Parīkṣit Confronts Kali: Dharma (Bull) and Bhūmi (Cow) at the Dawn of Kali-yuga
त्वां वर्तमानं नरदेवदेहे- ष्वनुप्रवृत्तोऽयमधर्मपूग: । लोभोऽनृतं चौर्यमनार्यमंहो ज्येष्ठा च माया कलहश्च दम्भ: ॥ ३२ ॥
tvāṁ vartamānaṁ nara-deva-deheṣv anupravṛtto ’yam adharma-pūgaḥ lobho ’nṛtaṁ cauryam anāryam aṁho jyeṣṭhā ca māyā kalahaś ca dambhaḥ
Jika Kali—peribadi adharma—dibiarkan bertindak sebagai ketua pemerintahan dalam kalangan “dewa-manusia” (para penguasa), maka prinsip adharma pasti berleluasa: ketamakan, dusta, kecurian, kebiadaban, dosa, tipu-daya, pertengkaran dan kesombongan.
The principles of religion, namely austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness, as we have already discussed, may be followed by the follower of any faith. There is no need to turn from Hindu to Mohammedan to Christian or some other faith and thus become a renegade and not follow the principles of religion. The Bhāgavatam religion urges following the principles of religion. The principles of religion are not the dogmas or regulative principles of a certain faith. Such regulative principles may be different in terms of the time and place concerned. One has to see whether the aims of religion have been achieved. Sticking to the dogmas and formulas without attaining the real principles is not good. A secular state may be impartial to any particular type of faith, but the state cannot be indifferent to the principles of religion as above mentioned. But in the Age of Kali, the executive heads of state will be indifferent to such religious principles, and therefore under their patronage the opponents of religious principles, such as greed, falsehood, cheating and pilfery, will naturally follow, and so there will be no meaning to propaganda crying to stop corruption in the state.
This verse lists key followers of adharma—greed, lying, theft, ignoble sin, deceit, quarrel, and hypocrisy—showing how these arise when Kali gains influence.
Because when a righteous ruler like Maharaja Parikshit is present, irreligion cannot freely expand; dharmic governance restrains Kali’s spread.
By consciously rejecting the listed traits—greed, falsehood, theft, deceit, quarrel, and hypocrisy—and supporting dharmic leadership and personal integrity.