Shloka 37
Parīkṣit Confronts Kali: Dharma (Bull) and Bhūmi (Cow) at the Dawn of Kali-yuga
तन्मे धर्मभृतां श्रेष्ठ स्थानं निर्देष्टुमर्हसि । यत्रैव नियतो वत्स्य आतिष्ठंस्तेऽनुशासनम् ॥ ३७ ॥
tan me dharma-bhṛtāṁ śreṣṭha sthānaṁ nirdeṣṭum arhasi yatraiva niyato vatsya ātiṣṭhaṁs te ’nuśāsanam
Darum, o Bester unter den Hütern des Dharma, weise mir bitte einen Ort zu, an dem ich dauerhaft wohnen kann, indem ich unter deiner Herrschaft bleibe und deinen Anweisungen folge.
The personality of Kali addressed Mahārāja Parīkṣit as the chief amongst the protectors of religiosity because the King refrained from killing a person who surrendered unto him. A surrendered soul should be given all protection, even though he may be an enemy. That is the principle of religion. And we can just imagine what sort of protection is given by the Personality of Godhead to the person who surrenders unto Him, not as an enemy but as a devoted servitor. The Lord protects the surrendered soul from all sins and all resultant reactions of sinful acts ( Bg. 18.66 ).
FAQs
In this verse, Kali submits to the righteous ruler and asks to be assigned a specific place to live under strict regulation—showing that irreligion is to be constrained by dharmic authority.
After being confronted and punished by Parikshit for attacking dharma, Kali seeks refuge by surrendering and requesting an allotted residence, agreeing to live only under the king’s command.
Accept discipline and clear boundaries: choose environments and habits that support dharma, and consciously restrict behaviors that increase degradation and distraction from spiritual practice.