While Jarasandha was engaged in the ruthless slaughter of kings and peoples, Bhima and Arjuna, accompanied by Krishna, entered his house disguised as humble Brahmins. Upon seeing these guests, Jarasandha received them with respect, seating them properly and honoring them with the traditional madhuparka ceremony. With folded hands, he declared, “I am blessed, my purpose is fulfilled. Tell me, for what reason have you come? Whatever you desire, I shall grant.” Then Vasudeva, smiling, revealed their true intent to the king: “Krishna, Bhima, and Arjuna have come for battle. Choose one of us for a duel.” Jarasandha readily agreed and chose Bhima as his opponent. A terrifying wrestling match ensued between Bhima and Jarasandha, continuing relentlessly for twenty-five days. At last, prompted by Krishna, Bhima, the mighty son of the wind, split Jarasandha’s body in two and cast him to the ground. With Jarasandha thus slain, Vasudeva freed all the kings who had been imprisoned by him. The liberated kings, bowing and praising Madhusudana, returned to their own lands, protected by Krishna. After this, Krishna, together with Bhima and Arjuna, went to Indraprastha. There, Vasudeva arranged for Yudhishthira to perform the great Rajasūya sacrifice. When the sacrifice was completed, the highest honor was bestowed upon Krishna, with Bhishma’s approval. But in that assembly, Shishupala spoke many words of accusation against Krishna. In response, Krishna, with his Sudarshana discus, cut off Shishupala’s head. At the end of three lifetimes, Shishupala attained a form akin to Hari. When news of Shishupala’s death reached Dantavaktra, he came to Mathura to challenge Krishna in battle. Krishna, hearing of this, mounted his chariot and went forth to Mathura. There, at the city gates on the banks of the Yamuna, a fierce battle raged between Dantavaktra and Vasudeva for a day and a night. Krishna struck Dantavaktra down with his mace. With his limbs crushed and pierced, Dantavaktra fell lifeless to the ground, like a mighty mountain struck by a thunderbolt. He too attained union with Hari, the supreme and eternal abode sought by yogis. Thus, Jaya and Vijaya, by the pretext of Sanaka and the other sages’ curse, had descended into worldly existence for the Lord’s play. In three births, they were slain by him, and at the end, attained liberation. After slaying Dantavaktra, Krishna crossed the Yamuna and went to Nandavraja. There, he greeted and comforted his former parents, embraced by them with tearful affection. He bowed to all the elder cowherds, comforting them, and satisfied everyone present with gifts of jewels, ornaments, and other treasures. On the beautiful banks of the Kalindi, surrounded by sacred trees, Krishna—Keshava—delighted in play, day and night, with the cowherd women. Dressed as a cowherd, Hari dwelled there for two months, immersed in the joy of divine play and bound by the nectar of love. Then, by Vasudeva’s grace, all those present—Nanda, the cowherds, people with their families, cattle, birds, and animals—assumed divine forms, ascended celestial vehicles, and attained the supreme Vaikuntha world. Krishna, having granted the flawless, highest abode to all the inhabitants of Nandavraja, entered the splendid city of Dvaraka, praised in heaven by the hosts of gods. There, Vasudeva, Ugrasena, Sankarshana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Akrura, and others honored Krishna daily. With sixteen thousand wives and eight divine queens, bearing the form of the universe, adorned with celestial jewels, in various houses and on beds decorated with flowers, he delighted them all. At this time, a Brahmin—childhood friend of Rama and Krishna, always afflicted by extreme poverty and clothed in garments begged for handfuls of rice—came to the glorious city of Dvaraka to see Vasudeva. He stood silently for a moment at the entrance to Rukmini’s chambers. Krishna, knowing he had arrived, greeted him with Pradyumna, took his left hand, and seated him on a comfortable seat in another room. As the Brahmin trembled with shyness, Krishna washed his feet with water from a golden pitcher brought by Rukmini, and honored him with the traditional offering. After satisfying his guest with food and drink like nectar and ambrosia, Krishna took with his own hand the parched rice that the Brahmin had received by begging and kept in his old garment, and, smiling, ate it. At that very moment, the Brahmin found himself blessed with abundant wealth, grain, garments, and ornaments. Yet, as he departed, he thought, “Krishna did not give me any garment or wealth,” and returned to his city. There, seeing his house filled with riches and grain, he exclaimed, “This has been obtained by his grace,” and, delighted, enjoyed all his desires with his wife, adorned with divine garments and ornaments. He performed many sacrifices to please Hari, and by that grace attained supreme and eternal heavenly happiness. Meanwhile, Duryodhana, son of Dhritarashtra, deprived the sons of Pandu of their kingdom by deceit in a rigged dice game and exiled them. Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, together with their noble wife Draupadi, went to the great forest. They remained there for twelve years, and for one year lived in disguise in the palace of King Virata of Matsya. With Vasudeva as their ally, they set out to battle the sons of Dhritarashtra. A great and terrible battle then took place at holy Kurukshetra between the sons of Dhritarashtra and the sons of Pandu, with kings from many lands—so dreadful that even the gods were afraid. There, Sri Krishna, serving as Arjuna’s charioteer, infused Arjuna with his own power. Together, they slew all the kings led by Duryodhana, Bhishma, and Drona, along with their eleven divisions of troops. Having established the Pandavas in their kingdom and removed the burden of the earth, Krishna returned to his own city. Some time later, a Vedic Brahmin brought his five-year-old dead son to the king’s gate, laid him there, and, lamenting greatly, spoke many reproaches to Krishna. Hearing this, Krishna remained silent. The Brahmin cried, “My five sons were previously killed; this is the sixth. If Krishna does not bring him back to life, I will die at the king’s gate.” At that moment, Arjuna came to see Krishna and saw the Brahmin grieving for his son.