O King, listen to the wondrous deeds of Krishna and Arjuna. When Agni, the fire god, was satisfied, he rewarded Arjuna with marvelous gifts: a mighty bow, a chariot drawn by white horses, two quivers that never emptied, impenetrable armor, and divine weapons. In gratitude for being rescued from the consuming fire, Maya, the architect, brought forth a magnificent assembly hall as a token of friendship. It was in this very hall that Duryodhana became bewildered, mistaking water for solid land. With the approval of his friends and permission granted, Krishna returned to Dvaraka, accompanied by Satyaki and others. Soon after, at an auspicious time, Krishna married Kalindi, spreading supreme joy among his people and bringing blessings to all. Meanwhile, Vinda and Anuvinda, princes of Avanti and followers of Duryodhana, prevented their sister Mitravinda, who was devoted to Krishna, from choosing her own husband at the svayamvara. Krishna, seeing her longing, forcibly took Mitravinda as his bride, while all the assembled kings looked on. Mitravinda was the daughter of the chief queen and Krishna’s father’s sister. There was also a king named Nagnajit, ruler of Kosala, renowned for his righteousness. His daughter, Satyā—also called Nagnajiti—was sought by many princes. Yet none could win her hand without first subduing seven fierce, sharp-horned, untamable bulls, proud of their strength. Hearing that the prize could be won, Krishna, master of the Sātvatas, went to Kosala with a great army. King Nagnajit, pleased by Krishna’s arrival, honored him with rising, seating, and other marks of respect. The princess, seeing the suitor she desired, longed for Krishna, the Lord of Lakshmi, praying that her vow might bring him as her husband and fulfill all her wishes. She wondered how the Lord, whose lotus feet are worshipped by Lakshmi, Brahma, Shiva, and the guardians of the worlds, who built a bridge in play for his own purposes, could be satisfied with her. Worshipped again, Narayana, the Lord of the universe, spoke: “What could I, who am full in my own bliss, do with something meager?” Delighted, Krishna accepted the seat and, smiling, spoke to King Nagnajit. He said, “O King, begging is condemned for a kshatriya who follows his duty. Yet, desiring your friendship, I ask for your daughter—not for a bride-price, for we do not give that.” The king replied, “Who else, O Lord, is greater or more desirable as a suitor for my daughter, when the unfailing goddess of fortune dwells upon your person, the sole abode of all virtues? But, O best of the Sātvatas, we made an agreement: to test the strength of suitors, my daughter’s hand would be won through a contest. These seven fierce and unmanageable bulls have defeated and injured many princes. If you alone can subdue them, O delight of the Yadus, then you shall be my daughter’s husband.” Hearing this, Krishna fastened his garment, multiplied himself into seven forms, and playfully subdued the bulls. He bound them with ropes, breaking their pride and strength, and dragged them as easily as a child drags wooden toys. The king, delighted and astonished, gave his daughter Satyā to Krishna, and the Lord accepted her as his equal bride. The royal wives rejoiced, having gained Krishna as their beloved son-in-law, and a great festival arose. Conch shells, kettledrums, and trumpets resounded; songs and instruments played; brāhmaṇas offered blessings; and men and women, adorned in fine garments, garlands, and ornaments, celebrated joyfully. Krishna gave as dowry ten thousand cows, three thousand young women adorned with necklaces and fine clothes, nine thousand elephants, chariots a hundred times more than elephants, horses a hundred times more than chariots, and men a hundred times more than horses. Placing the couple on a chariot and surrounded by a great army, King Nagnajit, his heart softened with affection, sent them off. When the defeated kings, unable to tolerate their humiliation, heard of this, they tried to block the procession as the maiden was led away. Arjuna, wielding his mighty Gāṇḍīva, scattered their volleys of arrows, felling them like a lion fells small beasts. Having received the dowry, Krishna, the foremost of the Yadus and son of Devakī, enjoyed happiness with Satyā in Dvārakā. Krishna also married Bhadrā, the daughter of Śrutakīrti, his paternal aunt and a princess of the Kaikeyas, given to him by her brothers, including Santardana. He alone carried off Lakṣmaṇā, the daughter of the king of Madra, adorned with auspicious marks, from her svayaṃvara, just as Garuḍa seized nectar. Thus, after slaying Bhauma and rescuing them from captivity, thousands of such wives, all of charming appearance, became Krishna’s. The king asked, “O sage, tell me how Bhauma was slain by the Lord, and how those women, who had been confined, were rescued by the wielder of Śārṅga.” Śuka replied: After Indra had taken his umbrella, earrings, and companions, and his position on the mountain of the gods was usurped, Krishna learned of the deeds of the earth-born. Mounting Garuḍa with his wife, he went to the city of Prāgjyotiṣa. There, the city was surrounded by formidable mountain fortresses, weapon fortresses, and fortifications of water, fire, and wind, as well as by fierce, strong bonds of Mura. With his mace, Krishna shattered the mountains; with arrows, he destroyed the weapon fortresses; with his discus, he overcame fire, water, and wind; and with his sword, he cut through the bonds of Mura. With the blast of his conch, Krishna broke the machines and the hearts of the proud. With his mighty mace, Gadādhara smashed the rampart. Hearing the sound of Pāñcajanya, terrifying like thunder at the end of an age, Mura, the demon with five heads, rose from the water where he lay. Brandishing a dreadful trident, blazing with the fierce radiance of the sun and fire at the end of an age, he rushed at Krishna, the son of Tārkṣya, with his five mouths, like a serpent attacking.