Shloka 5
Parīkṣit Confronts Kali: Dharma (Bull) and Bhūmi (Cow) at the Dawn of Kali-yuga
कस्त्वं मच्छरणे लोके बलाद्धंस्यबलान् बली । नरदेवोऽसि वेशेण नटवत्कर्मणाद्विज: ॥ ५ ॥
kas tvaṁ mac-charaṇe loke balād dhaṁsy abalān balī nara-devo ’si veṣeṇa naṭavat karmaṇā ’dvijaḥ
నీవెవరు? బలవంతుడై ఉండి కూడా నా ఆశ్రయంలో ఉన్న బలహీనులను బలాత్కారంగా హతమార్చుతున్నావు! వేషంలో నీవు నరదేవుడు (రాజు)లా కనిపిస్తావు, కాని కర్మలో ద్విజ క్షత్రియధర్మానికి విరోధివి.
The brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas are called twice-born because for these higher classes of men there is one birth by parental conjugation and there is another birth of cultural rejuvenation by spiritual initiation from the bona fide ācārya, or spiritual master. So a kṣatriya is also twice-born like a brāhmaṇa, and his duty is to give protection to the helpless. The kṣatriya king is considered to be the representative of God to give protection to the helpless and chastise the miscreants. Whenever there are anomalies in this routine work by the administrators, there is an incarnation of the Lord to reestablish the principles of a godly kingdom. In the Age of Kali, the poor helpless animals, especially the cows, which are meant to receive all sorts of protection from the administrative heads, are killed without restriction. Thus the administrative heads under whose noses such things happen are representatives of God in name only. Such powerful administrators are rulers of the poor citizens by dress or office, but factually they are worthless, lower-class men without the cultural assets of the twice-born. No one can expect justice or equality of treatment from once-born (spiritually uncultured) lower-class men. Therefore in the Age of Kali everyone is unhappy due to the maladministration of the state. The modern human society is not twice-born by spiritual culture. Therefore the people’s government, by the people who are not twice-born, must be a government of Kali in which everyone is unhappy.
FAQs
This verse shows King Parīkṣit condemning violence against the helpless as irreligion, declaring that in a righteous kingdom the strong must not harm the weak—especially under the king’s protection.
Parīkṣit encountered Kali disguised in royal dress while attacking a defenseless bull (Dharma). Seeing hypocrisy—kingly appearance but cruel deeds—he rebuked Kali and prepared to punish him.
Judge character by actions, not titles or appearance, and actively protect vulnerable beings—people, animals, and values—from exploitation and abuse.