Jarasandha, the powerful king of Magadha, stood before Balarama and Krishna and issued a fierce challenge: “But you, Rama, if you have faith, fight and show your courage! Either abandon your body, cut down by my arrows, and ascend to heaven, or kill me.” In response, the Blessed Lord Krishna spoke calmly, “Truly, heroes do not boast; they simply display their valor. We do not heed the words of one who is distressed and facing death, O King.” Shuka continued the tale: The son of Jara, Jarasandha, surged forward at the two Madhavas, rallying a mighty host of warriors—chariots, elephants, horses, and banners—surrounding Krishna and Balarama as if the wind were enveloping the sun and fire in a cloud of dust. The women of the city, seeing the two chariots of Hari and Rama, marked with the emblems of Garuda and the palm tree, became fearful. Amid the chaos of battle, they sought shelter in the ancient towers, palaces, and gateways, their hearts overcome with grief and confusion. Hari, seeing his own army—honored by both gods and demons—being repeatedly battered by the fierce rain of enemy arrows, sounded his supreme Sharnga bow. Its thunderous twang echoed across the battlefield. Drawing arrows from his quiver, Krishna strung and released volley after volley of sharp shafts, striking down chariots, elephants, horses, and foot soldiers. All the while, his whirling discus never left his hand. The carnage was terrible: elephants with shattered tusks fell in great numbers, horses collapsed with their necks severed by arrows, chariots were left in ruins with their horses, banners, drivers, and leaders slain, and foot soldiers lay scattered, their limbs cut down. Rivers of blood flowed across the field, filled with arms, horse heads, human skulls, and turtle-like torsos, crowded with the corpses of elephants, horses, and warriors. These gruesome rivers had waves made of arms, hair as waterweeds, and bows as currents, choked with clusters of weapons. Their terrifying whirlpools were formed by spinning swords, and they sparkled with gems, pearls, ornaments, and stones. In the midst of this destruction, Sankarshana—Balarama—of immeasurable brilliance, wielded his mighty mace. He struck down the arrogant foes, spreading terror among the timid and joy among the brave, as the warriors turned on each other in the chaos. The army of Magadha, vast and dreadful as a sea of fire and guarded by its king, seemed invincible. Yet it was utterly destroyed by the sons of Vasudeva, whose divine play is supreme in the world. For Krishna, whose infinite power brings about the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the three worlds by his own play, there is nothing remarkable in subduing enemies. Yet, for the sake of mortals, these deeds are described. After his chariot was destroyed and his army slain, Jarasandha, mighty though he was, was seized by Rama, just as a lion overpowers another lion by sheer strength. But Govinda—Krishna—stopped Rama from binding Jarasandha with human and Varuna’s ropes, for he had a purpose to fulfill. Freed by the Lords of the world, Jarasandha, esteemed among heroes, felt deep shame. Resolved upon penance, he was blocked on the road by the assembled kings. The defeat he suffered at the hands of the Yadus came as a result of his own actions, despite the purity of their words and even their ordinary glances. With all his forces destroyed, the king of the Barhadratha line was disregarded by Krishna and departed for Magadha, troubled in mind. Mukunda—Krishna—having crossed the ocean of enemy forces with his strength unscathed, was showered with flowers and praised by the gods. The people of Mathura, now free from distress and joyful in spirit, approached him; his victory was celebrated in song by charioteers, bards, and minstrels. Conch shells and drums resounded, trumpets and horns blared, and the Lord entered the city, accompanied by the music of lyres, flutes, and mridangas. The streets were sprinkled with water and decorated with flags and festooned gateways, echoing with Vedic chants, while the people rejoiced. Women honored Krishna with garlands, yogurt, and sprouting grains, gazing upon him with loving, eager eyes. All the wealth—endless and adorned with the ornaments of heroes—gained in battle was brought and presented by Krishna to the king of the Yadus. Thus, the king of Magadha, with a force as great as seventeen akshauhinis, fought repeatedly with the Yadus, who were protected by Krishna. Empowered by Krishna’s brilliance, the Vrishnis destroyed all that force; when his own troops were slain, the king was abandoned by his allies and departed. Then, on the eve of the eighteenth battle, a new threat appeared: a hero sent by Narada, the Yavana, arrived in the midst of the conflict. This foreigner besieged Mathura with three million barbarian troops; in the world of men, he was unmatched, having heard of the Vrishnis, his equals. Seeing this, Krishna, accompanied by Sankarshana, reflected, “Alas, a great calamity has come upon the Yadus from both sides. This Yavana, immensely powerful, is besieging us today; the king of Magadha will arrive either today, tomorrow, or the day after. If Jarasandha comes while we are engaged in battle, he will either kill our kinsmen or, being strong, carry them off to his own city. Therefore, today we shall build a fortress, difficult for men to approach; there, after settling our kinsmen, we will destroy the Yavana.” With this resolve, the Blessed Lord created a wondrous fortress, twelve yojanas wide, a city within the sea. The skill of Tvashtar, the divine craftsman, was evident everywhere: its streets, crossroads, and avenues were constructed according to the finest architectural principles. The city was adorned with celestial trees and gardens, marvelous groves, and towers of gold reaching to the sky, with crystal mansions and gateways. Silver and gold turrets gleamed, treasuries were decorated with golden jars, houses were crowned with jewels, and great emerald platforms shone. The city was built with the houses of the guardians of the quarters and the residences of beloved women. It was filled with people of all four varnas and shone with the homes of the Yadu gods. Indra sent Sudharma, the divine assembly hall, and the Parijata tree, so that even mortals who resided there would not be subject to mortal limitations. Varuna gave swift, mind-like dark horses, white in hue; the lord of treasures gave eight treasuries; and the guardians of the worlds bestowed all their own opulences. Whatever lordship had been granted by the Blessed Lord to these deities for their own perfection, they returned it all to Hari when He descended to earth. By the power of yoga, Hari brought all the people into this new city. After consulting with Rama, the protector of the people, Krishna left the city gate, garlanded with lotuses and unarmed, ready to face the next challenge.