grihitva -- seizing; sringayoh -- by the horns; tam -- him; vai -- indeed; ashtadasa -- eighteen; padani -- steps; sah -- He; pratyapovaha -- threw back; bhagavan -- the Supreme Lord; gajah -- an elephant; prati-gajam -- a rival elephant; yatha -- like.

The Supreme Lord Krishna seized Arishtasura by the horns and threw him back eighteen steps, just as an elephant might do when fighting a rival elephant.