Among the many children born to Lord Krishna and his queens, there were illustrious sons of great strength and virtue. To Rukmini, Krishna’s chief queen, were born Pradyumna, Charudeṣṇa, Sudeṣṇa, Charudeha the mighty, Suchāru, Charugupta, Bhadracāru, and another. There were also Charucandra, Vichāru, and Charu, making ten sons in all, headed by Pradyumna, none of whom were inferior to their divine father. To Satyabhama were born Bhānu, Subhānu, Svarbhānu, Prabhānu, Bhānumān, Chandra Bhānu, Bṛhadbhānu, and Ratibhānu—eight in number. Śrībhānu and Pratibhānu completed the count, making ten sons for her. Jāmbavatī’s sons, led by Sāmba and including Sumitra, Purujit, Shatajita, Sahasrajit, Vijaya, Citraketu, Vasumān, Draviḍa, and Kratu, were all esteemed by their father. Nāgnajit’s sons, born to Krishna, were Vīra Chandra, Ashvasena, Citragu, Vegavān, Vṛṣa, Āma, Shaṅku, Vasu, Śrīmān, and Kuntir. Kālindī bore Śruta, Kavi, Vṛṣa, Vīra, Subāhu, Bhadra, Ekala, Śānti, Darśa, and Pūrṇamāsa, with Somaka as her youngest. Mādrī’s sons were Praghoṣa, Gātravān, Siṃha, Bala, Prabala, Ūrdhvaga, Mahāśakti, Saha, Oja, and Aparājita. To Mitravinda were born Vṛka, Harṣa, Anila, Gṛdhra, Vardhana, Annāda, Mahāśa, Pāvana, Vahni, and Kṣudhi. Bhadrā’s children were Saṅgrāmajit, Bṛhatsena, Śūra, Praharaṇa, Arijit, Jaya, Subhadra, Vāmāyu, and Satyaka. Rohiṇī gave birth to Dīptimān, Tāmra, Taptā, and others. From Pradyumna, Krishna’s son, was born the valiant Aniruddha, whose mother was Rukmavatī, the noble daughter of Rukmi, king of Bhojakaṭa. The descendants of Krishna—his sons and grandsons—numbered in the tens of millions, O King, and the mothers of Krishna’s children were sixteen thousand in all. Hearing this, King Parīkṣit inquired, “How did Rukmi, though once insulted by Krishna and seeking vengeance, come to give his daughter in marriage to Krishna’s son in battle? Please explain the story of this wedding between rivals.” Śuka replied, “Great yogis can perceive all—past, present, future, the hidden and the distant. Listen as I recount what happened. At the svayamvara, Rukmavatī, the daughter of Rukmi, chose Pradyumna, who was like Cupid incarnate, endowed with many virtues. Defeating the assembled kings, Pradyumna carried her away in his chariot during the tumult of battle. Although Rukmi remembered his enmity and the insult he had suffered from Krishna, he gave his daughter to the son of his sister, thus pleasing Rukmini, his beloved sister. The powerful son of Kritavarma also married a daughter of Rukmini, renowned for her beauty and wide eyes. Rukmi gave his granddaughter, Rocana, to Aniruddha, Krishna’s grandson, despite their feud, for the sake of his sister’s happiness. Though he knew the union was improper, he was bound by familial affection. At that auspicious wedding in Bhojakaṭa, Rukmini, Balarama, Krishna, Sāmba, Pradyumna, and others attended. When the wedding concluded, the kings led by the ruler of Kalinga, proud and arrogant, challenged Rukmi to defeat Balarama in a game of dice. “Balarama does not know dice,” they said, “yet the loss is great.” Nevertheless, Balarama was summoned, and Rukmi played with him. Balarama staked a hundred coins, then a thousand, then ten thousand, but Rukmi defeated him, and the king of Kalinga laughed loudly at Balarama, exposing his teeth. This, Halayudha—Balarama—could not tolerate. Then Rukmi staked a hundred thousand coins, and this time Balarama won. Yet Rukmi, relying on deceit, declared himself the victor. Filled with wrath, Balarama, his eyes reddened with anger, staked ten million coins. Again, Balarama won fairly, but Rukmi, resorting to trickery, claimed victory and called for witnesses. A voice from the sky declared, “Balarama alone has won; Rukmi speaks falsely, claiming victory with words, not righteousness.” Ignoring this heavenly voice, Rukmi, encouraged by wicked rulers and fate, mocked Balarama, saying, “You are cowherds who wander the forests, unskilled in dice. Kings play dice and shoot arrows—not men like you.” Insulted and mocked, Balarama, enraged, raised his club and struck Rukmi down in the midst of the assembly. He also seized the king of Kalinga as he tried to flee and knocked out his teeth—the same king who had laughed at him. The other kings, their bodies battered and bloodied by Balarama’s club, fled in terror. When Rukmi, Krishna’s brother-in-law, was slain, Krishna, fearing discord between Rukmini and Balarama, neither praised nor condemned the act. Then, placing Aniruddha and his bride on a splendid chariot, Balarama and the Dasharhas departed from Bhojakaṭa for their city of Kushasthali, their purposes fulfilled under the shelter of Madhusudana. King Parīkṣit then asked, “The foremost of the Yadus married Bāṇa’s daughter Ūṣā. At that time, there was a terrible battle between Hari and Śaṅkara. O great yogi, please recount all this in detail.” Śuka replied, “Bāṇa was the eldest among the hundred sons of the noble Bali—the same Bali who gave the earth to Hari in the form of Vāmana. Bāṇa was always devoted to Śiva, honored, generous, intelligent, steadfast in truth, and firm in his vows. He ruled as king in the beautiful city of Śoṇita, where, by the grace of Śambhu, his attendants were like the immortals. With his thousand arms, he pleased Rudra by playing music during the Tāṇḍava dance. The Lord, master of all beings and refuge of devotees, offered him a boon of his choice, and Bāṇa chose Śiva as the protector of his city. Once, intoxicated by his own strength, Bāṇa approached Lord Giriśa, who was nearby, and bowed at his lotus feet, his crown shining like the sun. He said, ‘I bow to you, Mahādeva, guru and lord of the worlds, fulfiller of the desires of those whose wishes are unmet, and whose feet are worshipped by the immortals.