Then, in the midst of the great battle, the terrible three-pronged weapon was hurled at Garuḍa. But Lord Hari, with two arrows of triple potency, struck it down and filled Mura’s many mouths with his own arrows. Enraged, Mura hurled his massive mace at Hari. As the mace came flying, Krishna—foremost among those who wield maces—shattered it to pieces with his own, breaking it into a thousand fragments. Raising his arms, the unconquerable Lord rushed forward and, with playful ease, severed Mura’s heads using his divine discus. Headless, Mura’s life departed, and he fell into the water like a great mountain whose peak has been shorn by Indra’s thunderbolt. Witnessing their father’s death, Mura’s seven sons—Tāmra, Antarikṣa, Śravaṇa, Vibhāvasu, Vasu, Nabhasvān, and Aruṇa as the seventh—were seized by wrath. Placing their commander Pīṭha at the front, these sons of the earth, armed for battle, advanced to avenge their father. They rushed at the unconquered Krishna, unleashing volleys of arrows, swords, maces, spears, javelins, and tridents in their fury. But Bhagavān, whose power never fails, met every weapon with his own arrows, reducing them all to fragments. One by one, he sent 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, the earth-born demon, was vanquished. At that moment, Durmarṣaṇa, proud and overflowing with arrogance, attacked Krishna with a host of elephants born from the ocean. Seeing Krishna seated upon Garuḍa with his wife—like the sun on a cloud with lightning—Durmarṣaṇa hurled a mighty weapon, and all his warriors attacked together. But Krishna, the elder of maces, struck down the earth-born army with wondrous steeds and sharp arrows, cutting off the arms, thighs, heads, and bodies of his foes, and slew their horses and elephants in the onslaught. O descendant of Kuru, whatever weapons and missiles the warriors launched, Hari cut them down with sharp arrows and sword-bearing shafts. Garuḍa, carried by the wind, struck the elephants with his wings and slew them with his beak, wings, and claws, scattering the army. Naraka, distressed at the rout of his forces and tormented by Garuḍa, retreated into his city, fighting as he went. He struck at Krishna with his weapon, but the thunderbolt was repelled—Krishna was unmoved, as an elephant is by a garland. In a final, futile effort, Naraka seized a spear to slay Acyuta, but before he could release it, Hari severed his head with his razor-edged discus as Naraka sat upon his elephant. Naraka’s head, adorned with shining earrings and a beautiful crown, fell to earth, blazing with brilliance. The sages and the lords of the gods exclaimed, “Alas! Well done!” and praised Mukunda, showering him with garlands. Then Bhūmi, the earth goddess, approached Krishna, bringing radiant earrings of refined gold and jewels, the Vaijayanti garland, a great jewel, and a royal umbrella, and offered them to the son of Prachetas. The goddess, worshipped by the best of gods, praised the Lord of the universe with joined hands and a heart full of loving reverence. She spoke: “Obeisance to you, Lord of gods, bearer of conch, discus, and mace; who takes forms according to your devotees’ wishes; Supreme Soul, I bow to you. Salutations to you, lotus-naveled one, adorned with a garland of lotuses, lotus-eyed, whose feet are like lotuses. Salutations to you, Bhagavan, Vāsudeva, Viṣṇu, Supreme Person, original seed, possessor of complete knowledge; I bow to you. Obeisance to you, unborn creator of the universe, of infinite power, soul of all, supreme and immanent, I bow to you. Desiring to create, you take fierce forms for dissolution; to uphold the worlds, you are sattva, O Lord of the universe; you are time, matter, and the supreme person. Earth, water, fire, air, ether, the senses, gods, mind, the great principle—all that moves and does not move, O non-dual Lord, in you, 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 with devotion and humility by Bhūmi, the Lord assured her and entered the opulent palace of the earth-born one. There, Hari saw over sixteen thousand royal maidens, whom Naraka had seized from the kings and held captive. Seeing Krishna, the best of men, enter, the women, bewildered yet filled with hope, wished in their hearts that he might become their chosen husband, as if fate itself had brought him to them. Each maiden prayed, “May this one become my husband, and may the Creator approve it.” Each, with her own feeling, gave her heart to Krishna. Krishna sent them to Dvārakā, adorned in spotless garments, along with attendants, great treasures, chariots, horses, and abundant wealth. Keśava also sent sixty-four swift, four-tusked, white elephants from the line of Airāvata. Afterward, Krishna went to the abode of the lord of the gods and presented the earrings to Aditi. There, he was honored by the king of the gods, Indra, together with his beloved Indrani. At Satyabhama’s request, Krishna uprooted the Parijata tree, placed it on Garuḍa, and, after defeating the gods led by Indra, brought it to his own city. He planted it in Satyabhama’s garden, enhancing its beauty, and bees, greedy for its divine fragrance, followed it all the way from heaven. Satyabhama bowed, touching Acyuta’s feet with the tips of her crown, and asked for the fulfillment of her heart’s desire. Thus, the Lord’s greatness was revealed—alas, how deep is the darkness of pride among the gods! Then, in a single moment, the Lord—unchanging and yet assuming as many forms as needed—married all those women in their various mansions. Dwelling with them, he surpassed all comparison and distinction, delighting with his consorts as an ordinary householder lives with his wives, though he is ever immersed in his own divine joy. Having attained the Lord of Lakshmi as their husband—he whose path even Brahma and the other gods do not know—the women served him with joy and ever-increasing love: with smiles, glances, intimate union, playful words, and bashfulness. Hundreds of maidservants also served the Lord with acts such as greeting him, offering seats, worship, washing his feet, betel, rest, fanning, garlands, arranging his hair, preparing his bed, bathing, and presenting gifts. Thus ends the fifty-ninth chapter, entitled “The Taking of the Pārijāta Tree and the Slaying of Naraka,” in the tenth book of the Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, the scripture for the paramahaṃsas. Once, Bhāīṣmī attended to her husband, the teacher of the world, as he sat happily on his own bed, using a fan together with her companions. He, who by his divine play creates, sustains, and destroys the universe, was born among the Yadus for the sake of protecting the cows—his own kin.