> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bhagavata.keshavaswami.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://bhagavata.keshavaswami.com/canto-01/s.l.a.p/p-pariksit-punished-16-19/pariksit-and-kali.md). # Pariksit and Kali On his travels, Maharaja Pariksit encountered a terrified bull (the personification of *dharma*), who was bereft of three legs. The bull was speaking to a cow (the personification of *bhumi*, Mother Earth), who was grieving after Krishna’s departure and lamenting the subsequent degradation in the kingdom. They had been mercilessly attacked by Kali, the agent of darkness. Seeing their pitiable condition, Maharaja Pariksit pacified them and vowed to address the injustice that had occurred. When the King furiously approached Kali and prepared to slay him, the agent of darkness displayed repentance and surrender. Bound by kingly principles, the righteous Maharaja Pariksit refrained from annihilating Kali, and instead awarded him four specific places to reside – where there is meat-eating, intoxication, gambling and illicit sex (and in addition, any place where gold is hoarded). The King then re-established the lost legs of religion and revived the sanctity of the kingdom. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://bhagavata.keshavaswami.com/canto-01/s.l.a.p/p-pariksit-punished-16-19/pariksit-and-kali.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.