By the divine command of Shiva, a child was born on earth from the illustrious lineage of Sahadeva. In time, King Dalavāhana journeyed to the land of the cowherds, where the thousand Candī sacrifices were being performed amidst the assembly of many kings. Long before, two royal maidens had established a daily bond between their families. Devakī was given in marriage to the king of that land, while Brāhmī was wed to his younger brother. Along with them, a courtesan, skilled in singing and dancing and earning a hundred thousand, was also bestowed. The gifts continued: a hundred elephants, five chariots, and a thousand horses were presented, as well as a maiden rich in wealth, accompanied by male and female servants. Malana, upon seeing the bride, gave her a splendid necklace, which the delighted king then gifted to the heroic ruler of the land. There, those two powerful heroes, honored by the king and renowned for their strength, remained in the kingdom. Amidst these events, a fair-complexioned, lotus-eyed child, radiant with his own brilliance, appeared. He sounded a conch loudly and repeatedly proclaimed cries of victory. Many Brahmins, devoted to the Vedas and sacred texts, gathered and recognized the child as a portion of Rama, his face pleasant and auspicious. He was born with the brilliance of the Kṛttikā stars, bringing renown to his paternal lineage. At the end of the month, Brāhmī bore a son. All the Brahmins, upon seeing the child’s auspicious face, named him Balakhānin, the mighty one. Cāmuṇḍa, the son of Devakī, though a terror to his own lineage, did not abandon the child, showing great compassion. When three years had passed for the virtuous Balakhānin, King Vatsarāja traveled to the land of Gurjara, bringing his daughter Madālasā, and arrived there that very day. Upon his arrival, Jambuka, surrounded by his forces, besieged the city of King Parimala. A fierce battle ensued, involving seven hundred thousand Māhiṣmatas. By Shiva’s boon, defeat befell the brothers. In the conflict, the courtesan Lakṣārati, as well as her elephant, were slain. The city was seized and reduced to ashes, and Jambuka returned home, joyfully carrying away the jewels from the fortresses. Meanwhile, the goddess beloved of the gods placed the seventh portion of Krishna within her womb. She came to the field of Kalpa and cast him into the waters of the Kālindī. A man named Sāmanta took the child and went to his father-in-law’s house. On the auspicious eighth day of the dark fortnight of Bhādra, when the Brāhmaṇa and Kṣatra stars were conjoined, the child was born. He had a dark body, lotus-like eyes, and the radiant glow of an indranīla gem. The mother was astonished to behold such a wondrous child, marveling at the divine form that shone like the sun. She wondered at this rising, at the marvel that had occurred—a form of the gods upon earth. From the sky came a proclamation: a portion of Krishna had been born upon the earth, bringing joy to all. Hearing these celestial words, they experienced supreme delight. The child was dark-complexioned, beautiful, and marked with all auspicious signs. The entire city was filled with joy at his birth.