After the radiance of the great-souled Balarāma returned, he adorned himself with a beautiful lotus ornament and a single earring. Lakṣmī herself presented him with a garland of unfading lotuses, sent by Varuṇa, and garments of rich blue, reminiscent of the ocean’s depths. Thus arrayed—wearing the lotus ornament, a splendid earring, and those blue robes—Balarāma shone with remarkable splendor. He enjoyed his time in Vraja, delighting in its pleasures, and after a month, made his way back to the city of Dvārakā. In Dvārakā, Balarāma married Revatī, the daughter of King Raivata. From their union were born two sons: Niśatha and Ulmuka. Meanwhile, in the land of Vidarbha, the city of Kuṇḍina was ruled by King Bhīṣmaka. His son was Rukmī, and his daughter was the illustrious Rukmiṇī. Rukmiṇī, with her lovely smile, desired Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa reciprocated her affection. Yet Rukmī, harboring enmity, refused to give his sister to Kṛṣṇa, even though she was sought by him. Instead, Bhīṣmaka, together with Rukmī, gave the heroic Rukmiṇī in marriage to Śiśupāla, following the counsel of Jarāsandha. For this wedding, all the kings led by Jarāsandha, eager to please Śiśupāla, gathered in Bhīṣmaka’s city. Kṛṣṇa, accompanied by Balarāma and many other Yādavas, also journeyed to Kuṇḍina to witness the royal wedding. At this splendid event, Hari seized the maiden Rukmiṇī, assigning the task of opposing him to Rāma and the other kinsmen. A host of kings—Pauṇḍraka, Dantavakra, Vidūratha, Śiśupāla, Jarāsandha, Śālva, and others—assembled, their anger kindled, and prepared for a great battle to slay Hari. Yet, after being defeated, they gathered with Rāma and the foremost Yādavas. Rukmī, furious, vowed, “I will not enter Kuṇḍina without first killing Keśava in battle,” and rushed out to slay Kṛṣṇa. However, after the destruction of Bala’s army—filled with elephants, horses, infantry, and chariots—Rukmī himself was easily defeated and cast to the ground by Kṛṣṇa. Intent on slaying Rukmī, who was arrogant in battle, Kṛṣṇa was entreated by Rukmiṇī. She pleaded, “I have only one brother; you must not kill him now. Restrain your anger, Lord of the gods, and let my brother be granted his life.” Thus addressed, Kṛṣṇa, whose deeds are pure, spared Rukmī, who then dwelled in a city called Bhojakaṭa. Having thoroughly defeated Rukmī, Madhusudana married Rukmiṇī, who had come to him through a rākṣasa-style wedding. From their union was born Pradyumna, a portion of the god of love, mighty in valor. Pradyumna was carried off by Shambara, whom he later slew. A sage then asked, “How was the heroic Pradyumna seized by Shambara, and how did he slay the mighty Shambara?” Parāśara replied: On the sixth day after his birth, Pradyumna was taken from the lying-in chamber by Kālaśambara, who thought, “I must kill him.” Seizing the infant, Kālaśambara cast him into the fierce, salty ocean, the dreadful domain of sea-monsters, where waves churned terrifying whirlpools. There, a single fish swallowed the boy as he fell, but even in its belly, inflamed by digestive fire, Pradyumna did not perish. That fish, caught with others by fishermen, was killed and presented to the great asura Shambara. In Shambara’s house was Māyāvatī, mistress of all the kitchens, faultless and skilled in managing the cooks. When the fish’s belly was cut open, she discovered a most beautiful boy—the first sprout of the god of love, who had been burned before. Filled with wonder, she pondered, “Who is this, and how has he come into the fish’s belly?” At that moment, the slender woman was addressed by Nārada. Nārada revealed, “This is Krishna’s son, taken from the lying-in chamber by Shambara, the destroyer of offspring throughout the worlds. Thrown into the ocean, swallowed by a fish, he has come under your care. O beautiful-browed one, confidently protect this boy.” Thus instructed, Māyāvatī raised the child, who from his earliest years captivated her with his extraordinary beauty. When he reached youth, the elephant-gaited Māyāvatī became filled with longing for him. Blinded by intense passion for Pradyumna, she bestowed upon him all her magical arts, her gaze fixed only on him. As she became attached, the lotus-eyed son of Krishna questioned her, “Why do you behave otherwise, abandoning a mother’s attitude?” Māyāvatī replied, “You are not my son; you are the son of Vishnu. This Kālaśambara is your enemy. Thrown into the ocean, you were swallowed by a fish and then found by me. Yet your mother, ever affectionate, still weeps for you.” Hearing this, Pradyumna challenged Śambara to battle, his mind inflamed with anger, and fought with great strength. He destroyed the entire army of that demon, overcame seven magical illusions, and employed the eighth. With that magic, he slew the demon Kālaśambara and, together with Māyāvatī, departed for his father’s house. When they arrived, Māyāvatī entered the inner chambers, and the women of Krishna, seeing Pradyumna accompanied by her, were filled with Krishna’s resolve.