The king of Kośala, overflowing with affection, prepared a magnificent farewell for his daughter Satyā and her new husband, Lord Kṛṣṇa. He placed the couple upon a chariot and surrounded them with a vast and splendid army: nine thousand elephants, a hundred times as many chariots, a hundred times more horses than chariots, and a hundred times more men than horses. Thus, with great honor and love, he sent them off. Yet, word of this grand procession spread, and the kings who had been defeated by the Yadus and other mighty warriors could not tolerate the sight of Satyā being led away. Consumed by envy and resentment, they sought to block the procession. But Arjuna, the peerless archer and dearest friend and protector, stood by Kṛṣṇa’s side. With his mighty Gāṇḍīva bow, Arjuna scattered their volleys of arrows and routed them, felling those kings as a lion fells lesser beasts. In this way, Kṛṣṇa, the foremost of the Yadus and son of Devakī, received the dowry and returned to Dvārakā with Satyā, where he enjoyed happiness with her. In time, Kṛṣṇa also married Bhadrā, the daughter of his paternal aunt Śrutakīrti, a princess of the Kaikeyas, who was given to him in marriage by her brothers such as Santardana. Likewise, Kṛṣṇa alone carried off Lakṣmaṇā, the daughter of the king of Madra, radiant with auspicious marks, from her svayaṃvara, just as Garuḍa seized the nectar of immortality. In this way, after slaying the demon Bhauma (Naraka) and rescuing thousands of beautiful maidens from captivity, Lord Kṛṣṇa accepted them all as his wives, and they dwelled with him in Dvārakā. Hearing this, King Parīkṣit asked, “O sage, please tell me in detail how Lord Kṛṣṇa slew Bhauma and rescued those women who had been confined, O wielder of the Śārṅga bow.” Śuka replied: When Indra had taken away his royal umbrella, his earrings, and his companions, and usurped his place on the mountain of the gods, Kṛṣṇa was informed of the wicked deeds of the earth-born Naraka. So, mounting Garuḍa with his wife Satyabhāmā, the Lord set out for the city of Prāgjyotiṣa. That city was surrounded on all sides by formidable mountain fortresses, weapon fortresses, and fortifications of water, fire, and wind, as well as by the fierce, strong bonds of the demon Mura. But 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 through the bonds of Mura. With the blast of his conch Pāñcajanya, he broke the machines of war and struck terror into the hearts of the proud. With his mighty mace, Gadādhara smashed the ramparts. Hearing the thunderous sound of Pāñcajanya, which was as terrifying as the thunder that heralds the end of an age, the demon Mura, who had five heads, rose from the waters where he lay. Brandishing a dreadful trident, blazing with the radiance of the sun and the fire at the end of time, Mura rushed at the son of Tārkṣya (Garuḍa) with his five mouths, like a serpent attacking its prey. With a mighty roar from all five mouths, Mura hurled his trident at Garuḍa, and the sound filled the heavens, all directions, and the very cosmic egg. As the trident fell upon Garuḍa, Hari (Kṛṣṇa) struck it with two arrows of triple power and shot more arrows into Mura’s mouths. Enraged, Mura hurled his mace at Kṛṣṇa, but the Lord, elder of maces, shattered it with his own, splitting it into a thousand pieces. Then, raising his arms, the unconquered Kṛṣṇa playfully severed Mura’s five heads with his discus. Headless, Mura’s lifeless body fell into the water like a mountain whose peak has been cut off by Indra’s thunderbolt. Witnessing their father’s death, Mura’s seven sons—Tāmra, Antarikṣa, Śravaṇa, Vibhāvasu, Vasu, Nabhasvān, and Aruṇa—rose up in fury. Placing their commander Pīṭha at the front, they advanced, armed for battle, sent forth by Naraka. They hurled arrows, swords, maces, spears, javelins, and tridents at the unconquerable Lord in their wrath. But Bhagavān, whose power never fails, cut all their weapons to pieces with his own arrows. He then dispatched those chiefs, led by Pīṭha, to the abode of Yama, their heads, arms, legs, and armor severed by his flying discus and arrows. Thus, Naraka, son of the earth, was left alone. Next, Durmarṣaṇa, brimming with pride, attacked with elephants born from the ocean. Seeing Kṛṣṇa with his wife seated upon Garuḍa, like the sun atop a cloud with lightning, he hurled a hundred-slaying weapon at the Lord, and all the warriors attacked simultaneously. But Kṛṣṇa, the elder of maces, struck down the earth-born army with wondrous steeds and sharp arrows, cutting off their arms, thighs, heads, and bodies, and slew their horses and elephants in that very moment. Whatever weapons and missiles the warriors launched, Hari cut them down with sharp arrows and sword-bearing shafts. Garuḍa, the mighty Suparṇa, struck the elephants with his wings and slew them with his beak, wings, and claws. Seeing his army routed and tormented by Garuḍa, Naraka, distressed, entered the city, fighting as he went. Naraka struck Kṛṣṇa with his weapon, but the thunderbolt was repelled; though pierced, Kṛṣṇa did not tremble, just as an elephant does not flinch when struck by a garland. In a final, futile effort, Naraka raised a spear to kill Acyuta (Kṛṣṇa), but before he could release it, Hari severed his head with the razor-edged discus as Naraka sat upon his elephant. Naraka’s head, adorned with earrings and a beautiful crown, shone brilliantly as it fell to the earth. The sages and lords of the gods exclaimed, “Alas! Well done!” and praised Mukunda, showering him with garlands. Then Bhūmi, the earth goddess herself, approached Kṛṣṇa, bringing the radiant earrings set with refined gold and jewels, the Vaijayanti garland, a great jewel, and a royal umbrella, and offered them all to the Lord, the son of Prachetas. Reverently, with hands joined and mind absorbed in loving devotion, she praised the Lord of the universe: “Obeisance to you, Lord of gods, bearer of conch, discus, and mace, who assumes forms according to the wishes of your devotees, Supreme Soul, I bow to you. Salutations to you, lotus-naveled one, adorned with a garland of lotuses, lotus-eyed one, whose feet are like lotuses. Salutations to you, Bhagavān, Vāsudeva, Viṣṇu, the Supreme Person, the original seed, the one of complete knowledge. Obeisance to you, unborn one, creator of the universe, of infinite power, soul of all, supreme and immanent. You, desiring to create, O unborn Lord, assume the fierce form to bring about dissolution; for the stability of the worlds, you are sattva, O Lord of the universe; time, matter, and the supreme person—you are all these. Earth, water, fire, air, ether, the senses, gods, mind, and the great principle—all that moves and does not move, O Lord, in you, the non-dual, this delusion does not exist. This son of yours, frightened, has taken refuge at your lotus feet, seeking relief from distress; therefore, protect him—place your lotus hand, which removes all sin, upon his head.” Thus addressed by Bhūmi with words of devotion and humility, the Lord granted her assurance and entered the opulent house of the earth-born Naraka.