Though you dwell among men, O Madhusudana, you have brought peace to the world and removed all the sufferings of the gods. You have destroyed Dhenuka, who wished harm upon the ascetics, and also the fierce Keshi; indeed, all those who acted with malice have been slain by your hand. Kamsa, Kuvalayapida, Putana the child-killer—all these and other disturbers of the world have been vanquished by you. When you, whose strength is the very source of the universe’s protection, are present, the gods are satisfied, receiving their share of sacrifices from the pious. Therefore, O Janardana, I, Indra, have come before you with a purpose; hear it, and please act to remedy the matter. This earth-born Naraka, lord of Pragjyotishapura, is causing harm to all beings, O subduer of enemies. That demon has seized the maidens of the gods, siddhas, asuras, and kings, and confined them in his palace. He has stolen Varuna’s umbrella that sheds water, the jeweled peak of Mandara, and the earring of Aditi. Desiring Airavata, the elephant, he has also seized the nectar-streaming, divine black vomit of my mother, Diti. This wicked deed has been reported to me by him; whatever is to be done, let it be considered by you, O Govinda. Having heard these words, the blessed son of Devaki, Krishna, smiled gently, took Indra by the hand, and rose from his excellent seat. Reflecting on all that had transpired, he mounted Garuda, the mighty sky-roaming bird, placed Satyabhama upon it, and set out for the city of Pragjyotisha. Indra, mounting Airavata the elephant, returned to heaven, and Krishna departed, watched by the people of Dvaraka. Around the city of Pragjyotisha, for a hundred yojanas, there was an enclosure made of Mura’s nooses, edged with razors. Hari cut through those nooses by casting the Sudarshana discus. Then Mura himself arose, but Keshava struck him down. Hari then destroyed Mura’s seven thousand sons, who were burned like moths in the fire of the discus’s edge. Having slain the asura Hayagriva and also Panchajana, Krishna, the wise one, approached the city of Pragjyotisha. There, Naraka confronted him in battle with a great army, and Govinda struck down thousands of Daityas. As the powerful Bhauma Naraka unleashed a shower of weapons and missiles, Krishna hurled his discus, splitting the Daitya’s forces in two. When Naraka was slain, Earth herself, carrying Aditi’s earrings, approached the Lord of the universe and spoke: “O Lord, when you lifted me up in the form of a boar, this son, Naraka, was born of your touch. You gave him to me, and now you have cast him down. Please accept these earrings and protect his lineage. For the purpose of relieving my burden, O Blessed One, you yourself have come into the world, with a portion of your being. You are the creator and destroyer, the dissolver, the origin and the end; you are the universe, O Acyuta—what praise can truly be offered to you? As the pervader and the pervaded, the doer and the deed, you are the soul of all beings. You are the supreme self, the imperishable; in whatever way, what is the purpose of praise for you? Be gracious, O soul of all beings; whatever was done by Naraka, let it be forgiven and not counted as a fault, for your own son has been struck down by you.” The Blessed Lord replied, “So be it,” and, creator of beings, took the jewels from Naraka’s abode. In the city of maidens, Krishna beheld over sixteen thousand maidens. He also saw foremost elephants with four tusks, six thousand in number, and likewise two hundred and ten thousand horses of the Kambojas. Govinda immediately had the maidens, elephants, and horses brought to Dvaraka by Naraka’s attendants. He also found Varuna’s umbrella and the mountain of jewels, and Hari placed them upon Garuda, the lord of birds. Then Krishna, together with Satyabhama, ascended Garuda and set out for the abode of the gods, carrying Aditi’s earrings and the demon’s spoils. Garuda, bearing Varuna’s umbrella, the mountain of jewels, and Hrishikesha with his wife, flew forth with ease. When Hari reached the gate of heaven, he blew his conch, and the gods approached Janardana, bearing offerings. Honored by the gods, Krishna entered the dwelling of the mother of the gods, a place radiant like a peak of white clouds, and beheld Aditi. He bowed to her, together with Indra, and returned her excellent earrings, also announcing the destruction of Naraka. Delighted, Aditi—the mother of the world—praised Hari, the sustainer of the worlds, her mind devoted to him without distraction: “O lotus-eyed one, I bow to you, giver of fearlessness to your devotees, eternal self, soul of all, creator of beings. You move the mind, intellect, and senses; your very nature is the qualities, yet you transcend the three qualities, beyond all duality, of pure essence, abiding in the heart.