The Blessed Lord, Kṛṣṇa, spoke to the king with gentle gravity: “O King, it is well known that the wise condemn begging for a kṣatriya who walks the path of his own duty. Yet, desiring your friendship, I ask for your daughter’s hand—not for a bride-price, for that is not our custom.” The king replied with heartfelt reverence, “O Lord, who could be a greater or more desirable suitor for my daughter than You, in whom the unfailing goddess of fortune herself resides, and who is the very abode of all virtues?” Yet, the king confessed, “O best of the Sātvatas, I must honor a promise made before. To test the strength of suitors, I declared that my daughter’s hand would be won only through a contest. Here stand seven fierce and unmanageable bulls, O hero—many princes have tried and been defeated or injured. If you alone, O delight of the Yadus, can subdue them, then you shall be the chosen husband of my daughter, O Lord of Śrī.” Hearing this, Kṛṣṇa smiled. He tightened his garment, and, by his divine power, multiplied himself into seven forms. With playful ease, he subdued the raging bulls. Having broken their pride and might, Śauri bound them with ropes and dragged them as effortlessly as a child drags wooden toys. Amazed and overjoyed, the king gave his daughter Satyā to Kṛṣṇa, who accepted her in the proper manner as his equal bride. The royal ladies, now blessed to have Kṛṣṇa as their beloved son-in-law, rejoiced in supreme happiness, and a great festival arose in the palace. Conch shells, kettledrums, and trumpets resounded; songs and instruments filled the air, while the brāhmaṇas bestowed their blessings. Men and women, adorned in splendid garments, garlands, and ornaments, celebrated joyfully. As dowry, Kṛṣṇa gave ten thousand cows, three thousand young women decorated with necklaces and fine clothes, nine thousand elephants, chariots a hundred times more than the elephants, horses a hundred times more than the chariots, and men a hundred times more than the horses. The king of Kośala, his heart softened with affection, placed the newlyweds upon a chariot, surrounded them with a grand army, and sent them off with honor. But when the kings, whose pride had been broken by the Yadus and the bulls, heard of this, unable to tolerate their defeat, they attempted to block the procession as the maiden was being led away. Arjuna, the mighty wielder of Gāṇḍīva, Kṛṣṇa’s dear friend and protector, scattered their volleys of arrows and felled them as a lion fells small beasts. Thus, having received the dowry, Kṛṣṇa, the foremost of the Yadus and son of Devakī, returned to Dvārakā and enjoyed happiness with Satyā. Kṛṣṇa also married Bhadrā, the daughter of his paternal aunt Śrutakīrti, a princess of the Kaikeyas, who was given to him by her brothers, including Santardana. He carried away Lakṣmaṇā, the daughter of the king of Madra, adorned with auspicious marks, from her svayaṃvara, just as Garuḍa seized nectar from the gods. In this way, after slaying Bhauma (Naraka) and rescuing them from captivity, Kṛṣṇa accepted thousands of such wives, all of charming appearance. King Parīkṣit, hearing this, inquired, “O sage, tell me how the Lord slew Bhauma and rescued those women who had been confined by the earth-born one, the wielder of Śārṅga.” Śuka replied: “When Indra took away his umbrella, earrings, and companions, and usurped his place on the mountain of the gods, and when he was informed of the evil deeds of the earth-born Naraka, Kṛṣṇa mounted Garuḍa with his wife and set out for the city of Prāgjyotiṣa. That city was surrounded by formidable mountain fortresses, weapon fortresses, and defenses of water, fire, and wind, as well as the fierce, strong bonds of the demon Mura. With his mace, Kṛṣṇa shattered the mountains; with arrows, he destroyed the weapon fortresses; with his discus, he overcame the barriers of fire, water, and wind; and with his sword, he cut the bonds of Mura. With the blast of his conch Pāñcajanya, he broke the machines and the hearts of the proud defenders; with his mighty mace, Gadādhara smashed the ramparts. Hearing that terrible sound, like thunder at the end of an age, Mura, the five-headed demon, rose from the water where he lay. Brandishing a blazing trident, dreadful to behold, he rushed at Garuḍa and Kṛṣṇa like a serpent attacking, roaring from his five mouths—a sound that filled the heavens and the cosmos itself. He hurled his trident at Garuḍa, but Hari struck it down with two triple-powered arrows and shot arrows into Mura’s mouths. Enraged, Mura hurled his mace at Kṛṣṇa, but the Lord shattered it with his own, splitting it into a thousand pieces. Raising his arms, unconquered Kṛṣṇa playfully severed Mura’s heads with his discus. Headless, Mura fell into the water, lifeless, like a mountain whose peak has been shorn off by Indra’s might. His seven sons—Tāmra, Antarikṣa, Śravaṇa, Vibhāvasu, Vasu, Nabhasvān, and Aruṇa—placed Pīṭha, their commander, at their head and advanced in fury, armed for battle at the bidding of Naraka. They hurled arrows, swords, maces, spears, javelins, and tridents at the Lord, but Kṛṣṇa, whose power never fails, cut their weapons to pieces with his own arrows. With his flying discus and arrows, he sent those chiefs, led by Pīṭha, to the abode of Yama, their heads, arms, legs, and armor severed. Seeing this, Durmarṣaṇa, brimming with pride, attacked with elephants born of the ocean. Seeing Kṛṣṇa and his wife seated upon Garuḍa, like the sun atop a cloud with lightning, he hurled a hundred-slaying weapon, and all the warriors attacked at once. But Kṛṣṇa, the elder of maces, struck down the earth-born army with wondrous steeds and sharp arrows, cutting off arms, thighs, heads, and bodies, and slew their horses and elephants. Whatever weapons and missiles the warriors launched, Hari cut them down with his own arrows and sword-bearing shafts. Garuḍa, striking with his wings, beak, and claws, slew the elephants, scattering them in all directions. Naraka, distressed at the destruction and seeing his army routed by Garuḍa, entered the city, fighting as he went. He struck Kṛṣṇa with his weapon, but the thunderbolt was repelled; though it struck, Kṛṣṇa did not tremble, as an elephant is unshaken by a garland. In futile rage, Naraka seized his spear to kill Acyuta, but before he could release it, Hari severed his head with the razor-edged discus as Naraka sat upon his elephant. Thus, the Lord destroyed Naraka and liberated the captive women, fulfilling the prayers of the gods and the hopes of all beings.