To alleviate the suffering of the world, the wise sage Vyāsa composed the Sātvata Saṃhitā, a scripture that teaches direct devotion to the Supreme, so that those who do not know may find true benefit. When this scripture is heard, devotion to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person, naturally arises in the heart, sweeping away sorrow, delusion, and fear. Having carefully arranged and composed the Bhāgavata Saṃhitā, Vyāsa imparted its wisdom to his son, Śuka, who was deeply devoted to renunciation. At this point, Śaunaka, the chief among the sages, asked Sūta, "Śuka, the son of Vyāsa, was self-satisfied, indifferent to all things, and perfectly content within himself—why, then, did such a self-delighted one take the trouble to study this great work?" Sūta replied, "Even those sages who are completely satisfied within themselves and free from all bonds are drawn to perform causeless devotion to Lord Hari, for His qualities are so wonderful. The venerable son of Badarāyaṇa, Śuka, though his mind was absorbed in renunciation, became captivated by the glories of Hari and constantly studied this great narrative, beloved by all the devotees of Viṣṇu." Sūta then continued, "Now I shall describe to you the birth, deeds, and departure of King Parīkṣit, the passing of the sons of Pāṇḍu, and the rise of the story of Kṛṣṇa." He began: "After the great war between the Kauravas and the Sṛñjayas, when the mighty warriors had fallen on the battlefield, the son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Duryodhana, lay on the ground with his thighs broken by the blow of Bhīma’s mace. Witnessing this, Aśvatthāmā, intent on pleasing his master, committed a terrible deed: he entered the camp at night and severed the heads of the sleeping sons of Draupadī—Kṛṣṇā—an act condemned by all, bringing only harm. When Draupadī heard of the dreadful slaughter of her sons, she was overcome with unbearable grief. Tears filled her eyes as she wept, and to console her, Arjuna, crowned with a diadem, spoke gently to her: 'O gentle lady, I will remove your sorrow. By arrows released from my Gāṇḍīva bow, I shall bring you the head of that brahma-bandhu, the aggressor, so that after you have cremated your sons, you may bathe and find some solace.' Having thus comforted his beloved with sweet and reassuring words, Arjuna, the son of Pāṇḍu and friend of Kṛṣṇa, set out in anger to pursue Aśvatthāmā, the mighty-armed son of his teacher, with his chariot bearing the banner of Hanumān. Sensing Arjuna’s approach from afar, Aśvatthāmā, his mind disturbed, fled across the earth in his chariot, desperately seeking to preserve his life, like one fleeing from the sun out of fear of Rudra. When Aśvatthāmā, the twice-born son, saw himself cornered, his horses exhausted and no refuge in sight, he resolved to use the Brahmāstra weapon as his only means of self-protection. Purifying himself with water, he concentrated and invoked the terrible weapon, though he did not know how to withdraw it, as death drew near. Suddenly, a fierce and blazing energy erupted in all directions. Seeing this threat to life, Arjuna turned to Lord Viṣṇu and prayed, 'O Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, mighty-armed one! You alone remove fear from your devotees and deliver them from the burning suffering of this cycle of birth and death. You are the original person, the direct Lord, transcendent over nature. Casting aside illusion by your power of consciousness, you remain established in oneness with the Self. By your own strength, you bestow the highest good—dharma and other virtues—upon living beings, whose minds are deluded by your māyā. You have appeared on earth to relieve its burden, and again and again for the constant meditation of your devotees. But what is this? From where does this terrible, blazing energy come? I do not know. It approaches from all sides, threatening destruction.' The Blessed Lord replied, 'Know this to be the Brahmāstra weapon unleashed by the son of Droṇa. He does not know how to withdraw it, as death approaches him. There is no other weapon that can counteract this, except another of the same kind. Only one skilled in weapons can subdue the energy of a weapon with another.' Hearing these words, Arjuna, the destroyer of enemy heroes, circumambulated Kṛṣṇa, touched water for purification, and invoked his own Brahmāstra to counter the one released by Aśvatthāmā. The energies of both weapons, meeting and enveloped by arrows, covered the earth and sky, blazing with the intensity of the sun. The burning energy of these weapons scorched the three worlds, and all beings, terrified, thought it was the fire of destruction. Observing the turmoil and remembering Vāsudeva’s instruction, Arjuna withdrew both weapons. Then, swiftly approaching the fierce son of Gautamī, whose eyes were red with anger, Arjuna bound Aśvatthāmā with ropes, as one binds a wild animal. As Arjuna dragged the enemy, bound and helpless, intending to take him back to the camp, the lotus-eyed Lord Kṛṣṇa, enraged, spoke to Arjuna: 'O Pārtha, do not spare this one! Kill this so-called brāhmaṇa, who, though a brāhmaṇa in name, slew innocent, sleeping children at night. One who knows dharma does not kill an enemy who is intoxicated, distracted, insane, asleep, a child, a woman, helpless, surrendered, unarmed, or afraid. Yet, the wicked person who sustains his own life by destroying the lives of others—his death is truly better, for by such sin a man falls down. Moreover, you promised Draupadī, in my presence, "I will bring the head of that arrogant slayer of your sons." Therefore, let this sinful one be slain—he is an aggressor, a killer of kin, and has committed a vile act displeasing to his master, bringing disgrace to his lineage.' Hearing Kṛṣṇa’s words and considering the path of dharma, Arjuna hesitated. Though urged by Kṛṣṇa, he did not wish to kill the son of his teacher, despite his grievous offense. Returning to his camp, Arjuna, the charioteer dear to Govinda, reported to his grieving wife, Draupadī, who mourned her slain sons. When Kṛpī, the mother of Aśvatthāmā and wife of Droṇa, saw her son brought like an animal, bound with ropes, his face turned downward in shame for his deed, and his glory stripped away by Kṛṣṇa, she, tender-hearted and compassionate, bowed in sorrow. Unable to bear the sight of her son bound and led away, the faithful Kṛpī pleaded, 'Release him, release him! He is a brāhmaṇa, truly a guru. The secret science of archery, with its use and withdrawal, and the array of weapons—all this you learned from him by his favor. That same venerable Droṇa now exists in the form of his son; half of himself remains in me, the mother who bore this heroic child.