Dvivida, the arrogant monkey, unleashed terror across the land. With reckless cruelty, he seized men and women, casting them into mountain caves and valleys, then crushed them beneath rocks as easily as a craftsman crushes insects. His rampage knew no bounds; he ravaged the countryside and violated noble women. Yet, amid his destruction, the sound of sweet singing reached his ears, drawing him toward the slopes of Mount Raivataka. There, Dvivida beheld a wondrous sight: Lord Balarāma, the mighty Yadu hero, radiant and adorned with a garland of lotuses, his every limb resplendent. He was surrounded by groups of joyful women, his eyes unsteady with the bliss of Varuni wine, his form shining with the majesty of a great elephant in rut. The monkey, filled with wicked intent, climbed a nearby tree, shaking its branches and making loud noises to attract attention. The playful companions of Balarāma, fond of laughter, burst into giggles at the monkey’s antics. Dvivida, mocking them, threw clods of earth and other things from above, even baring his backside in their direction—all under the gaze of Balarāma. The Lord’s patience wore thin. Enraged, Balarāma hurled a rock at the insolent monkey, but Dvivida dodged it and, with cunning, seized the wine jar. Taunting Balarāma, he broke the jar and scattered the Lord’s garments, acting with brazen disrespect and pride. Seeing such insolence and the disturbance caused throughout the region, Balarāma’s anger flared. He seized his club and plough, intent on ending the monkey’s mischief. Dvivida, of immense strength, uprooted a giant tree and rushed at Balarāma, striking him on the head. But the Lord stood unmoved, like a mountain unshaken by a storm. Balarāma caught the tree and struck Dvivida with his club, shattering his skull so that blood poured forth like a mountain stained with red ochre. Yet Dvivida, heedless of pain, seized another tree, stripped it of branches, and attacked again. Each time, Balarāma’s club cut the trees to pieces, a hundredfold. The battle raged on, with Dvivida uprooting every tree around, until the forest was left bare. In his fury, the monkey hurled a shower of rocks at Balarāma, but the Lord shattered them all with ease. Undeterred, Dvivida formed his fists like palm trunks and struck Balarāma’s chest. The son of Rohiṇī, abandoning his weapons, seized the monkey in his powerful arms and pressed upon his collarbone. Dvivida fell, vomiting blood. As he crashed to the earth, the ground trembled in fear, the trees shook, and it was as if a mountain had been toppled by the wind or a boat tossed on the waves. From the heavens, the gods, siddhas, and great sages cried out, “Victory! Homage! Well done! Well done!” and showered flowers upon Balarāma. Thus, having slain Dvivida, who had brought such distress to the world, the Lord, praised by all, returned to his city. Thus ends the sixty-seventh chapter, “The Slaying of Dvivida,” in the tenth book, second half, of the Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, scripture for the paramahaṃsas. In the time that followed, Sāmbha’s marriage and Balarāma’s dragging of Hastināpura took place. The Kauravas, filled with anger, accused Sāmbha, “This boy is ill-behaved; he has shown us no respect and seized our unwilling daughter by force. Let us bind this insolent one! What will the Vrishnis do? They enjoy the land we granted them, owing their prosperity to our favor. If they come here when they hear their son has been restrained, their pride will be broken and they will become as peaceful as well-controlled breaths.” Thus, Karna, Shala, Bhuri, Yajnaketu, and Suyodhana, supported by the elders of the Kurus, set out to bind Sāmbha. Seeing the Dhartarashtras in pursuit, Sāmbha, the valiant chariot-warrior, seized his splendid bow and stood alone, like a lion among lesser beasts. The Kurus, intent on capturing him, shouted, “Stop! Stop!” and showered him with arrows. Yet Sāmbha, though struck, endured their assault and retaliated fiercely. With his mighty bow, he wounded all six chariot-warriors, including Karna, both together and separately. He struck four horses with four arrows, the charioteers with single shots, and the warriors themselves, earning their reluctant admiration. But the Kurus pressed on. They killed his horses, struck down his charioteer, and cut his bow, leaving him chariotless. They bound him with great effort and, victorious, entered their city with both their daughter and the captive prince. When the Vrishnis heard this from the sage Nārada, they were incensed. Urged by Ugrasena, they prepared to march against the Kurus. But Balarāma, ever the remover of discord, pacified the armed leaders of the Vrishnis. Wishing to avoid conflict between the two great houses, he set out for Hastināpura in a radiant chariot, accompanied by Brahmins and the elders of his lineage, shining among them like the moon among stars. Upon reaching Gajahvaya, Balarāma stayed in the outer gardens and sent Uddhava to deliver his message to Dhritarashtra. Uddhava, after greeting Ambika’s son, Bhishma, Drona, Bahlik, and Duryodhana with all due respect, announced the arrival of Lord Balarāma.