Ugrasena, the lord of the earth, was recognized as the sovereign whose commands were to be heard and carried out without hesitation or disturbance of mind. Yet, despite their numbers, the Kurus had bound the righteous one by unrighteous means after defeating him. Balarāma, though he tolerated this for the sake of familial unity, could not ignore the injustice. Provoked, the Kurus listened to Balarāma’s words, which were filled with vigor, heroism, and strength, equal to his own formidable power. In astonishment, they reflected on the strange workings of time: one who seeks to ascend wears shoes while his head is adorned with a crown, an image of inverted order. The Vṛṣṇis, joined in youth and sharing beds, seats, and meals, had been elevated to the Kurus’ own status, even granted royal seats. They enjoyed the privileges of royalty—fans, fly-whisks, conchs, white umbrellas, crowns, thrones, and beds—all due to the Kurus’ neglect. Enough, they thought, of the Yādavas being marked by royal honors, which, though bestowed by the donor, seemed like nectar to serpents; those Yādavas, who had prospered by the Kurus’ favor, now shamelessly commanded them. They wondered, how could even Indra, with the mighty Kurus—Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Arjuna, and others—seize what was not given, like a lion snatching prey in the forest? Śrī Bādarāyaṇa explained that their pride, inflated by birth, kinship, and wealth, had made them arrogant. After speaking harsh words to Balarāma, these uncivil men entered their city. Witnessing the wickedness of the Kurus and hearing their offensive words, Acyuta—Kṛṣṇa—became angry and difficult to look at, laughing as he spoke repeatedly. He remarked that these wicked ones, puffed up with various kinds of pride, did not desire peace; for them, restraint was punishment, as a stick is for animals. Balarāma recalled how he had come desiring peace, gently calming the enraged Yādus and Kṛṣṇa. Yet these dull-minded, quarrelsome, wicked ones repeatedly disregarded him and spoke disrespectfully, proud as they were. Was not Ugrasena the mighty lord, ruler of the Bhojas, Vṛṣṇis, and Andhakas, whom even Indra and the guardians of the worlds obeyed? He, who entered Sudharmā and brought the Pārijāta tree from the realm of the immortals to be enjoyed, was surely not unworthy of the royal seat. At his feet, Śrī herself, the sovereign of all, serves directly—was he not worthy of royal honors and paraphernalia? The dust of his lotus feet is borne by the crowns of all guardians of the worlds, worshipped as the holiest of sacred places; Brahmā, Śiva, and even Bādarāyaṇa himself are but portions of his portion, and Śrī herself serves him for a long time—where is the royal seat for him? The Vṛṣṇis enjoyed the land given by the Kurus, while the Kurus imagined themselves as the crown upon the head, with others as mere shoes. Who could endure or instruct those intoxicated by wealth, whose words are incoherent and harsh, like those of the proud and drunken? Enraged, Balarāma declared, “Today I will make the earth free of the Kauravas!” Seizing his plough, he rose up as if to burn the three worlds. With the tip of his plough, he tore open the city of Hastinapura, and, furious, dragged it toward the Ganga, intent on striking. As the city, pulled into the Ganga, spun like a boat in a whirlpool, the Kauravas, seeing it dragged, were seized with panic. Desiring to live, the Kauravas, with their families, approached Balarāma for refuge, placing Lakshmana and Samba at the front, and bowed with joined palms to the Lord. “O Rama, foundation of all,” they pleaded, “we do not know your power. Please forgive our offense, for we are foolish and misguided. You alone are the cause, without dependence, of creation, maintenance, and dissolution. O Lord, the wise say that the worlds are your playthings, and you play with them. You alone, O endless one, bear the earth with your thousand heads, playfully supporting it on your crown; and at the end, when the universe is withdrawn into yourself, you alone remain, unique and unsurpassed. O Lord, your anger is for the sake of universal instruction, not out of hatred or envy; you, upholding sattva, are ever intent on the protection of existence. Salutations to you, the soul of all beings, bearer of all powers, imperishable one; O creator of the universe, we bow to you and have taken refuge in you.” Śuka said: Thus, by those who had taken refuge, distressed and trembling, Balarāma was pleased and, fully satisfied, granted them fearlessness, saying, “Do not be afraid.” Duryodhana then offered tribute: sixty-year-old elephants and twelve thousand horses. He gave six thousand golden chariots shining like the sun, and a thousand maidservants without necklaces, being fond of daughters. Having accepted all this, the Lord, the foremost of the Sātvatas, departed with his son and daughter-in-law, honored by his friends. Halāyudha—Balarāma—entered his own city, his heart affectionate toward his relatives. In the assembly of the Yadus, he recounted all his deeds among the Kurus. Even today, that city, bearing the mark of Rama’s might, stands elevated to the south of the Ganga, visible to all. Thus ends the sixty-eighth chapter, entitled ‘The Victory of Sankarshana in the Form of Dragging Hastinapura,’ of the Uttara section of the Tenth Book of the glorious Bhagavata Purana. Next, Śuka continued: The household conduct of the Lord, as performed by the sage Narada—hearing that Naraka was slain and that many women were wed by Krishna alone, Narada desired to see this wondrous event. How astonishing it is that, with a single body, Krishna simultaneously married eight thousand and two hundred women, each in their own home. Eager to see Dvārakā, the divine sage Narada arrived there, where gardens and parks were in full bloom, resounding with the voices of flocks of birds and brahmins. The lakes, adorned with fully blossomed blue lotuses, water lilies, day-blooming lotuses, and kumudas, were filled with tall reeds and echoed with the calls of swans and cranes. The city itself was graced with nine hundred thousand palaces made of crystal and silver, resembling great emeralds, furnished with golden and jeweled decorations.