From the last Jigyasa on 27th June 2019, we saw the ten places Kali resides in which we must refrain from. Now let us see an example from Bhagavat of Kali causing damage.
One day, Raja Parikshit opened the chest of treasures gathered by his ancestors. He found a gold crown with diamonds and liked it. He wore it on his head out of playfulness. Kali lived in this crown because it used to belong to king Jarasandha who had attained it dishonestly by seizing it from others.
As Kali was present in the crown, he influenced Parikshit’s thinking who for the first time desired to go and hunt in the forest. When Kali influences one’s mind, one is not going to desire to go to a Katha, but will want to go to one of the ten places Kali resides in such as gambling, the pub etc.
In the forest, the king hunted innocent animals. At noon, he was hungry and thirsty and entered Shamik Rishi’s hermitage. Shamik Rishi at the time was meditating in a trance state. There was no one else in the hermitage. Thus, no one welcomed the king or asked him for food or water.
The king out of arrogance felt that he was such a great king yet no one was inviting him deliberately out of arrogance. As a result, he became angry. We now know that Kali resides in arrogance and anger. Kali was influencing the king’s mind, hence the sudden wrong thoughts and actions, by a king who has always followed righteousness.
In anger, King Parikshit said, “This Rishi is pretending to be in a trance!” He lifted a dead snake he saw on the floor, put it round the Rishi’s neck and left. Rishi was unknown of all this.
On returning to the palace, the king was tired and took the crown off his head with the intention to rest. He was now free from the influence of Kali and he realised what he had done. He was shocked and disgusted. He realised what a grave mistake he had made.
This is the impact Kali can have. Hence, even in our day to day lives, we must refrain from the ten places Kali resides in should we desire our welfare.
