After the end of Lord Krishna’s incarnation on Earth, Kali—the fourth yuga—had claimed its power in the world. Righteousness and action ordained by the scriptures were at the verge of neglect.
During this period, the Kuru Empire was ruled by King Parikshit, the grandson of Arjuna. Not only was King Parikshit a powerful emperor but he was also an exceptional devotee of Krishna. When the king’s mother Uttara had been pregnant with him, Lord Krishna himself had appeared inside her womb to protect Parikshit from a deadly weapon dispatched by an enemy. So, since his birth, Parikshit felt a strong and instinctive attraction to the Lord. Everything in his kingdom—from royal events to artistic pursuits—were centered on Krishna.
One day, Parikshit was traveling back home in his chariot. As he approached the Sarasvati River, the king came across a disturbing scene that made his jaw drop in shock. He pulled the black horses drawing his chariot to a stop.
A white bull had lost three of its legs and was leaning against a sobbing cow. Both mammals were being ruthlessly beaten up by a cruel man dressed in the attire of a king.
King Parikshit tightly gripped his bow and fiercely glared at the man. “Who are you?” the king roared. “How dare you use your power to harm the helpless under my protection? Do you think now that Krishna’s incarnation has come to an end, you can get away with just whatever you want?”
Parikshit then turned to the seriously injured bull. After exchanging a few words with the animal, the king realized the bull was the personification of dharma itself and that the cow was the personification of the Earth. It was clear that the welfare of the Earth was intrinsically tied to the upholding of dharma.
“Dharma is said to have stood on four pillars—austerity, cleanliness, mercy, and truth,” Parikshit began, voicing his thoughts aloud. “But now, amidst the terrible Kali yuga, only the pillar of truth remains of these four.”
The king suddenly whipped his head around to face the man who had been beating up the one-legged bull. “Then, you!” he gasped. “You must be the manifestation of Kali himself!”
Parikshit yanked his sword out of his scabbard and prepared to kill the man whom he was sure was Kali.
Kali trembled and folded his arms. He knew the king was powerful enough to put an end to him.
“Please, your majesty,” Kali implored, “please, spare me. I too am your subject and deserve some safe haven in your kingdom.”
Parikshit lowered his sword. As a righteous king, he knew it was his duty to protect those who came under his refuge. But he still had to address the elephant in the room.
“Why should I?” he asked. “You, well, you’re Kali. You rip away the righteousness from the world.”
Kali nodded gently. “I know. It’s my nature. But hear me out, I’m not all bad. I have an offer that you will certainly not want to refuse.”
Parikshit was intrigued but skeptical. “Explain yourself.”
“In all the other three yugas, simply having unrighteous thoughts—even with absolutely no intention of carrying them out—was a sin. But now, in my yuga, only actions that are immoral become sins. What’s more, merely thinking good thoughts provides the merit of punya, unlike the past three yugas. Simply chanting the name of God with earnestness and devotion is enough to attain the Lord. Did you know that? Such a means for liberation is only possible when I’m around.”
Parikshit slowly slipped his sword back into its sheath. He had to admit that Kali’s case was quite compelling.
“Okay, okay,” the king conceded. “Since you have come to me seeking protection, I will give you four places where you will be permitted to stay. You may apply your influence in any place where gambling, intoxication, excessive desire, and violence are found.”
Kali nodded thoughtfully. “Thank you, your majesty. But I beg off you, please, just give me one more place? Just one more. Please?”
Parikshit glared at Kali. “Fine. Since you are so greedy, may you stay in greed itself, symbolized by gold.”
The king, pleased with himself for subduing Kali, left for his palace in the kingdom’s capital city of Hastinapura. As he placed his gold crown at his bedside to retire for the day, little did he know that the conniving Kali was already plotting a way to use Parikshit’s own concessions against him.
Curious about how Parikshit falls into the clutches of Kali? Find out in the next part of the story: King Parikshit’s Curse
This story is found in the first canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam.
