Baladeva, filled with righteous anger, sought to punish the insolent monkey who had dared to disregard him. Yet the monkey, undaunted, responded with a loud, defiant clatter. Rising up in his wrath, Baladeva seized his mighty mace, while the foremost of monkeys, Dravida, grasped a massive rock. With all his strength, Dravida hurled the rock at Baladeva, but the powerful son of Rohini shattered it effortlessly into a thousand fragments with his mace, and the pieces fell harmlessly to the earth. As Baladeva’s mace descended with terrible force, the monkey leapt swiftly aside. Burning with anger, Dravida rushed at Baladeva and struck him fiercely on the chest with his open palm. Enraged by the blow, Baladeva struck back, bringing his fist down upon Dravida’s head. The mighty monkey fell, blood pouring forth, his life extinguished in that moment. As Dravida’s lifeless body crashed to the ground, the very peak of the mountain was shattered, split into a hundred pieces as if struck by a thunderbolt. Witnessing this great feat, the gods showered flowers upon Rāma—Baladeva—praising him and saying, “Well done! You have accomplished a great deed.” They rejoiced, declaring that the world had been troubled by this wicked monkey, who had aided the demon faction, and that by fortune, he had now met his end. Having spoken thus, the delighted gods, along with the Guhyakas, returned to their heavenly abodes. Thus, countless are the deeds of wise Baladeva, supporter of the earth, recounted by the wise—deeds beyond measure. Śrī Parāśara then continued: In this way, Kṛṣṇa, accompanied by Baladeva, accomplished the destruction of the demons and, for the sake of the world, eliminated wicked kings. Together with Phālguṇa (Arjuna), the Lord removed the burden of the earth by causing the downfall of all the armies. Having thus relieved the earth by slaying the kings, he brought an end to his own lineage, using as a pretext the curse of the Brāhmaṇas. Abandoning the city of Dvārakā, Kṛṣṇa relinquished his human form and, O sage, entered his own divine abode, permeated with the essence of Viṣṇu. At this, Maitreya inquired, “How, by means of the Brāhmaṇas' curse, did he bring about the destruction of his own lineage? And how did Janārdana forsake his human body?” Śrī Parāśara replied: At the sacred site of Piṇḍāraka, the great sages Viśvāmitra, Kaṇva, and Nārada were seen by the sons of the Yadu dynasty. Those young men, intoxicated by youth and impelled by fate, mischievously adorned Sāmba, the son of Jāmbavatī, as a woman. Approaching the sages with feigned humility and prostrations, they said, “This woman desires a son; tell us, what will she give birth to?” The sages, possessed of divine vision and angered by the deception, pronounced a curse: “She will give birth to a pestle. That pestle will be the cause of the destruction of all the Yādavas; by it, the entire lineage will be annihilated.” Hearing this, the young men truthfully reported the matter to Ugrasena. And indeed, a pestle was born from Sāmba’s womb. Ugrasena ordered the pestle to be ground into powder, and that powder was cast into the great ocean. Of the pestle, which was made of iron and ground down, a single fragment remained, shaped like a spear-head. This too was thrown into the ocean, where it was swallowed by a fish. When the fish was later caught and killed, a hunter found the iron fragment in its belly. Though Lord Madhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa) knew the ultimate truth, he did not wish to act contrary to what was ordained by fate. Then, sent by the gods, the wind approached Keśava, bowed, and spoke in secret, “I am a messenger sent by the gods, O Lord. Along with the Vasus, Aśvins, Maruts, Ādityas, Rudras, Sādhyas, and others, Śakra (Indra) sends you this message—so listen, O mighty one. “For more than a hundred years, prompted by the gods, the Lord has descended to earth to relieve its burden. The wicked Daityas have been slain, and the burden of the earth has been lifted by you. Now, may the gods, no longer without a protector, dwell happily in heaven. O Lord of the universe, more than a hundred years have passed; if it pleases you, now ascend to heaven. The gods request you to remain here as long as you desire; stay as is proper, along with those who live under your protection.” The Blessed Lord replied, “All that you have spoken, O messenger, I too know well. Indeed, I have already set in motion the destruction of the Yadavas. Even now, the burden of the earth remains, not yet removed by the Yadavas; I will swiftly relieve this within seven nights. Just as I raised the city of Dvārakā from the ocean and established it on land, so too, after withdrawing the Yadavas, I shall depart for the abode of the gods. Casting off my human body, accompanied by Sankarshana (Baladeva), I shall be regarded as having arrived, O Indra, though not by the other immortals. Though Jarasandha and others, who were the cause of the earth’s burden, have been slain, the race of the Yadus has not diminished by even a single child. Therefore, after removing this great burden, I shall go to the realm of the immortals for its protection; inform them of this.” Having received these words from Vasudeva, the divine messenger bowed to him and departed with celestial speed to the king of the gods. Then, the Blessed Lord beheld, day and night, wondrous and terrible omens arising on earth, in the sky, and in the city of Dvārakā, all portending destruction. Seeing these signs, he said to the Yadavas, “Behold these most dreadful omens; for your welfare, let us go at once to Prabhasa.