Upon receiving Krishna’s command, Daruka swiftly mounted the chariot and drove out onto the battlefield. All present—friends and foes alike—saw Arjuna’s younger brother, Krishna, advancing into the fray. Shalva, whose army had been nearly annihilated, beheld Krishna and, with a terrible roar, hurled a spear at Krishna’s charioteer. The weapon blazed through the sky like a meteor, illuminating all directions. But Krishna, known as Shauri, shattered the spear into a hundred pieces with his arrows. Without pause, Krishna pierced Shalva himself with sixteen arrows, and struck the flying Saubha fortress with a relentless shower, as the sun floods the world with its rays. Shalva, however, managed to strike Krishna’s left arm, breaking the Sharnga bow from his hand—a wonder to behold. The onlookers, celestial and mortal, cried out in astonishment at this feat. Roaring loudly, Shalva, the king of Saubha, addressed Krishna: “Fool! Because of you, our friend—my brother-in-law—was slain in the assembly, and his wife was abducted as you acted recklessly. Today, if you dare stand before me, I will send you, proud as you are, on a path of no return with my sharp arrows!” Krishna replied, “Your boasting is in vain, dull-witted one. You do not see Death standing near you. True heroes show their valor in deeds, not in empty words.” With these words, the Lord struck Shalva’s chest with his terrible mace. Shalva trembled and vomited blood, but as Krishna’s mace was repelled, Shalva suddenly vanished. At that moment, a man approached Krishna, bowed, and tearfully spoke: “I am sent by Devaki. Krishna, Krishna, mighty-armed one, your beloved father has been bound and carried away by Shalva and his men, like a helpless beast.” Hearing these grievous words, Krishna, overcome by affection, assumed a human mood. He became dejected and compassionate, speaking as any ordinary man would: “How could my father, the mighty and unconcerned Rama, unconquered by gods and demons, be carried away by Shalva—a mere lesser man? Truly, such is the power of fate.” As Krishna spoke thus, Shalva appeared once more. Bringing forth a figure resembling Vasudeva, Shalva declared, “Here is your father, the one for whom you live. I will kill him before your eyes. If you are the Lord, protect him, O foolish one!” Rebuking Krishna, the deceiver drew his sword, seized Anakadundubhi’s head, and, taking it, entered the Saubha fortress in the sky. For a moment, Krishna, surrounded by his people, was overcome by natural affection and grief. But soon he realized this was a demonic illusion, conjured by Shalva at Maya’s instruction. Awakened to the truth, Krishna saw neither the messenger nor his father’s body—like a man waking from a dream. Instead, he beheld his enemy, Shalva, stationed in the sky upon Saubha, ready to strike. Thus, O royal sage, do some speak of such visions, yet if their words contradict themselves, surely they do not truly remember. For where can there be grief, delusion, affection, or fear—born of ignorance—for one whose wisdom and knowledge are undiminished, whose lordship is unbroken? By serving Krishna’s feet and gaining self-knowledge, the wise destroy the beginningless grip of self-delusion. Attaining their own infinite lordship, how could confusion touch one who has reached the Supreme? Now, as Shalva attacked with a multitude of weapons, Krishna, whose valor never fails, struck him with arrows, shattering his armor, bow, and crown. With his mace, Krishna smashed the Saubha fortress. Struck by Krishna’s mighty blow, the Saubha fell into the water in a thousand pieces. Shalva, abandoning his ruined fortress, seized his mace and rushed at Krishna on foot. As Shalva charged, Krishna severed his arm with a razor-sharp arrow. Then, taking up his blazing discus, radiant as the sun at the end of time, Krishna struck off the head of Shalva, master of illusions—his head adorned with earrings and crown—just as Indra once slew Vritra with his thunderbolt. Among men, cries of “Alas!” arose. When Shalva fell and Saubha was destroyed, celestial drums resounded in the sky, played by the hosts of gods. But then, Dantavakra, filled with anger, advanced to avenge his friend. Thus ends the seventy-seventh chapter, “The Slaying of Shalva,” in the tenth book of the sacred Bhagavata Purana. Now begins the seventy-eighth chapter: the killing of Dantavakra and Viduratha, and the beheading of Suta by Balarama. Shuka continued: The wickedness of Shishupala, Shalva, Paundraka, and others—even after their deaths—was met by Krishna with transcendental friendship. Then, a single foot-soldier, furious and wielding a mace, shaking the earth as he approached, was seen—Dantavakra himself, immense in strength. Seeing him advance, Krishna quickly seized his own mace, leapt from his chariot, and confronted him like the ocean meeting the shore. Raising his mace, Dantavakra, arrogant with pride, spoke to Krishna: “By fortune—by great fortune—you have today come within my sight! Though you are my maternal uncle, O Krishna, you seek to kill me, your friend and ally. Therefore, O fool, I shall strike you down with my mace, hard as a thunderbolt. Then I shall be free of my debt, O friend of friends, by slaying an enemy who appears as a relative—just as one destroys a disease dwelling in the body.” With harsh words that stung like goads, Dantavakra assailed Krishna and struck him on the head with his mace, roaring like a lion. Yet, though struck, Krishna did not move. With his own mace, Kaumodaki, Krishna struck Dantavakra in the chest. Dantavakra’s heart shattered from the blow, blood poured from his mouth, and spreading out his hair, arms, and legs, he fell lifeless to the ground. Then a most subtle and wondrous light left Dantavakra’s body and entered Krishna, as all watched—just as had happened when Shishupala was slain. Viduratha, Dantavakra’s brother, overwhelmed with grief, rushed forward with sword and shield, intent on killing Krishna. But as he charged, Krishna, with his razor-sharp discus, cut off Viduratha’s head—along with its crown and earrings. Thus, the enemies of Krishna were vanquished, and the glory of the Lord shone resplendent on the battlefield.