Hari, the Supreme Lord, stood calmly with his arm draped over his dear friend’s shoulder, awaiting the next challenge. Suddenly, the demon Ariṣṭa, transformed into a monstrous bull, charged forward in a fury. He scraped the earth with his hoof, his raised tail whirling like a storm cloud, and thundered toward Krishna with terrifying force. With sharp horns angled forward and bloodshot eyes fixed on Achyuta, Ariṣṭa rushed like a thunderbolt unleashed by Indra himself. But Krishna was unshaken. As the bull-demon lunged, the Lord seized him firmly by the horns, stepped back a full eighteen paces, and dragged Ariṣṭa away with the effortless strength of a mighty elephant overpowering another. Thrown aside by Krishna, Ariṣṭa quickly regained his footing. His body was drenched with sweat, his breath came in heavy bursts, and rage consumed him. He charged once more at Krishna. This time, as Ariṣṭa rushed in, Krishna seized his horns again, pressed him down with his foot, and hurled him to the ground. Then, as one would wring out a soaked garment, the Lord squeezed the demon’s body, struck him with his own horn, and brought him crashing down. Ariṣṭa’s suffering was terrible—vomiting blood, losing control of his body, his legs flailing, and his eyes rolling unsteadily. Overcome, the demon met his end at the hands of Nirṛti, the Lord of destruction. As Ariṣṭa’s life ebbed away, the gods in heaven showered Krishna with flowers and sang his praises. Having thus slain the bull-demon Kukudmin, Krishna, lauded by the twice-born sages, entered the cowherd settlement with Balarama, becoming a festival for the eyes of the gopīs, who beheld him with delight. News of Ariṣṭa’s death spread swiftly. The divine sage Nārada, who sees all the gods, went straight to Kaṃsa to inform him of Krishna’s wondrous feat. Nārada told Kaṃsa that the daughter of Yaśodā, Krishna the son of Devakī, and Rāma, son of Rohiṇī, had all been entrusted by the fearful Vasudeva. Vasudeva, in his wisdom, had placed the two boys in the care of his friend Nanda; and it was these very boys who had slain so many of Kaṃsa’s men. Hearing this, Kaṃsa, king of the Bhojas, was overwhelmed by wrath. He seized a sharp sword, intending to kill Vasudeva, but Nārada restrained him. The sage revealed that these two sons were destined to be the cause of Kaṃsa’s own death. Realizing the truth of this prophecy, Kaṃsa bound Vasudeva and his wife with iron chains. When the divine sage departed, Kaṃsa summoned Keśin and gave him a deadly command: “Go and kill Rāma and Keśava. Then send Muṣṭika, Cāṇūra, Śala, Tośala, and others as well.” Kaṃsa then called together his ministers and the keepers of his elephants. He introduced the mighty wrestlers Cāṇūra and Muṣṭika, saying, “In Nanda’s cowherd village reside the two sons of Ānakadundubhi, Rāma and Krishna. My death has been foretold at their hands. You two must kill them here in a wrestling match. Prepare great platforms, encircle them with the wrestling arena, so that all the citizens and country folk may witness their combat.” He issued further commands: “O chief minister, bring the elephant Kuvalayāpīḍa to the gate of the arena—let him kill my enemies there. Begin the bow-sacrifice on the fourteenth day, as prescribed, and bring pure animals for the offering to the Lord of beings, the bestower of blessings.” Having thus instructed his ministers, Kaṃsa summoned Akrura, the foremost among the Yadus. Taking Akrura’s hand in his own, he said, “O generous lord, please, out of respect, establish friendship with me. Among the Bhojas and Vrishnis, none is a greater well-wisher than you. Therefore, gentle one, I have taken refuge in you, for you are capable of accomplishing great tasks, just as Indra, relying on Vishnu, attained his purpose.” He continued, “Go to Nanda’s Vraja, where 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 arrived, 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. Once they are dead, I will destroy Vasudeva and all his kin, the Vrishnis, Bhojas, and Dasharhas. I will also kill Ugrasena, my aged father who desires the throne, his brother Devaka, and all others hostile to me. Then, my friend, the earth will be free of thorns. Jarasandha is my mentor, Dvivida my companion, Shambara, Naraka, and Bana are devoted to me. With them, I will destroy the kings allied with the gods and enjoy the earth. Therefore, quickly bring Rama and Krishna, who delight in play, to witness the bow-sacrifice and the splendor of the Yadu city.” Akrura replied humbly, “O King, your command is proper, and the removal of your enemies is your duty. Yet success or failure depends equally on destiny, for destiny is the true cause of results. People strive greatly for their desires, even when fate opposes them; they experience both joy and sorrow. Nevertheless, I will carry out your order.” Thus, after instructing Akrura and dismissing his ministers, Kaṃsa entered his palace, and Akrura returned to his own house. Meanwhile, Kaṃsa sent forth Keśi, a mighty horse-demon as swift as thought itself. Keśi thundered across the land, trampling the earth with his hooves, his mane shaking the sky, and neighing so fiercely that all who heard him were struck with terror. With monstrous eyes, a gaping mouth, and a neck as massive as a mountain, his form dark as a rain-laden cloud, Keśi harbored evil intent and made his way to Nanda’s Vraja, causing the very earth to tremble. As Keśi’s dreadful neighing echoed and the clouds swirled from his lashing tail, Krishna, the leader of the cowherds, called out to him, his voice resounding like a lion’s roar. The demon, facing Krishna as he performed a sacrifice, rushed forward in wrath, as if to swallow the sky itself, and struck the lotus-eyed Lord with his powerful hooves. But Krishna, the Unmanifest Lord, deceiving the demon in his anger, seized Keśi with both arms, whirled him by the legs, and contemptuously hurled him aside a hundred bows’ length, just as Garuda would toss aside a serpent. Regaining his senses, Keśi rose again in fury and charged at Hari with his mouth wide open. Smiling, Krishna thrust his arm into the demon’s jaws, as a serpent slips into its hole. As Krishna’s arm touched Keśi’s teeth, they shattered like heated iron breaking apart. The Lord’s mighty arm then expanded within the demon’s body, swelling like a bar of iron. Keśi’s breath was blocked, his limbs thrashed wildly, his body drenched in sweat, and his eyes rolled in agony. At last, Keśi collapsed to the ground, vomiting blood, and lay lifeless—slain by the touch of Krishna, the Supreme Lord.