When the lord of the gods, Indra, and Janardana—Krishna himself—stood face to face, brandishing the thunderbolt and the discus, the entire three worlds trembled in alarm. In that moment, Indra hurled his mighty thunderbolt at Krishna. Yet the blessed Hari caught it effortlessly, never letting go of his own discus, and calmly commanded Shakra, the king of the gods, to stand still. As Garuda, Indra’s mount, was wounded and the lord of the gods found himself deprived of his weapon, Satyabhama, observing Indra’s intent to flee, addressed him with firm words. “O lord of the three worlds,” she said, “it is not fitting for you, the husband of Shachi, to turn away. Shachi herself will come to you adorned with the Parijata garland. What kind of sovereignty do you hold over the gods, if you, unable to see Shachi as before, must witness her approach garlanded with the radiant Parijata?” She continued, “Enough of this struggle, Shakra. Do not be ashamed. Let the Parijata be taken, and let the gods be freed from distress. Out of pride and arrogance, Shachi did not even glance at me when I entered her house, nor did she offer me any courtesy. As a woman, my mind was unsteady, and I was intent on praising my own husband. Thus, Shakra, I entered into this conflict with you, together with him. Enough now of this Parijata, which has been claimed by another. She is proud of her beauty, but what woman is not proud of her own husband?” Hearing these words, the king of the gods turned back and replied, “Enough, O fierce one, with these reproaches for your friend. I feel no shame in being overcome by him who is the creator, destroyer, and sustainer of all—the one who has all forms. Since the entire world, without beginning, middle, or end, arises from him and cannot exist apart from him, and since he is the cause of creation, dissolution, and preservation, how could I feel shame in being overcome by him?” Indra continued, “His form is the origin of all worlds, subtle and minute, unknown to all who seek knowledge, unborn, uncreated, and eternal. By his own will, he brings benefit to the world. Who among mortals could ever hope to conquer him?” Thus praised by the king of the gods, Keshava—Krishna—smiled warmly and spoke with deep feeling. “You are the king of the gods, Indra; we are but 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 have taken it, O Shakra, only to keep my word. Here is your thunderbolt, which you hurled at me—take it back, for it is your own weapon, meant for the defeat of your 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, the remover of thorns, the slayer of demons. Let the Parijata tree be brought to Dvaraka, O Krishna; it will not remain on earth once you have departed from this mortal realm.” Accepting Indra’s words, Hari said, “So be it,” and descended to earth from the heavens, praised by the Siddhas, Gandharvas, and celestial lions. Standing atop Dvaraka, Krishna blew his conch, filling the hearts of the city’s residents with joy. Descending from Garuda and accompanied by Satyabhama, he placed the great Parijata tree in the courtyard. All who approached the Parijata recalled their previous births; those bound in human bodies gathered there respectfully, gazing upon the miraculous tree with delight. Attendants brought wealth—elephants, horses, and treasures—and Krishna accepted the women and possessions that had belonged to Naraka. At an auspicious time, Janardana married those maidens whom Naraka had gathered from all directions. In a single moment, Govinda took their hands in marriage, each in her own house, according to dharma. The blessed Madhusudana assumed sixteen thousand and one hundred forms so that each maiden believed Krishna had personally married her. At night, the creator of the world, Keshava, dwelled in the chambers of all, manifesting a universal form. Parashara then continued: Pradyumna and others, sons of Hari by Rukmini, have been described to you; from Satyabhama were born Bhanu and Bhaimarika. Dipti, Tamrapaksha, and others were sons of Hari by Rohini, while by Jambavati, Samba and other powerful sons were born. Bhadravinda and others, mighty sons, were born to Nagajiti; Sangramajit and his brothers were the sons of Shaivya. From Mādrī, Krishna had sons such as Gātravān and Vṛkādeva; from Lakṣmaṇā, more sons; and from Kālindī, Śruta and others. From his other wives as well, the wielder of the discus fathered eighty thousand one hundred sons. Of all these, Pradyumna, son of Rukmini, was the foremost. From Pradyumna came Aniruddha, and from him, Vajra was born. Aniruddha, mighty in battle, married Uṣā, the daughter of Bāṇa. There, a terrible and great battle took place between Hari and Śaṅkara, where Bāṇa’s thousand arms were severed by the wielder of the discus. Maitreya then asked, “How did this battle arise, O Brāhmaṇa, between Hara and Krishna for the sake of a woman? And how did Hari bring about the destruction of Bāṇa’s arms?