When Cāṇūra and Muṣṭika fell defeated in the wrestling arena, and Tośalaka too met his end, the rest of the wrestlers, gripped by fear, scattered and fled. At that moment, Kṛṣṇa and Saṃkarṣaṇa, filled with joy, leapt into the arena and, with playful vigor, seized their fellow cowherds of the same age. Witnessing the collapse of his champions, Kaṃsa’s eyes blazed red with fury. His voice thundered across the assembly as he commanded his guards: “Drive out these two cowherds! Remove the crowds by force!” His wrath did not stop there. “Seize Nanda, the wicked one, and bind him with iron chains! Do the same to Vasudeva—punish him as befits one so cunning! Restrain the cows of these cowherds who are with Kṛṣṇa, and confiscate all their wealth!” But as Kaṃsa issued these frantic orders, Madhusūdana, the destroyer of demons, laughed aloud. With a single, mighty leap, he sprang up onto the royal platform, seized Kaṃsa by the hair, and pulled him so forcefully that Kaṃsa’s crown tumbled to the ground. With a powerful motion, Kṛṣṇa hurled Kaṃsa down and fell upon him. The impact of the Lord’s blow was fatal; Kaṃsa, son of Ugrasena, was struck lifeless. Not yet finished, Kṛṣṇa grasped Kaṃsa’s hair and dragged his body into the center of the arena, his strength making the corpse writhe like a river surging in flood. In that moment, Kaṃsa’s brother Sunāma, enraged by the sight, rushed towards Kṛṣṇa, but Balabhadra (Balarāma) struck him down effortlessly. The assembly erupted in cries of “Alas!” as they saw the lord of Mathurā, Kaṃsa, slain by Kṛṣṇa with apparent disdain. Then Kṛṣṇa, accompanied by the mighty Baladeva, approached Vasudeva and Devakī and reverently touched their feet. Vasudeva and Devakī, remembering the divine words spoken at Kṛṣṇa’s birth, raised Janārdana and stood before him with hands joined in awe and devotion. With deep reverence, Vasudeva spoke: “Be gracious to us, O Lord, for we bow before you. The boon once granted to the gods has now been fulfilled by your favor, O Keśava. Because you have been worshipped and descended into my house for the destruction of the wicked, our lineage is purified. You are the indweller of all beings, the essence of all. The past and the future, all that exists, proceed from you, the soul of all.” He continued, “You are worshipped by sacrifices, O inconceivable one, the very embodiment of all the gods, O Acyuta. You are the sacrifice, the offerer, and the supreme lord of those who perform sacrifice. O Janārdana, you are the origin of all creation. The attachment I have felt for you as my son, born of Devakī, is the highest delusion. You are the creator of all beings, the one without beginning or end—how could anyone call you the son of a human?” “O Lord of the universe, from whom all this world has arisen, how, except by your own illusion, could you be born from us? In whom all the world, moving and unmoving, is established—how could that one, who lies in the cosmic womb, be born as a human to us? Therefore, Supreme Lord, protector of the universe, by your partial descents you are not truly my son. From you this entire world, from Brahmā down to the trees, arises—why do you delude us, O Supreme Person?” Vasudeva confessed, “Because my vision was clouded by your illusion, I considered you my son and feared Kaṃsa. But now, with that fear gone, you have been taken to Gokula by our family, you have grown up, and I no longer cling to the sense of ‘mine,’ O Lord. The actions of Rudra, the Maruts, the Ashvins, Indra, and the Sādhyas are not accomplished without your glance. You, O Viṣṇu, Lord of the worlds, have come to us for our benefit; now that you are recognized, delusion has departed.” Having witnessed the Lord’s deeds, Devakī and Vasudeva attained true understanding. Yet, by the Lord’s own will, they again fell under Hari’s illusion, for the sake of the Yadu clan, as he spread his divine Māyā. Kṛṣṇa then spoke gently: “Mother! Father! After so long, I, who was afraid of Kaṃsa, now see you both, and Saṃkarṣaṇa as well. For those who neglect to honor their mother and father, the time spent in such neglect is a wasted portion of life, truly arising among the unrighteous. For those who honor their teachers, gods, twice-born, and parents, O father, the birth of embodied beings becomes fruitful. Therefore, father, forgive all the transgressions committed. Afflicted by Kaṃsa’s power, we were rendered helpless.” Having spoken thus, Kṛṣṇa bowed to his parents, then honored the elders of the Yadu clan in proper order, receiving in turn the respect of the citizens. Meanwhile, Kamsa’s wives, surrounded their slain husband upon the ground, weeping bitterly, and his mothers, overwhelmed by grief, lamented their loss. Though Hari’s own eyes were dry, he consoled them in many ways, for they were deeply afflicted by their sorrow. Madhusūdana then released Ugrasena from his imprisonment and installed him, though his own son had been slain, as king in Mathurā. Ugrasena, anointed as king by Kṛṣṇa among the Yadus, performed the funeral rites for Kaṃsa and for all those who had fallen. After completing the rituals appropriate to the age, Hari, seated upon the lion throne, addressed Ugrasena: “Command, O Lord, whatever task is to be done, without hesitation. Because of Yayati’s curse, this dynasty, though worthy of sovereignty, is deprived of it. While I remain as a servant, let the gods issue their command—what need is there for hesitation?” Having said this, Kṛṣṇa remembered Vāyu, the wind-god, who immediately appeared. The blessed Keśava addressed him: “Carry out this task, O messenger. Go, O Vāyu, and say to Indra: ‘Enough of pride, O Vāsava! Let Sudharma, your assembly hall, be given to Ugrasena.