Srila Prabhupada writes as follows: "Lord Balarama seemed so furious that He looked as if He could burn the whole cosmic creation to ashes. He stood up steadily and, taking His plow in His hand, began striking the earth with it. In this way the whole city of Hastinapura was separated from the earth. Lord Balarama then began to drag the city toward the flowing water of the river Ganges. Because of this, there was a great tremor throughout Hastinapura, as if there had been an earthquake, and it seemed that the whole city would be dismantled."

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti states that by the Lord's desire His plow had increased in size, and that as Balarama began dragging Hastinapura toward the water, He ordered the Ganges, "Except for Samba, you should attack and kill everyone in the city with your water." Thus He would fulfill His promise to rid the earth of the Kauravas while making sure that nothing bad would happen to Samba.