Armed with a mighty tree, Dvivida, the powerful monkey, struck fiercely at Lord Balarāma. Yet, with effortless skill, Balarāma cut the tree to pieces a hundredfold. Undeterred, Dvivida attacked again with another tree, but that too was shattered into countless fragments by Balarāma’s blows. The battle raged on, and as each tree was destroyed, Dvivida, relentless in his fury, uprooted all the trees around him, until the forest itself was left barren and treeless. Enraged beyond measure, Dvivida then unleashed a torrent of rocks upon Balarāma. But the Lord, wielding his club, crushed the rocks as easily as a child scatters pebbles. Not yet defeated, Dvivida, lord of the monkeys, made his arms as stout as palm trunks and, forming his fists, rushed upon Balarāma, the son of Rohiṇī, and struck him with both fists upon the chest. At this, Balarāma, chief of the Yadus, set aside his club and plough. With anger blazing in his eyes, he seized Dvivida in his powerful arms and pressed upon the monkey’s collarbone. Unable to withstand the Lord’s grip, Dvivida fell to the ground, vomiting blood. As the mighty monkey collapsed, the earth itself trembled in fear, along with the remaining trees, as if a great mountain were shaken by a storm or a boat tossed upon the waves. From the heavens arose shouts of “Victory!” and “Homage!” The gods, siddhas, and great sages cried, “Well done! Well done!” and rained flowers down upon the Lord. Thus, having slain Dvivida, who had brought suffering to the world, Balarāma, praised by all, entered his own city. Thus concludes the sixty-seventh chapter, entitled “The Slaying of Dvivida,” in the tenth book, second half, of the Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, the scripture for the paramahaṃsas. In the next chapter, the story turns to Sāmbha’s marriage and the episode of Balarāma dragging the city of Hastināpura. The Kauravas, angered by Sāmbha’s actions, complained, “This boy is ill-behaved; ignoring us, he has seized our unwilling daughter by force. Let us bind this insolent one—what will the Vrishnis do? They, who enjoy the land we bestowed upon them, accumulated by our favor. If the Vrishnis come here upon hearing their son has been restrained, their pride will be broken and they will become peaceful, like well-controlled breaths.” Thus, Karna, Shala, Bhuri, Yajnaketu, and Suyodhana, supported by the elders of the Kurus, set out to capture Sāmbha. Seeing the Dhartarashtras pursuing him, Sāmbha, a mighty chariot-warrior, seized his splendid bow and stood alone like a lion against many. The Kurus, eager to capture him, cried, “Stop! Stop!” and showered him with arrows. Though struck, Sāmbha did not yield, just as a lion does not fear the attack of lesser beasts. Stringing his great bow, Sāmbha wounded all six chariot-warriors, including Karna, with his arrows, both simultaneously and separately. With four arrows, he struck four horses; with one each, the charioteers; and with others, the great bowmen themselves. For this valor, even his foes honored him. But the Kurus pressed their advantage. They made him chariotless: four arrows slew his horses, one killed his charioteer, and another cut his bow. Having bound him and made him helpless after a fierce struggle, the victorious Kurus entered their city with both Sāmbha and their own daughter. When the Vrishnis heard of these events from Nārada, their anger flared. Urged by King Ugrasena, they prepared to confront the Kurus. But Balarāma, desiring peace between the two great families, pacified the armed leaders of the Vrishnis and restrained them from war. Instead, Balarāma journeyed to Hastināpura in a radiant chariot, surrounded by Brahmins and elders of his lineage, shining among them like the moon among stars. Upon reaching Gajahvaya, he remained in the outer gardens and sent Uddhava to announce his arrival to Dhritarashtra. Uddhava respectfully greeted Ambika’s son Dhritarashtra, Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Bahlik, and Duryodhana according to custom, and conveyed Balarāma’s presence. Hearing that their dearest friend had arrived, the Kurus were delighted. They honored him and approached with auspicious offerings. They greeted Balarāma with the customary gifts of a cow and water for worship. Those who recognized his greatness bowed their heads before him. After inquiring about the well-being of their relatives, Balarāma spoke to them without hesitation: “Ugrasena, lord of the earth, whatever command he gives, you should hear it with an undisturbed mind and carry it out without delay. Though you are many, you bound the righteous one by unrighteous means, having defeated him. I tolerate this for the sake of unity among relatives.” The Kurus, provoked by Balarāma’s words, which were filled with vigor and strength, responded with pride: “How astonishing! By the unstoppable movement of time, one who wishes to ascend wears shoes while his head is adorned with a crown. These Vrishnis, joined by youth, sharing our beds, seats, and meals, have been made equal to us, and we have given them royal seats. They enjoy the fan, fly-whisk, conch, white umbrella, crown, throne, and bed, all due to our neglect. Enough of the Yādavas being marked by royal honors, bestowed by us, like nectar to serpents. These Yādavas, who have prospered by our favor, now command us, shamelessly. How could even Indra, with the Kurus—Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Arjuna, and others—seize what was not given, like a lion snatching prey in the forest?” Thus, their pride, inflated by birth, kinship, and wealth, made them arrogant. After speaking harshly to Balarāma, the Kurus entered their city. Witnessing the Kurus’ arrogance and hearing their offensive words, Acyuta (Krishna), angered and formidable, laughed and spoke repeatedly: “Surely, these wicked ones, puffed up with various kinds of pride, do not desire peace. For them, restraint is punishment, just as a stick is for animals.