Brāhmaṇas like Kṛpācārya. His reign stood as a continuation of the golden lineage of the Pāṇḍavas, infused with the virtues of truth, justice, compassion, and devotion to Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Parīkṣit performed Aśvamedha sacrifices, not for self-glorification but as acts of devotion and offerings to the Supreme, guided by spiritual preceptors. His conquests were not for empire-building but for re-establishing dharma across the earth. He moved through various lands where the glories of the Pāṇḍavas and Śrī Kṛṣṇa were still sung, and his heart brimmed with devotion as he heard tales of the Lord’s divine play—how the Lord served His devotees with humility, walked among them, and made them the objects of universal veneration.
A pivotal moment unfolds when King Parīkṣit encounters Kali—the spirit of the age of darkness—disguised as a king and beating a cow and a bull. The cow represents Bhū-devī (Mother Earth), and the bull symbolizes Dharma (righteousness), now reduced to a single leg (Truth), indicating the erosion of the core foundations of virtue in the Kali Yuga. Parīkṣit’s instinct is to punish this evil, for as a ruler imbued with dharma, he sees it as his sacred duty to protect the weak, especially dharma itself.
The scene transitions to a profound spiritual allegory: Dharma (as the bull) gently inquires of Earth the reason for her sorrow. In a deeply touching dialogue, Earth reveals her heartache—the departure of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose presence had upheld all virtues and blessed the entire cosmos. In His absence, Kali has gained influence, and the world has begun to descend into darkness—marked by corruption in rulers, decline in spiritual knowledge, the loss of Brāhmaṇas, and indulgence in sinful acts.
Earth’s lament is not merely for her own suffering but for all beings—devas, sages, ancestors, humans—now vulnerable in the Lord’s physical absence. She recalls the Supreme Lord’s virtues: His compassion, modesty, austerity, heroism, truth, and divine play that gave purpose and glory to her existence. She feels bereft, having once been adorned by His lotus feet, which sanctified her very soil.
Spiritually, this chapter is a turning point—the fading light of Dvāpara Yuga gives way to the darkness of Kali Yuga. Parīkṣit stands as the last luminous flame of righteousness, trying to keep the embers of dharma alive. But the chapter also conveys a powerful message: Though Śrī Kṛṣṇa may no longer be visible in form, His presence lingers through remembrance, through stories, through the path of bhakti. It is in devotion and spiritual hearing (śravaṇa) that His grace becomes accessible, even in this dark age.
Spiritual Teachings from this Chapter
A. The Rule of a Devotee King Reflects Divine Governance
Parīkṣit Mahārāja ruled the world not by political might but by the guidance of sages and his deep devotion to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. His reign exemplifies how a ruler who is surrendered to God can protect and uphold dharma for all beings.
B. Dharma Declines When the Lord Withdraws His Visible Form
The Earth (Bhū-devī) mourns the departure of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, for with Him departed the power that upheld righteousness. The conversation between Dharma and Earth teaches that when God is forgotten, virtue crumbles and society begins to decay.
C. Kali Yuga Begins with the Neglect of Truth and Compassion
The image of Dharma standing on one leg, and Earth being beaten, shows that in Kali Yuga, only one pillar of righteousness—Truth—remains. The others (compassion, austerity, purity) are lost. This is a wake-up call for spiritual vigilance.
D. Hearing the Glories of the Lord is the Cure in Kali Yuga
Parīkṣit found joy and devotion upon hearing the stories of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and the Pāṇḍavas. Even in the age of darkness, śravaṇa (listening to divine līlās) purifies the heart and grants spiritual awakening.
E. The Lord’s Humility is His Supreme Beauty
Despite being the Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa acted as a charioteer, servant, and friend to the Pāṇḍavas. Earth remembers not just His power, but the sweetness (mādhurya) of His humility, which stole the hearts of sages, gods, and even herself.
F. The Devotee is the Shelter of Dharma in a World of Decline
In the absence of the Lord’s visible presence, the true devotee becomes the upholder of dharma. King Parīkṣit’s confrontation with Kali reveals the role of spiritual leadership in preserving righteousness during dark times.
Short Questions & Answers :
Q1: Who was King Parīkṣit, and how did he govern the world after the Pāṇḍavas?
A: King Parīkṣit was the grandson of Arjuna and a great devotee of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. After the departure of the Pāṇḍavas, he ruled the earth under the guidance of noble Brāhmaṇas, upholding righteousness, performing sacred sacrifices, and spreading the glories of Śrī Kṛṣṇa through devotion.
Q2: What does the encounter between King Parīkṣit and Kali symbolize?
A: The confrontation represents the arrival of Kali Yuga, where unrighteousness begins to rise. Kali, disguised as a king, was harming Dharma (as a bull) and Earth (as a cow). Parīkṣit, as the protector of dharma, stood against this decline, symbolizing the devotee’s role in resisting adharma (unrighteousness).
Q3: How does the Bhāgavata Purāṇa depict the symptoms of Kali Yuga?
A: Kali Yuga is marked by a fall in truth, austerity, purity, and compassion. There is moral decline among rulers, priests, and common people. Spiritual intelligence diminishes, and materialism and sense gratification prevail, leading to collective suffering.
Q4: What spiritual qualities did Mother Earth associate with Śrī Kṛṣṇa?
A: Earth glorifies Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the embodiment of all divine virtues—truthfulness, forbearance, dispassion, heroism, modesty, wisdom, and compassion. She mourns His absence, recognizing that these qualities flourished in the world only because of Him.
Q5: Why did Parīkṣit feel increasing devotion as he traveled through his kingdom?
A: As Parīkṣit traveled, he constantly heard stories of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s love for the Pāṇḍavas, His divine plays, and how He protected the world. Hearing these accounts stirred deep devotion within him, reminding him of his own deliverance by the Lord.
Q6: What is the deeper significance of Dharma standing on one leg?
A: The bull representing Dharma once stood on four legs (Truth, Purity, Austerity, Compassion). In Kali Yuga, only Truth remains, and even that is under attack. This vision reflects the collapse of virtue and the urgent need for spiritual revival.
Q7: What is the Bhāgavata Purāṇa’s remedy for spiritual decline in Kali Yuga?
A: The Purāṇa prescribes hearing (śravaṇa) and remembering (smaraṇa) the līlās (divine pastimes) of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Through devotion and the association of saintly persons, one can overcome the ignorance and bondage of this dark age.
