Uṣā, the daughter of Bāṇa, was skilled in painting and, among her depictions of human beings, she drew the Vrishnis, Shura, and Anakadundubhi. But when she came to paint Pradyumna, she grew bashful, especially as she began to illustrate the forms of Rama and Krishna. Upon drawing the likeness of Aniruddha, her face turned downward in modesty. Smiling gently, she pointed him out to her companion, saying only, “That one, that one.” Citrālekha, Uṣā’s dear friend, was a yogini of great power and the granddaughter of Krishna. Understanding Uṣā’s heart, she rose into the sky and journeyed swiftly to Dvārakā, the city protected by Krishna. There, by her yogic abilities, she found Pradyumna’s son, Aniruddha, sleeping peacefully on a luxurious bed. Using her mystical powers, she transported him unseen to Śoṇitapura, bringing him to Uṣā to fulfill her friend’s longing. When Aniruddha arrived, Uṣā’s joy knew no bounds. In her private chambers, which were inaccessible to others, she delighted in his company. Aniruddha was honored with splendid garments, fragrant garlands, scents, incense, lamps, comfortable seats, drinks, delicious foods, and sweet words of service. Hidden within the maiden’s palace, Aniruddha, captivated by Uṣā’s affection and charm, lost all sense of time, wholly absorbed in their love. Yet, as the days passed, the palace guards began to notice subtle signs that revealed Uṣā’s secret. They reported to King Bāṇa, saying, “We have seen suspicious behavior in your daughter, something disgraceful to the family. Though we have guarded her well, we cannot understand how this maiden, so difficult to approach, has been defiled by a man.” Distressed and angered by this news, Bāṇa hurried to his daughter’s quarters. There he beheld Aniruddha, the son of desire, whose beauty was unmatched in the world: dark-complexioned, clad in yellow silk, lotus-eyed, with strong arms, radiant earrings, curling locks, and a face adorned by playful smiles. Aniruddha was playing dice with Uṣā, who was eager for his company, her body adorned with a garland stained by the red kumkuma from her breasts. He held a jasmine garland in his arms, seated close by her side—a sight that astonished Bāṇa. As Mādhava (Aniruddha) found himself surrounded by hostile guards and soldiers, he seized his club and stood ready, like Death himself wielding his staff, intent on battle. The guards, attempting to capture him, were struck down by Aniruddha as a wild boar scatters a pack of dogs—heads, thighs, and arms broken, they fled in terror from the palace. Then Bāṇa’s powerful son employed magical serpent bonds to capture Aniruddha, who was raging in the fight. Bound and helpless, Aniruddha’s plight brought Uṣā to tears; overwhelmed by grief and sorrow, she wept for her beloved. Thus ends the chapter of Aniruddha’s binding. Meanwhile, in Dvārakā, four months passed in sorrow for Aniruddha’s family and kin, who searched desperately but could not find him. At last, Nārada arrived and told them of Aniruddha’s captivity and all that had transpired. The Vrishnis, devoted to Krishna, prepared for battle and set out for Śoṇitapura. Pradyumna, Yuyudhāna, Gada, Sāmba, Sāraṇa, Nanda, Upananda, Bhadra, and others—all followers of Balarāma and Krishna—marched forth, leading twelve divisions of troops. They surrounded Bāṇa’s city on every side. Seeing his city’s gardens, ramparts, towers, and gateways under attack, Bāṇa, burning with anger, gathered his own forces and went out to fight. For Bāṇa’s sake, the blessed Rudra (Śiva), accompanied by his son and the Pramathas, mounted the great bull Nandi and joined the battle against Balarāma and Krishna. A tumultuous, wondrous, and hair-raising battle erupted between Krishna and Śiva, and between Pradyumna and Guha (Kartikeya). Kumbhāṇḍa and Kūpakarṇa engaged Balarāma, while Sāmba fought Bāṇa’s son and Sātyaki confronted Bāṇa himself. The gods—Brahmā and the other lords, sages, perfected beings, celestial singers, nymphs, and yakṣas—gathered in their aerial chariots to witness this divine conflict. Krishna drove away the hosts of Śiva—spirits, pramathas, guhyakas, ḍākinīs, rākṣasas, vināyakas, pretas, mātṛs, piśācas, kuṣmāṇḍas, and brahmarākṣasas—using sharp arrows from his Śārṅga bow. Śiva, the wielder of the Pināka bow, sent a variety of weapons at Krishna, but Krishna countered each with his own: Brahmāstra with Brahmāstra, Vāyavya with Pārvatāstra, Āgneya with Pārjanya, and Pāśupata with his own divine weapon. Then, after bewildering Giriśa (Śiva) with the Jṛmbhaṇa weapon, Krishna struck down Bāṇa’s army with sword, mace, and arrows. Pradyumna’s torrents of arrows overwhelmed Skanda (Kartikeya), who, wounded and bleeding, withdrew from battle. Kumbhāṇḍa and Kūpakarṇa were struck down by Balarāma’s plough, and their leaderless troops scattered. Seeing his forces shattered, Bāṇa, ablaze with fury, left Sātyaki and charged at Krishna. He drew his bows and, in his rage, set two arrows on each of five hundred shafts, but Krishna, the Lord Hari, cut down all his bows at once, killed his charioteer, destroyed his chariot and horses, and sounded his conch. At that moment, Bāṇa’s mother, Koṭarā, desperate to save her son, appeared naked with disheveled hair before Krishna. Out of respect, Krishna averted his gaze, and Bāṇa, now without chariot or bow, withdrew into the city. With the hosts of beings driven away, a fever demon with three heads and three feet, blazing like fire in all directions, rushed at Krishna. But the divine Nārāyaṇa released his own fever demon, and thus the fevers of Śiva and Viṣṇu clashed in battle.