Overwhelmed by the fierce power of the fever unleashed by Viṣṇu, the fever spirit sent forth by Śiva became terrified. Unable to find safety anywhere, frightened and desperate, it rushed to seek refuge in Hṛṣīkeśa, the Lord of the senses. With folded hands, the fever spirit praised Him, saying, “O Lord of infinite might, Supreme Ruler, soul of all, pure consciousness itself, cause of creation, maintenance, and dissolution, tranquil Brahman, the very mark of the Absolute—I bow to You. “Time, destiny, action, the living being, nature, substance, field, breath, self, and all transformations—this entire aggregate, this endless flow of seed and sprout, is but Your illusion. I seek shelter in the negation of that illusion. “Through Your play, assuming countless forms, You support the gods, the virtuous, and the bridges between worlds, and You destroy those who stray into violence. Your birth is for relieving the burden of the earth. “I am scorched by Your unbearable, fierce, and exceedingly intense fever. As long as people are bound by hope, they do not worship the roots of Your feet, and thus their suffering continues.” The Blessed Lord replied, “O Triśiras, I am pleased with you. Let your fear of this fever be dispelled. Whoever remembers our conversation will never be troubled by you.” Thus addressed, the fever spirit of Śiva bowed to Acyuta and departed. Meanwhile, Bāṇa, mounting his chariot, advanced to face Janārdana in battle. O King, the demon Bāṇa, bearing a thousand arms and wielding many weapons, released a furious shower of arrows upon the wielder of the discus. Again and again, the Lord cut down the weapons that came from Bāṇa’s mouth with His razor-edged discus, severing Bāṇa’s arms like branches from a tree. As Bāṇa’s arms fell, Lord Bhava, ever compassionate to His devotees, approached and spoke to the wielder of the discus. Śrī Rudra addressed Him: “You are the Supreme Brahman, the highest light, hidden even within the Brahman that is spoken of in words. The pure-hearted perceive You as the sky, alone. Your navel is the ether, fire is Your mouth, water is Your semen, the sky is Your head, the directions are Your ears, Your feet are 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 are Your waters, Brahmā is Your hair, intelligence is Your creative power, Prajāpati is Your heart, and Dharma is Your very essence. Truly, You are the cosmic person, the model of all worlds. “This descent of Yours, O unimpeded Lord, is for the protection of dharma and the welfare of the world. Inspired by You, we comprehend the seven realms. “You alone are the primordial, unique Person, the fourth beyond; self-seeing, cause and causeless, O Lord. You appear, yet remain unchanged, by Your own power, for the manifestation of all qualities. “Just as the sun, concealed by its own shadow, projects both the shadow and forms, so You, hidden by Your own qualities, illuminate the qualities, O boundless light of the self, and those who possess qualities. “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, O Lord, his own beloved self, and instead pursues the objects of the senses, is as one who consumes poison, forsaking nectar. “I, Brahmā, the gods, and the sages of pure mind have all surrendered to You, the dearest Lord, with our whole being. “You, the cause of the world’s creation, sustenance, and dissolution, equal, tranquil, friend, self and god—the sole, nondual source of the universe—we worship You, O Lord, for liberation from birth and death. “This one, Bāṇa, is dear to me, beloved and obedient. I have granted him fearlessness, O Lord. Let Your favor be bestowed upon him, just as You 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; a boon was granted to Prahlāda, so neither he nor your lineage shall be killed by me. “To humble his pride, I have broken his arms, and 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.” Thus, having received fearlessness, the asura Bāṇa bowed his head to Krishna, placed Pradyumna on the chariot with his wife, and brought him forward. Surrounded by a division of his army, adorned in splendid garments and ornaments, with his wife beside him, Bāṇa departed, honored by Rudra. He entered his royal city, resplendent with flags, gateways, and guarded crossroads, amid the sounds of conch, trumpet, and drum, welcomed by citizens, friends, and the twice-born. Whoever remembers Krishna’s victory and his battle with Śankara, rising in the morning, will never suffer defeat. Thus ends the sixty-third chapter, entitled ‘The Bringing of Aniruddha,’ in the tenth canto, second half, of the holy Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, the scripture of the supreme swan. Then 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, he was embraced for a long time by the cowherds and the cowherd women, who had yearned for his return. Rāma bowed to his parents and was joyfully blessed by them. “May you and your brother, O Lord of the universe, protect us always, O Dāśārha,” they said, lifting him onto their laps, embracing him, and bathing him with tears of affection. He respectfully greeted the elder cowherds, who were seated according to custom, acknowledging each according to their age, friendship, and relationship to himself. Then, approaching the cowherd men with laughter, handshakes, and other gestures, those gathered around him asked, as he sat at ease. He, in turn, inquired after their well-being and that of their families, his voice choked with affection, for in Kṛṣṇa, whose eyes are like lotus petals, all their burdens had been placed. “O Rāma,” they asked, “are all your relatives well? Do you, with your wives and children, still remember us? “By good fortune, the wicked Kaṃsa has been slain; by good fortune, your friends have been freed; by good fortune, having defeated your enemies, you have taken shelter in a stronghold.” The cowherd women, delighted by the sight of Rāma, laughed and asked, “Is Kṛṣṇa, beloved of the city women, living happily?