In the heat of battle, Bāṇa, his mind wild with fury, drew his bows with astonishing speed. With each hand, he set two arrows upon each of five hundred shafts, preparing a deadly onslaught. But Lord Hari, ever alert and supreme in skill, responded in an instant—he simultaneously cut down all those bows, struck down Bāṇa’s charioteer, destroyed his chariot and horses, and then, with a sound that reverberated across the field, blew his conch shell. At that desperate moment, Bāṇa’s mother, Koṭarā, rushed forward. Disheveled and unclothed, she stood before Krishna, seeking to shield her son from harm. Out of respect, Krishna—Gadāgraja—turned his face aside, refusing to look upon the naked woman. Deprived of his chariot and with his bow broken, Bāṇa slipped away and entered the city. As the hosts of beings were driven away from the field, a fever demon with three heads and three feet, blazing with heat as if to scorch the ten directions, charged at Krishna, the descendant of Dasarha. Witnessing this, the divine Nārāyaṇa released his own fever demon to confront the one sent by Śiva. The two fever demons—one of Śiva, one of Viṣṇu—clashed fiercely. Overpowered by the intense might of Viṣṇu’s fever, the fever demon of Śiva cried out in distress. Frightened and unable to find refuge elsewhere, he approached Hṛṣīkeśa with folded hands, seeking protection and offering praise: "O Lord of infinite power, supreme ruler, the soul of all, pure consciousness, cause of creation, maintenance, and dissolution, tranquil Brahman, the mark of Brahman—I bow to you. Time, destiny, action, the living being, nature, substance, field, breath, self, and transformation—all this, the flow of seed and sprout, is your illusion. I seek refuge in its negation. By your wondrous play and many forms, you protect the gods, the virtuous, and the bridges of the worlds; you destroy those who stray by violence, and your birth is to relieve the burden of the earth. I am scorched by your unbearable, fierce fever; as long as people are bound by hope, they do not worship your feet, and so their suffering continues." The Blessed Lord responded with compassion: "O Triśiras, I am pleased with you. Let your fear of fever be dispelled. Whoever remembers our conversation will never have fear from you." Thus reassured, the fever demon of Śiva bowed to Acyuta and departed. Meanwhile, Bāṇa, having regained a chariot, returned to the fray, determined to face Janārdana once more. With a thousand arms bristling with weapons, he hurled arrows in a furious storm at the Lord, wielder of the discus. Unfazed, Krishna again and again cut down the weapons that Bāṇa unleashed—even those he spat from his mouth—using his razor-edged discus. One by one, Krishna severed Bāṇa’s arms like branches from a tree. As Bāṇa’s arms fell, Lord Bhava—Śiva himself—moved by compassion for his devotee, approached Krishna and spoke: "You are the supreme Brahman, the highest light, hidden within the Brahman that is spoken of. Those of pure soul perceive you alone, like the sky. Your navel is the ether, fire your mouth, water your seed, the sky your head, the directions your ears, your feet the earth; the moon is your mind, the sun your eye, the self is your soul, I am the ocean, your belly, and the serpent king is your arm. Your hairs are the plants, the clouds your waters, Brahmā your hair, intelligence your creative power, Prajāpati your heart, and Dharma your essence—you are truly the cosmic person, the model of the worlds. This descent of yours, O unimpeded Lord, is for the protection of dharma and the welfare of the world; and we, all inspired by you, comprehend the seven realms. You alone are the primordial, unique Person, the fourth beyond; self-seeing, cause and causeless, you appear, yet remain unchanged, manifesting all qualities by your own power. Just as the sun, concealed by its own shadow, projects both the shadow and forms, so you, hidden by your own quality, illuminate the qualities and those possessing qualities, O boundless light of the self. Those whose minds are deluded by your maya become attached to children, spouses, homes, and so forth, and rise and sink, engrossed in the ocean of misfortune. Having obtained this human birth, if one with uncontrolled senses does not honor your feet, he is to be pitied, for he deceives himself. He who abandons you, his own beloved self, and pursues the objects of the senses in reverse, consumes poison, forsaking nectar. I, Brahma, the gods, and the sages of pure mind, have all surrendered to you, the dearest Lord, with our whole being. You, the cause of creation, sustenance, and dissolution, equal, tranquil, friend, self and god; the sole, nondual source of the universe—we worship you for liberation from birth and death. This one, Bāṇa, is dear to me, beloved, obedient; I have granted him fearlessness, O Lord. Let your favor be bestowed upon him, as you once showed mercy to the lord of the daityas." The Blessed Lord replied, "O revered one, whatever you say, I shall do what pleases you. Whatever you decide, that is agreeable and approved by me. This son of Virocana, an asura, is not to be slain even by me, for a boon was granted to Prahlāda—neither he nor your lineage shall be killed by me. To humble his pride, I have broken his arms; his vast army, which burdened the earth, has been destroyed by me. Four of his arms remain; he will be ageless and immortal, chief among your attendants, and, O asura, he shall have no fear from anywhere." Having thus received fearlessness, Bāṇa bowed his head to Krishna. With reverence, he placed Pradyumna and his wife upon the chariot and presented them before Krishna. Surrounded by an army division, adorned in splendid garments and ornaments, and with his wife beside him, Bāṇa departed, honored by Rudra. He entered his royal city, resplendent with flags, gateways, and guarded crossroads, to the sounds of conch shells, trumpets, and drums, welcomed by citizens, friends, and the twice-born. It is said that whoever remembers Krishna’s victory and his battle with Śankara, rising in the morning, will never suffer defeat. Thus concludes the sixty-third chapter, "The Bringing of Aniruddha," in the tenth canto, second half, of the holy Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, the scripture of the supreme swan. Later, Śrī Śuka continued: O best of the Kurus, Lord Balarāma, eager to see his dear friends, mounted his chariot and journeyed to Nanda’s Gokula. There, the cowherds and cowherd women, who had longed for him, embraced him warmly and for a long time. Rama bowed to his parents, who joyfully blessed him. Lifting him onto their laps, they embraced him, their eyes overflowing with tears, and said, "May you and your brother, O Lord of the universe, protect us always, O Dāśārha.