Soot said: There, the king saw a pair of cows being attacked, and a bull with a club in its hand, resembling a king.

The bull, white as a lotus, trembling as if in fear, sat down, struck by a blow from a Sudra.

O cow, you who are the giver of righteousness, greatly afflicted by the blows of the Shudras, with a sorrowful face and a body that desires barley.

He asked, seated on the chariot, adorned with the bow of Kārtasvara, with a voice deep as thunder, and holding the bow ready.

Who are you, O powerful one, stronger than the strong, in the guise of a human, performing the acts of a dancer?

Who are you, O Krishna, far away, with the Gandiva bow, lamenting for those who should not be lamented?

You, O white lotus, walking with feet that are not less than the feet of others, who can disturb us in the form of a bull?

The pure beings do not fall to the ground, when the powerful rulers are struck by their own strength.

Do not let the fragrance of sorrow depart from you, O brave one; do not weep, may good fortune be upon you, O one who punishes the wicked.

In whose kingdom all the subjects are righteous and unrighteous, that person’s glory, life, fortune, and path do not perish.

This is the supreme duty of kings: to alleviate the sufferings of the distressed. Therefore, I shall kill this wicked being.

Who will not be your foot, O four-legged one, and who will not be like you in a kingdom that follows Krishna?

O bull of the righteous, please tell us about the one who is the cause of the disfigurement of the fame of the sons of Pritha.

For the one who is free from sin, may there be good fortune everywhere, and may the destruction of the wicked be accomplished.

The sinless one, who is unrestrained among beings, I am the one who directly takes the form of the mortal.

Indeed, the highest duty of a king is to uphold his own dharma and to govern others according to the scriptures.

Dharma said: This is the advice of the Pandavas, which is free from fear and is based on the qualities of Krishna, who is the Lord.

We are not the seeds of suffering, for we know that man is the best among men, and we recognize him, deluded by the differences in speech.

Some say that the self is the body, others say it is the divine, and still others say it is the Lord's nature.

The indeterminate and indescribable is indeed a certainty for some; here, O King, consider according to your own understanding.

Soot said: Thus, he speaks of righteousness, the great king, the best of the twice-born; with a focused mind, he perceives the distractions.

The king said: You speak of righteousness, O knower of righteousness; you are the embodiment of righteousness. The place of the unrighteous will also be that of the indicator.

Either the divine illusion is indeed beyond reach, and this is the conclusion regarding the minds and words of beings.

The feet are made for austerity, purity, compassion, and truth; the three are broken by unrighteousness, accompanied by a smile.

Now, your foot of righteousness should manifest truth; unrighteousness, which is bound by falsehood, seeks to grasp it.

This earth is indeed filled with the divine; it is adorned with the footprints of the revered ones, full of wonder.

The virtuous weep, like a woman abandoned, saying that the unqualified and the deceitful will consume me.

Thus, the great charioteer, having pacified the earth, took up his sword to combat the forces of adharma.

Approaching him with the intent to kill, he, trembling with fear, bowed his head at the feet of the king.

The hero, having fallen at his feet, was compassionate and gentle, and did not wish to kill him, though he smiled.

The king said: 'O Gudakesha, those bound by your fame have no fear at all. You should not act in my field, for you are a relative of adharma.'

You, who are present in the bodies of men, are not engaged in this accumulation of adharma: greed, falsehood, theft, unrighteousness, and the quarrels of illusion and hypocrisy.

One should not act in accordance with the bondage of adharma; one should act in accordance with dharma and truth. In Brahmavarta, where the knowledgeable perform sacrifices to the Lord of Sacrifice, the wise understand the essence of sacrifice.

In whom the Lord Hari, the Supreme Being, manifests as the form of sacrifice, bestowing auspicious desires upon those who perform sacrifices, both stationary and moving, like the wind that pervades within and without, is the soul.

Soot said: Thus instructed by Parikshit, Kali, trembling, arose like a sword raised by a hand.

Kali said: Wherever I may reside, O Supreme Being, by your command, I shall see you there and there, even in the midst of those who wield bows.

Therefore, you should indicate to me the best place among those who uphold dharma, where I may remain fixed, following your instructions.

Soot said: Then, being requested, he gave him the places of gambling, drinking, and women, where the four types of adharma reside.

Again, when asked, the lord gave him the form of gold, then falsehood, intoxication, desire, and enmity as the fifth.

These five places, indeed, are the result of adharma; Kali established them by the directive of the Uttara.

Now, let no man, especially a righteous king or a lord of the people, serve these.

The three lost feet of the bull are austerity, purity, and compassion; thus, he reassured the earth and nurtured her.

This is the seat that is suitable for a king, placed by the grandfather, desired by the king in the forest.

Now, this kingly sage, shining with the glory of the Kauravas, sits as a great soul, the emperor, with a great name.

This king, who is endowed with such qualities, is the son of Abhimanyu, under whose protection you are initiated for the sacrifice.