The people witnessed a remarkable and unsettling sight: the body of Jarāsandha, the mighty king of Magadha, had been split into two distinct parts. One part possessed a single leg, thigh, testicle, hip, back, breast, and shoulder; the other had one arm, eye, brow, and ear. As Jarāsandha fell, a great outcry echoed through the land. The people gathered around Bhīma—the hero who had slain Jarāsandha—and honored him with embraces and praise, along with the other victorious and infallible ones. Then, the Lord Himself—the creator of all beings, master of His own self—took charge. He anointed Sahadeva, the son of Jarāsandha, as the new king of the Magadhas, restoring order and stability to the kingdom. Moreover, He released the kings who had been imprisoned by Jarāsandha, granting them freedom after their long captivity. Thus concluded the seventy-second chapter, “The Slaying of Jarāsandha,” in the second half of the Tenth Book of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, the scripture revered by the pure-hearted. Śuka continued the story: Sixteen thousand eight hundred kings, who had been defeated in battle and imprisoned, emerged at last from the mountain cave where they had been held. Their bodies were dirty, their garments soiled, and their faces gaunt from hunger and the torment of confinement. As they stepped out into the light, they beheld before them the dark-complexioned Lord, dressed in radiant yellow silk. They saw Him marked with the auspicious Śrīvatsa, four-armed, with lotus-like reddish eyes, a beautiful and gracious face, and shining earrings shaped like makaras. In His hands He held a lotus, a mace, a conch, and a discus. He was adorned with a crown, necklace, bracelets, a girdle, and armlets. His neck gleamed with the finest jewels and was garlanded with forest flowers. The kings drank in His divine form with their eyes, as if tasting Him with their tongues; they seemed to smell Him with their noses and embrace Him with their arms. Freed from their sins, they bowed their heads at Hari’s feet. Delighted by the sight of Krishna, all their fatigue and distress vanished. With palms joined, the kings praised Hṛṣīkeśa with heartfelt words: “Salutations to you, Lord of the gods, imperishable remover of distress for those who seek refuge! We have come to your shelter, O Krishna—protect us, weary from this terrible cycle of birth and death. “O Madhusūdana, we do not blame you for the loss of our kingdoms at the hands of the Magadhan. O Lord, for us kings, your favor is the true cause. A king, swollen with pride from sovereignty and riches, does not attain true welfare; deluded by your māyā, he thinks impermanent wealth to be unshakable. Just as children imagine water in a mirage, so too do those lacking discernment mistake illusions for reality. “Formerly, blinded by the intoxication of prosperity, we, driven by the desire to conquer, competed with one another, mercilessly destroying our own subjects, O Lord, heedless of death before us. Those very riches, O Krishna, have been swept away by your profound and irresistible power; by time, by your form, and by your compassion, our pride is destroyed, and we remember your feet. “Therefore, we no longer desire a kingdom, which is like a mirage, with a body that is ever subject to decay and pain. O Lord, we long to worship you, for the fruit of such acts, both in this life and after, is pleasing to the ear. Instruct us in the means by which, even as we wander in this world, our remembrance of your lotus feet may never cease. “Obeisance again and again to Krishna, son of Vasudeva, to Hari, the Supreme Self, to Govinda, destroyer of the distress of those who take refuge in him.” Śuka said: Thus praised by the freed kings, the compassionate Lord, shelter of all, addressed them with gentle words. Krishna said, “From this day forth, O kings, firm devotion to Me, the Self, the Lord of all, will arise in you, as you have earnestly desired. By good fortune, O kings, you have resolved rightly and spoken truthfully; see how pride in wealth and power drives men mad. “Haihaya, Nahuṣa, Vena, Rāvaṇa, Naraka, and others—lords of gods, demons, and men—were cast down from their positions by pride in prosperity. Knowing this, that all arising from body and so on is perishable, worship Me through sacrifices, and protect your subjects with righteousness. Sustain the threads of your people, experience happiness and sorrow, birth and death as they come; serve what comes your way, and move about with your minds fixed on Me. “Detached from body and so forth, delighting in the Self, firm in your vows, fixing your minds wholly on Me, you shall attain Brahman at the end.” Śuka continued: Having thus instructed the kings, Krishna, Lord of the world, assigned attendants to them for the bathing ceremony of their wives. He had ceremonial worship performed by Sahadeva, with garments, ornaments, garlands, and ointments fit for kings. After bathing and adorning them, He fed them with excellent food, provided them with various enjoyments, and with betel and other things suitable for royalty. Honored by Mukunda, the kings, with shining earrings, freed from distress, shone like planets released from the rainy season. Krishna had chariots adorned with jewels and gold, yoked with fine horses, prepared for them, and, pleasing them with kind words, sent them back to their own lands. Thus, rescued from hardship by the greatly noble Krishna, they departed, meditating on Him and the deeds of the Lord of the universe. The people marveled at the actions of the Supreme Person, and, as the Lord directed, they diligently carried out their duties. After Jarāsandha was slain by Bhīmasena, Krishna, honored by Sahadeva and accompanied by the two sons of Pritha, departed. Having reached Khandavaprastha, the victorious heroes sounded their conchshells, delighting their friends and bringing distress to their enemies. Hearing this, the residents of Indraprastha became joyful at heart, believing that the Magadha king was subdued and their own king’s desire fulfilled. Then Bhīma, Arjuna, and Janardana, after offering respects to King Yudhishthira, reported to him all that they had accomplished. Hearing their account, King Yudhishthira, understanding Krishna’s compassion, shed tears of joy and, out of love, could not speak a word. Thus concludes the seventy-third chapter, “The Coming of Krishna and Others,” in the second half of the Tenth Canto of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, the great Purāṇa revered by the paramahaṃsas.