When Kṛṣṇa seized Kaṃsa, the tyrant of Mathurā, Kaṃsa’s brother Sunāma, consumed by rage, rushed forward to avenge him. But the mighty Balabhadra, with effortless strength, struck Sunāma down, ending his challenge in an instant. All around, the assembly erupted in cries of shock and grief—“Alas!” they wailed—witnessing the lord of Mathurā slain so disdainfully by Kṛṣṇa. Amidst the tumult, Kṛṣṇa, accompanied by the powerful Baladeva, quickly approached Vasudeva and Devakī, his parents, and reverently grasped their feet. Vasudeva and Devakī, beholding Janārdana before them, remembered the divine words spoken at his birth. Overcome with awe and devotion, they stood with joined hands, honoring their son with deep reverence. Śrī Vasudeva spoke, his voice trembling with emotion: “Be gracious to us, O Lord, as we bow before you. The boon once granted to the gods has now been fulfilled through your favor, O Keśava. Because you have been worshipped and have descended into our house for the destruction of the wicked, our lineage has been purified. You dwell within all beings as their very essence; all that exists—past and future—proceeds from you, the soul of all. You are worshipped in every sacrifice, O inconceivable one, composed of all the gods, O Acyuta. You are the sacrifice itself, the offerer, and the supreme lord of those who perform sacrifice. O Janārdana, you are the origin of all creation. “This denial that arises in my mind toward you, and the affection I feel for a son born of Devakī, is but the highest delusion. You are the creator of all beings, without beginning or end; yet, whose tongue, O Lord, can truly call you the son of a human? O Lord of the universe, from whom all this world has arisen, by what reasoning, apart from your divine illusion, could you be born from us? In you, all that moves and does not move is established—how could that one, who lies in the cosmic womb, be born as a human to us? “Therefore, be gracious, Supreme Lord, protector of the universe; by your partial descents you are not truly my son. From you this entire world arises, from Brahmā down to the trees—why do you delude us, O Supreme Person? 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, grown up, and I no longer possess that 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 the sake of benefit; now that you are recognized, delusion has departed.” Having thus spoken, Vasudeva and Devakī, their hearts illumined by witnessing the Lord’s deeds, attained true understanding. Yet, by the Lord’s will, they again beheld Hari’s illusion; for the sake of the Yadu clan’s worldly affairs, he spread his divine Māyā once more. Then Kṛṣṇa addressed his parents with gentle affection: “Mother, Father, after so long, I, who was once afraid of Kaṃsa, have now seen you both, and also Saṅkarṣaṇa. For those who neglect to honor their mother and father, such time is wasted, truly belonging to the unrighteous. But those who honor their teachers, the gods, the twice-born, and their parents—O father, their birth becomes fruitful. Therefore, whatever transgressions have been committed by us, please forgive them. Afflicted by Kaṃsa’s power and might, we were rendered helpless.” Having spoken thus, Kṛṣṇa bowed to his parents and then respectfully honored the elders of the Yadu clan, one by one, receiving in turn the respect of the citizens. Meanwhile, Kaṃsa’s wives gathered around their slain husband, weeping bitterly, and his mothers, overwhelmed by grief, lamented his loss. Though Hari’s own eyes were tearless, he consoled them in many ways, for their sorrow was great at the loss of their kin. Afterward, Madhusūdana released Ugrasena from captivity and installed him—though his own son had been slain—upon the throne of Mathurā. Ugrasena, anointed king by Kṛṣṇa among the Yadus, performed the funeral rites for his son and for all those who had perished. When the funeral rites, as prescribed for the Krita age, were complete, Hari seated himself upon the lion throne and spoke: “Command, O Lord, whatever task is to be done, without hesitation. Because of Yayati’s curse, this dynasty, though worthy of sovereignty, is now deprived of it; while I remain as a servant, let the gods issue their command—what need is there for hesitation?” Having spoken, Kṛṣṇa remembered Vāyu, the wind god, who immediately appeared before him. The blessed Keśava addressed him: “Carry out this task, O messenger. Go, O Vāyu, and say to Indra: ‘Enough of pride, O Vāsava! Let Sudharmā, your assembly hall, be given to Ugrasena. Krishna says: This peerless jewel, the assembly hall named Sudharmā, is fit for kings; let the Yadus sit within it.’” Thus instructed, Vāyu went and conveyed everything to Indra, the lord of Śacī. Indra, in turn, gave the assembly hall called Sudharmā to Vāyu, who brought it to Mathurā. Protected by Govinda’s strong arm, the foremost of the Yadus now enjoyed the divine assembly hall, resplendent with all jewels. The two illustrious Yadus, Kṛṣṇa and Baladeva, full of wisdom, then established the tradition of disciple and teacher, making it known to all. Wishing to further their learning, the two heroes journeyed to the city of Avanti, to Kashi, and approached Sandīpani, the renowned teacher, to learn the science of weapons. Having become his disciples, they devoted themselves to their teacher, demonstrating proper conduct before all. In just sixty-four days and nights, they mastered the entire secret science of archery and its compendium—a feat that filled all with wonder. Sandīpani, reflecting on their deeds, which far surpassed human capacity, regarded them as the very moon and sun come to earth. Having received the complete collection of weapons as instructed, the two disciples approached their teacher and said, “Choose what you wish as your fee.” Recognizing their superhuman abilities, the wise Sandīpani requested a most extraordinary boon—the return of his son, who had perished at Prabhāsa in the salt ocean.