As the gods unleashed thousands of weapons and missiles upon the battlefield, the Lord, slayer of Madhu, effortlessly cut them down, almost as if he were playing. When Varuṇa, the lord of waters, cast his noose, Krishna seized it and cast it aside; with his beak, Garuḍa broke it into pieces as easily as if it were a young serpent. The rod of Yama, the god of death, was shattered by Krishna’s mace and fell to the earth, powerless. Śauri, mighty Krishna, with his discus, reduced the palanquin of Kubera, the lord of wealth, to mere atoms, and even struck at the sun, diminishing its radiance. Agni, the fire god, was cooled by Krishna’s arrows, the Vasus fled in all directions, and the Rudras, their spear-tips cut by the discus, were cast down to the ground. The Sādhyas, Viśvas, Maruts, Gandharvas, and Yakṣas were scattered through the sky by the arrows of the wielder of Śārṅga, like silk-cotton blown by the wind. Meanwhile, Garuḍa moved swiftly, striking, tearing, and devouring the gods with his beak, wings, and talons. Amid this tumult, Madhusūdana, Krishna, and Indra, the lord of gods, showered each other with countless blows, like rain pouring from dense clouds. In the midst of this great battle, Garuḍa fought fiercely with Airavata, Indra’s celestial elephant, while Krishna engaged with Indra and all the assembled gods. As the barrage of arrows, weapons, and missiles was finally exhausted, Indra grasped his thunderbolt, and Krishna took up his Sudarshana discus. At that moment, all three worlds cried out in alarm, seeing the lord of the gods and Janardana, Krishna, standing face to face, armed with thunderbolt and discus. Indra hurled his thunderbolt, but the blessed Hari caught it in his hand. Krishna, still holding his discus, told Indra to stand still, refraining from striking. Seeing Indra now bereft of his thunderbolt and riding a wounded Garuḍa, Satyabhama addressed Krishna, who seemed intent on leaving the battle. She said, “Lord of the three worlds, husband of Shachi, it is not fitting for you to flee. Shachi herself will come to you, adorned with the Parijata garland. What sort of sovereignty is yours, O king of the gods, if you must now see your beloved Shachi approach, adorned with the radiant Parijata, and not as before?” She continued, “Enough of this struggle, Shakra; do not be ashamed. Let the Parijata be taken, and let the gods be free from distress. Because of pride and arrogance, Shachi did not even look at me or offer me any courtesy when I entered her house. Being a woman, my mind was unsteady, and I wished to praise my own husband; thus, I joined him in this conflict with you. Enough now of the Parijata, which has been taken by another. She is proud of her beauty, but what woman is not proud of her own husband?” Śrī Parāśara said: Thus addressed, the king of the gods turned back and replied to Satyabhama, “Enough, O fierce one, with these reproaches for your friend. Nor do I feel shame at being defeated by him who is the creator, destroyer, and sustainer of all, the one who has all forms. This entire world, without beginning, middle, or end, arises from him and cannot exist apart from him. He is the cause of creation, dissolution, and preservation. How can I feel shame, having been overcome by him?” Indra continued, “He, whose form is the origin of all worlds, subtle and unknown to those who seek knowledge—he is the unborn, uncreated, eternal Lord, who brings benefit to the world by his own will. Who among mortals is capable of conquering him?” Thus praised by the king of the gods, Keshava, smiling and with deep feeling, spoke: “You are the king of the gods, Indra; we are mortals, O lord of the world! Whatever offense I have committed must be forgiven by you. Let this Parijata tree be taken to its proper place; I took it, O Shakra, only to keep my word. Take back your thunderbolt, which you hurled at me; it is your own weapon, meant for the destruction of enemies.” Indra replied, “O Lord, do you bewilder me by saying, ‘I am mortal’? We know you as the divine one, though your subtle nature is beyond our comprehension. You are who you are, O protector of the world, established at the beginning, remover of obstacles, slayer of demons.” Indra then said, “Let the Parijata be brought to Dvaraka, O Krishna; it will not remain on earth once you have left the mortal realm.” Having said “so be it” to the king of the gods, Hari descended to earth, praised by the Siddhas, Gandharvas, and lions. Standing atop Dvaraka, he blew his conch, filling the hearts of the residents with joy. Descending from Garuḍa, and accompanied by Satyabhama, he placed the great Parijata tree in her courtyard. All who approached the Parijata tree remembered their previous births, and those bound in human bodies gathered there with respect, gazing upon the tree with delight. Then, Krishna’s attendants brought forth wealth—elephants and horses—and Krishna took into his care the women and treasures that had belonged to Naraka. At an auspicious time, Janardana married those maidens whom Naraka had gathered from all regions. In a single moment, Govinda took each maiden’s hand in marriage, each in a separate house, according to dharma. The blessed Madhusudana assumed as many forms as there were women—sixteen thousand and one hundred—and each maiden believed that Krishna himself had personally taken her hand in marriage.