As the sun dipped below the horizon and the day drew to a close, Krishna, the lord of the Yadus, returned to the village of Vraja. He had spent the day joyfully sporting among the king of elephants, and now his radiant face shone with happiness as he approached the settlement. The cows, weary from the heat of the day, found relief in Krishna’s presence; their burdens eased, they followed him home. The women of Vraja, absorbed in thoughts of Krishna and his delightful pastimes, spent their days singing of him, their hearts and minds wholly devoted, filled with boundless joy. Thus concludes the thirty-fifth chapter, known as 'The Song of the Gopīs in Pairs,' in the first half of the Tenth Book of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam Mahāpurāṇa, the sacred scripture for supreme renunciates. But then, a new threat appeared. Śuka continued, telling King Parīkṣit how Ariṣṭa, the bull-demon, arrived at the cowherd settlement. His massive hump shook the earth, and his powerful hooves tore up the ground. Bellowing harshly and scraping the earth, Ariṣṭa raised his tail, tossing mounds of earth, lifting them with the tips of his horns. As he moved, he released dung and urine bit by bit; his eyes were fixed and unblinking, and his fierce, harsh cries terrified both cows and people. Such was his terror that pregnant women miscarried before their time, and even the clouds mistook his hump for a mountain and scattered away. The cowherd men and women, seeing his sharp horns, were struck with fear. The cattle, frightened and panicked, fled from the settlement, abandoning Gokula. All the people cried out, “Krishna! Krishna!” and took refuge in Govinda. Krishna saw Gokula overcome with fear and took notice. He comforted everyone with reassuring words: “Do not be afraid.” Then, he called out to the bull-demon as the trembling cowherds and cattle looked on: “What is this, O worst of creatures?” Krishna, Achyuta, struck the ground with his palm, provoking Ariṣṭa with a resounding slap, and declared, “I am the destroyer of the pride of the wicked, like you, O evil-minded one.” Hari stood with his arm extended over his friend’s shoulder, awaiting the demon’s attack. Ariṣṭa, enraged, scraped the earth with his hoof, whirled his raised tail like a storm cloud, and charged furiously at Krishna. With his sharp horns pointed forward, eyes fixed and bloodshot, Ariṣṭa rushed at Achyuta, casting a sidelong glance, like a thunderbolt released by Indra. The Lord seized him by the horns, stepped back eighteen paces, and dragged him away, just as an elephant would pull back another elephant. Thrown aside by Krishna, Ariṣṭa quickly rose again, his whole body drenched in sweat, breathing heavily, wrathful, and charged once more. Krishna seized the charging demon by the horns, pressed him down with his foot, and threw him to the ground. He squeezed Ariṣṭa as one wrings out wet clothes, then struck him with the horn, causing the demon to fall. Ariṣṭa vomited blood, released urine and feces, flailed his legs, and his eyes grew unsteady. Suffering greatly, he met his end at the hands of Nirṛti. The gods showered Krishna with flowers and praised him for his victory. Having slain the bull-demon Kukudmin in this way, Krishna, praised by the twice-born, entered the cowherd settlement with Balarama, becoming a festival for the eyes of the gopīs. When Ariṣṭa was slain by Krishna’s wondrous deeds, the divine sage Nārada, who beholds the gods, went to inform Kaṃsa. Nārada told Kaṃsa that the daughter of Yaśodā, the boy Krishna of Devakī, and Rāma, the son of Rohiṇī, had been entrusted by the fearful Vasudeva. Vasudeva had placed the two boys in the care of his friend Nanda, and it was these two by whom Kaṃsa’s men had been slain. Hearing this, the king of the Bhojas, his senses agitated by anger, took up a sharp sword, intending to kill Vasudeva. But Nārada restrained him, revealing that those two sons were destined to be Kaṃsa’s death. Realizing this, Kaṃsa bound Vasudeva and his wife with iron chains. When Nārada departed, Kaṃsa summoned Keśin and spoke to him, sending him forth with instructions: “Go and kill Rāma and Keśava; then send Muṣṭika, Cāṇūra, Śala, Tośala, and others.” Kaṃsa summoned his ministers and elephant-keepers and addressed them: “Listen, all of you. These are the mighty wrestlers Cāṇūra and Muṣṭika. In Nanda’s cowherd village reside the two sons of Ānakadundubhi, Rāma and Krishna; therefore, my death has been foretold at their hands. You two must kill them here in a wrestling match. Let various platforms be prepared, surrounded by the wrestling arena, so that all the citizens and country folk may witness their combat.” He continued, “O chief minister, have the elephant Kuvalayāpīḍa brought to the gate of the arena; let him kill my enemies there. Let the bow-sacrifice be commenced on the fourteenth day, according to the prescribed rites; let the pure animals be brought in for offering to the Lord of beings, the bestower of blessings.” Having thus instructed the expert in practical affairs, Kaṃsa summoned the foremost among the Yadus, took his hand in his own, and spoke to Akrura: “O generous lord, please, out of respect, establish friendship with me; among the Bhojas and Vrishnis, there is no one more well-wishing than you. Therefore, gentle one, I have taken refuge in you, as you are capable of accomplishing important tasks, just as Indra, relying on Vishnu, attained his own purpose, O mighty one.” “Go to Nanda’s Vraja; there, the two sons of Anakadundubhi are staying. Bring them here at once in this chariot. It is said that my death has been sent by the gods who dwell in Vaikuntha; bring those two here together with the cowherds, led by Nanda, along with their gifts. When they have been brought here, I will have them killed by the elephant, who is like death itself; if they escape, then I will have them slain by wrestlers, fierce as lightning.” “When those two have been killed, I will destroy Vasudeva and the others who are tormented, and I will slay their relatives—the Vrishnis, Bhojas, and Dasharhas. I will also kill Ugrasena, my aged father who desires the throne, his brother Devaka, and all others who are hostile to me. Then, my friend, this earth will be free of thorns; Jarasandha is my mentor, Dvivida my dear companion and friend. Shambara, Naraka, and Bana are devoted to me in friendship; with them, I will destroy the kings allied with the gods, and enjoy the earth.” “Knowing this, quickly bring Rama and Krishna, who delight in play, to witness the bow-sacrifice and to see the splendor of the Yadu city.” Thus, Kaṃsa’s schemes were set in motion, and the stage was prepared for the next chapter in Krishna’s divine play.