When the venerable Brahmin arrived, Krishna, the Lord of devotees, immediately rose from his own seat. With great reverence, he seated the Brahmin and honored him in a manner befitting the gods themselves. After the Brahmin had eaten and rested, Krishna—the refuge of the righteous—approached him, touched his feet with his hand, and gently inquired about his well-being. “O best of Brahmins,” Krishna asked with heartfelt concern, “is your dharma, so esteemed by the elders, proceeding without great difficulty? Is your mind always content?” He continued, “Whenever a Brahmin, content with whatever comes his way, remains steadfast in his own duty, he becomes the fulfiller of all desires. Even the lord of the gods, if discontent, wanders restlessly among the worlds, but one who is content—even if possessing nothing—sleeps free from all affliction. I bow my head but once to those Brahmins who are content with what they receive, virtuous, the best friends to all beings, humble, and peaceful.” Krishna then asked, “O Brahmin, is all well with you? For the king, whose subjects live happily under his protection, is dear to me. Since you have come here, crossing many hardships as you wished, tell me everything—especially if there is anything confidential. What should I do for you?” Thus respectfully questioned by the Supreme Lord, who had assumed his human form for divine pastimes, the Brahmin began to narrate everything to Krishna. He conveyed a secret message from Rukmiṇī, the princess of Vidarbha. Rukmiṇī’s words resounded with longing and devotion: “O beauty of the worlds, having heard of Your virtues, which remove the distress of those who listen, my mind has entered into You, O infallible one, through the channels of my ears. Beholding Your form, which fulfills all desires for those who see You, my heart is utterly captivated. O Mukunda, what noble maiden of good family, discerning and wise, would not choose You as her husband? You are matchless in lineage, character, beauty, knowledge, age, wealth, and glory, delighting the minds of all, O lion among men. Therefore, O Lord, I have chosen You as my husband; please accept me as Your wife, for I have offered myself to You. Let not the king of Cedi, like a jackal stealing the lion’s share, lay claim to what belongs to the hero, O lotus-eyed one. If the Supreme Lord, the master of all, the elder brother of Gada, is truly satisfied with my worship—through charity, sacrifice, vows, rituals, and service to gods, Brahmins, and elders—then let Him come and take my hand, and not the son of Damaghoṣa or any other. Tomorrow, O unconquered one, when You come to Vidarbha to marry, concealed and surrounded by chiefs of Your army, overpower the forces of Cedi and Magadha, and win me, whose bride-price is valor, according to the custom of the Rākṣasas. If You wonder how I, who am kept within the inner chambers and guarded by relatives, can be married by You, I will tell You the means: On the previous day, there is a grand procession to the family goddess, during which the new bride goes outside to worship Girijā. The great souls desire to bathe in the dust of whose lotus feet, just as the Lord of Umā does to destroy his own darkness. O lotus-eyed one, if I do not obtain Your favor, let me give up this life, emaciated by vows, over hundreds of births.” Finishing the message, the Brahmin said to Krishna, “Thus I have brought these secret words from the daughter of the Yadu dynasty. Consider what should be done, and then act accordingly.” Śuka, the sage, continued the narration: Upon hearing the message from the princess of Vidarbha, Krishna, the son of the Yadus, took the Brahmin by the hand, smiled, and spoke with warmth. “I too am unable to sleep at night, my mind absorbed in her. I know that Rukmiṇī’s marriage to me was prevented by her brother out of enmity. I will bring her here, seizing her from the assembly of kings in battle—she who is devoted to me, flawless in form, like the flame of sacred fire.” Knowing the auspicious time for Rukmiṇī’s wedding, Krishna, Madhusūdana, instructed his charioteer, “Dāruka, quickly yoke the chariot.” Dāruka brought forth the chariot, yoked with the swift horses Śaibya, Sugrīva, Meghapuṣpa, and Balāhaka, and stood before Krishna with joined palms. Mounting the chariot, Krishna placed the Brahmin beside him, and with those swift horses, journeyed from Ānarta to Vidarbha in a single night. Meanwhile, the king of Kuṇḍina, out of deep affection for his son, began the wedding preparations to give his daughter Rukmiṇī to Śiśupāla. The city was thoroughly cleaned and sprinkled, with roads, streets, and crossroads adorned with colorful flags, banners, and arches. Men and women, dressed in spotless garments, adorned with garlands, fragrant flowers, and ornaments, filled the city, and splendid houses were perfumed with aguru incense. The king duly worshipped the ancestors, gods, and Brahmins, fed them according to custom, and had auspicious rites recited. The beautiful maiden, freshly bathed and adorned for the ceremony, was dressed in fine garments and decorated with the finest ornaments. The foremost Brahmins performed protective rites for the bride with chants from the Sama, Rig, and Yajur Vedas, while the chief priest, versed in the Atharva Veda, offered oblations to pacify the planetary influences. The king, best among those who follow proper rites, gave gold, silver, garments, sesame mixed with jaggery, and cows to the Brahmins. In the same way, King Damaghoṣa, lord of Cedi, arranged everything suitable for prosperity for his son Śiśupāla, employing experts in mantras. With intoxicated elephants, chariots adorned with gold, and armies crowded with infantry and horses, he proceeded to Kundina. The king of Vidarbha approached him, honored him, and joyfully settled him in the prepared accommodations. There, Shalva, Jarasandha, Dantavaktra, Viduratha, and thousands of allies from Chedi and Paundra also arrived. These were enemies of Krishna and Rama, determined to secure the maiden for the Chedi prince, and gathered together, resolved to fight if Krishna, accompanied by the Yadus, came to take her. All the kings, with their full armies and vehicles, assembled, their minds fixed on battling him. Hearing of this great assembly and the intentions of the opposing kings, Lord Rama, fearing conflict, learned that Krishna had gone alone to take the maiden. Filled with affection for his brother, he quickly set out for Kundina with a great force of elephants, horses, chariots, and infantry. Meanwhile, the princess of Bhishmaka, noble in form and longing for Hari’s arrival, saw no sign of Krishna and pondered the words of the Brahmin. “Alas,” she thought, “three nights have passed since my wedding, though I am blameless; the lotus-eyed one does not come, and I do not know the reason. The Brahmin who carried my message has not returned even today.