Śuka, the sage, continued his narration to King Parīkṣit. In Vraja, the gopīs spent their days immersed in Krishna’s pastimes, singing of his wondrous deeds. Their minds and hearts were wholly devoted to him, and their joy was profound and ever-renewed. Thus concludes the chapter known as ‘The Song of the Gopīs in Pairs,’ from the first half of the Tenth Book of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, the scripture revered by the supreme renunciates. Then, a new threat arose in the cowherd settlement. Ariṣṭa, the bull-demon, arrived, shaking the earth with his immense hump and tearing up the ground with his powerful hooves. He bellowed fiercely, scraped the earth with his feet, raised his tail, and tossed mounds of soil with the tips of his horns. As he moved, he released dung bit by bit and urinated, his gaze fixed and unblinking. His harsh, terrifying cries sent waves of fear through the cows and the people alike. So dreadful was his presence that pregnant women miscarried out of fear, and clouds scattered, mistaking his hump for a mountain. The sight of his sharp horns struck terror into the hearts of the cowherd men and women, and the cattle, frightened, fled from Gokula, abandoning the settlement. All called out in distress, “Krishna! Krishna!” and took refuge in Govinda. Seeing Gokula in such panic, Krishna took notice. He reassured them, saying, “Do not be afraid,” and then called out to the bull-demon while the trembling cowherds and cattle watched: “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 ready, his arm over his friend’s shoulder, awaiting the demon’s next move. Ariṣṭa, enraged, scraped the earth with his hoof, whirled his tail like a storm cloud, and charged furiously at Krishna. With his sharp horns forward, eyes bloodshot and fixed, Ariṣṭa rushed at Achyuta, casting a sidelong glance, like a thunderbolt hurled by Indra. The Lord seized Ariṣṭa by the horns, stepped back eighteen paces, and dragged him away, just as an elephant might pull back another elephant. Thrown aside, Ariṣṭa quickly rose again, his body drenched in sweat, breathing heavily, wrath consuming him, and charged once more. Krishna seized him again 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, and Ariṣṭa fell. Vomiting blood, releasing urine and feces, flailing his legs, his eyes unsteady, Ariṣṭa suffered terribly and 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 Krishna had vanquished Ariṣṭa by his wondrous deeds, the divine sage Nārada, who beholds the gods, went to inform Kaṃsa. He told Kaṃsa that the daughter of Yaśodā, Krishna, the son of Devakī, and Rāma, the son of Rohiṇī, had been entrusted by the fearful Vasudeva. Vasudeva had placed those two, by whom Kaṃsa’s men had been slain, in the care of his friend Nanda. Hearing this, the king of the Bhojas, Kaṃsa, his senses agitated with anger, took up a sharp sword, intending to kill Vasudeva. But Nārada restrained him, revealing that those two sons were destined to be his death. Realizing the gravity of this revelation, Kaṃsa bound Vasudeva and his wife with iron chains. When the divine sage departed, Kaṃsa summoned the demon Keśin and spoke to him, sending him forth: “Go and kill Rāma and Keśava; then send Muṣṭika, Cāṇūra, Śala, Tośala, and others.” Kaṃsa then 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. 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 prescribed rites; let 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, out of respect, please 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.” Akrura replied respectfully, “O King, your command is proper, and the removal of your enemies is your own duty; success or failure depends equally on destiny, for destiny is the cause of results.