Shloka 38
Parīkṣit Confronts Kali: Dharma (Bull) and Bhūmi (Cow) at the Dawn of Kali-yuga
सूत उवाच अभ्यर्थितस्तदा तस्मै स्थानानि कलये ददौ । द्यूतं पानं स्त्रिय: सूना यत्राधर्मश्चतुर्विध: ॥ ३८ ॥
sūta uvāca abhyarthitas tadā tasmai sthānāni kalaye dadau dyūtaṁ pānaṁ striyaḥ sūnā yatrādharmaś catur-vidhaḥ
Sūta berkata: Ketika Kali memohon, Mahārāja Parīkṣit mengizinkannya tinggal di tempat-tempat di mana perjudian, minum-minuman keras, pelacuran, dan penyembelihan hewan dilakukan—di sanalah adharma berwujud empat berkembang.
The basic principles of irreligiosity, such as pride, prostitution, intoxication and falsehood, counteract the four principles of religion, namely austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness. The personality of Kali was given permission to live in four places particularly mentioned by the King, namely the place of gambling, the place of prostitution, the place of drinking and the place of animal slaughter.
FAQs
This verse states that Kali is allowed to reside in gambling, intoxication, illicit association with women, and slaughter—domains where irreligion becomes prominent.
In the narrative, Kali pleads for shelter; the King restricts him by assigning specific sinful domains, limiting Kali’s influence rather than allowing him free reign.
Avoid or strictly regulate environments tied to gambling, intoxication, sexual misconduct, and violence, since these are described as gateways for adharma to grow.