Text 1: Ĺukadeva GoswÄmÄŤ said: The demon Ariᚣáša then came to the cowherd village. Appearing in the form of a bull with a large hump, he made the earth tremble as he tore it apart with his hooves.
Text* 2: AriᚣášÄsura bellowed very harshly and pawed the ground. With his tail raised and his eyes glaring, he began to tear up the embankments with the tips of his horns, every now and then passing a little stool and urine.
Text 3-4: My dear King, clouds hovered about sharp-horned AriᚣášÄsuraâs hump, mistaking it for a mountain, and when the cowherd men and ladies caught sight of the demon, they were struck with terror. Indeed, the strident reverberation of his roar so frightened the pregnant cows and women that they lost their fetuses in miscarriages.
Text* 5: The domestic animals fled the pasture in fear, O King, and all the inhabitants rushed to Lord Govinda for shelter, crying, âKášášŁáša, KášášŁáša!â
Text* 6: When the Supreme Lord saw the cowherd community distraught and fleeing in fear, He calmed them, saying, âDonât be afraid.â Then He called out to the bull demon as follows.
Text* 7: You fool! What do you think youâre doing, you wicked rascal, frightening the cowherd community and their animals when I am here just to punish corrupt miscreants like you!
Text 8: Having spoken these words, the infallible Lord Hari slapped His arms with His palms, further angering Ariᚣáša with the loud sound. The Lord then casually threw His mighty, serpentine arm over the shoulder of a friend and stood facing the demon.
Text* 9: Thus provoked, Ariᚣáša pawed the ground with one of his hooves and then, with the clouds hovering around his upraised tail, furiously charged KášášŁáša.
Text* 10: Pointing the tips of his horns straight ahead and glaring menacingly at Lord KášášŁáša from the corners of his bloodshot eyes, Ariᚣáša rushed toward Him at full speed, like a thunderbolt hurled by Indra.
Text* 11: The Supreme Lord KášášŁáša seized AriᚣášÄsura by the horns and threw him back eighteen steps, just as an elephant might do when fighting a rival elephant.
Text* 12: Thus repulsed by the Supreme Lord, the bull demon got up and, breathing hard and sweating all over his body, again charged Him in a mindless rage.
Text* 13: As Ariᚣáša attacked, Lord KášášŁáša seized him by the horns and knocked him to the ground with His foot. The Lord then thrashed him as if he were a wet cloth, and finally He yanked out one of the demonâs horns and struck him with it until he lay prostrate.
Text* 14: Vomiting blood and profusely excreting stool and urine, kicking his legs and rolling his eyes about, AriᚣášÄsura thus went painfully to the abode of Death. The demigods honored Lord KášášŁáša by scattering flowers upon Him.
Text 15: Having thus killed the bull demon Ariᚣáša, He who is a festival for the gopÄŤsâ eyes entered the cowherd village with BalarÄma.
Text 16: After AriᚣášÄsura had been killed by KášášŁáša, who acts wonderfully, NÄrada Muni went to speak to King Kaášsa. That powerful sage of godly vision addressed the King as follows.
Text 17: [NÄrada told Kaášsa:] YaĹodÄâs child was actually a daughter, and KášášŁáša is the son of DevakÄŤ. Also, RÄma is the son of RohiášÄŤ. Out of fear, Vasudeva entrusted KášášŁáša and BalarÄma to his friend Nanda MahÄrÄja, and it is these two boys who have killed your men.
Text* 18: Upon hearing this, the master of the Bhojas became furious and lost control of his senses. He picked up a sharp sword to kill Vasudeva.
Text 19: But NÄrada restrained Kaášsa by reminding him that it was the two sons of Vasudeva who would cause his death. Kaášsa then had Vasudeva and his wife shackled in iron chains.
Text 20: After NÄrada left, King Kaášsa summoned KeĹÄŤ and ordered him, âGo kill RÄma and KášášŁáša.â
Text* 21: The King of the Bhojas next called for his ministers, headed by Muᚣášika, CÄášĹŤra, Ĺala and ToĹala, and also for his elephant-keepers. The King addressed them as follows.
Text* 22-23: My dear heroic CÄášĹŤra and Muᚣášika, please hear this. RÄma and KášášŁáša, the sons of Änakadundubhi [Vasudeva], are living in Nandaâs cowherd village. It has been predicted that these two boys will be the cause of my death. When They are brought here, kill Them on the pretext of engaging Them in a wrestling match.
Text 24: Erect a wrestling ring with many surrounding viewing stands, and bring all the residents of the city and the outlying districts to see the open competition.
Text* 25: You, elephant-keeper, my good man, should position the elephant KuvalayÄpÄŤá¸a at the entrance to the wrestling arena and have him kill my two enemies.
Text* 26: Commence the bow sacrifice on the CaturdaĹÄŤ day in accordance with the relevant Vedic injunctions. In ritual slaughter offer the appropriate kinds of animals to the magnanimous Lord Ĺiva.
Text* 27: Having thus commanded his ministers, Kaášsa next called for AkrĹŤra, the most eminent of the Yadus. Kaášsa knew the art of securing personal advantage, and thus he took AkrĹŤraâs hand in his own and spoke to him as follows.
Text* 28: My dear AkrĹŤra, most charitable one, please do me a friendly favor out of respect. Among the Bhojas and VášášŁášis, there is no one else as kind to us as you.
Text* 29: Gentle AkrĹŤra, you always carry out your duties soberly, and therefore I am depending on you, just as powerful Indra took shelter of Lord Viᚣášu to achieve his goals.
Text 30: Please go to Nandaâs village, where the two sons of Änakadundubhi are living, and without delay bring Them here on this chariot.
Text* 31: The demigods, who are under the protection of Viᚣášu, have sent these two boys as my death. Bring Them here, and also have Nanda and the other cowherd men come with gifts of tribute.
Text* 32: After you bring KášášŁáša and BalarÄma, I will have Them killed by my elephant, who is as powerful as death itself. And if by chance They escape from him, I will have Them killed by my wrestlers, who are as strong as lightning.
Text 33: When these two have been killed, I will kill Vasudeva and all Their lamenting relatives â the VášášŁášis, Bhojas and DaĹÄrhas.
Text* 34: I will also kill my old father, Ugrasena, who is greedy for my kingdom, and I will kill his brother Devaka and all my other enemies as well.
Text* 35: Then, my friend, this earth will be free of thorns.
Text* 36: My elder relative JarÄsandha and my dear friend Dvivida are solid well-wishers of mine, as are Ĺambara, Naraka and BÄáša. I will use them all to kill off those kings who are allied with the demigods, and then I will rule the earth.
Text* 37: Now that you understand my intentions, please go at once and bring KášášŁáša and BalarÄma to watch the bow sacrifice and see the opulence of the Yadusâ capital.
Text* 38: ĹrÄŤ AkrĹŤra said: O King, you have expertly devised a process to free yourself of misfortune. Still, one should be equal in success and failure, since it is certainly destiny that produces the results of oneâs work.
Text 39: An ordinary person is determined to act on his desires even when fate prevents their fulfillment. Therefore he encounters both happiness and distress. Yet even though such is the case, I will execute your order.
Text 40: Ĺukadeva GosvÄmÄŤ said: Having thus instructed AkrĹŤra, King Kaášsa dismissed his ministers and retired to his quarters, and AkrĹŤra returned home.