kali-plekken I

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam
=Bhāgavata-Purāṇa [Kṛṣṇa/Bhakti-bible]

Canto 1 Chapter 17
Punishment and Reward of Kali

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(1) There, at the Saraswati river, the king observed how a lowly wicked fellow, dressed like a prince, with a club was beating a cow and a bull, who had no one to protect them.

(2) The Bull [Dharma]... being beaten by the sudra, trembled out of fear and urinated, standing on one leg only.

(3) The Cow [Bhūmi, Mother Earth] also, on itself a religious example, but now rendered poor and distressed, because the sudra beat her legs, was without a calf and had tears in her eyes, while she in her weakness hankered for some grass to eat.

(4) Parikshit [grandson of Arjuna] well equipped with bow and arrows, asked from his with gold embossed chariot, with a thundering voice:

(5) "Who do you think you are to kill here violently the helpless ones under my protection! As an actor, dressed up like a God-conscious man, you appear to be powerful, but you behave like someone who never saw the light of civilization."

(6) "Do you think that, now Lord Krishna and Arjuna have disappeared from sight, you can secretly beat an innocent cow? Being a culprit you thus deserve it to be killed!"

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(7-9) "And you [the Bull], are you just a bull that, as white as a lotus, moves on one leg, having lost three legs? Or are you some demigod making us sad in the form of a bull? Except for you, there has untill now never been a living being on earth that, under the protection of any of the kings of the Kuru dynasty, had such grievance shedding tears. Oh Son of Surabhi [the celestial cow] let me tell you, in my kingdom there will be no lamentation. Therefore do not fear the wicked fellow."

(9-11) "And dear Mother Cow, do not cry! As long as I am alive as the ruler and subduer [onderwerper] of the envious ones, you will thrive! Oh chaste one, he in whose state all kinds of living beings are terrified because of miscreants [onverlaten], will - because of his inattentiveness - lose his fame, longevity, fortune and good birth. It is the supreme duty of the rulers to subdue [onderwerpen], for the purpose of putting an end to the misery of the ones suffering. Therefore I shall kill this most wretched man who is so violent with other living beings."

(12-14) "Who has cut your three legs, oh four-legged son of Surabhi? What happened to you has never happened before in this royal state of kings, who live in obedience to Krishna. Oh Bull, I wish you all the best, you are honest and without offenses. Tell me, who has mutilated you and tarnished the reputation of the sons of Pṛithā [Kunti]. Those who make the sinless suffer, will have to fear me wherever they go. For I will curb the actions of the miscreants [onverlaten] and restore the welfare of the virtuous souls."

(15-16) "The upstart of evil acts towards innocent living beings, I shall forthwith [terstond] defeat, whether he is a demigod from heaven with armor and decorations or not. It is the holy duty of the head of state always to protect the ones who faithfully perform their duty, and according to the scriptures chastise [kastijden, tuchtigen] those who in this world for other reasons than misfortune strayed from the path."