After Kansa’s wrestlers expressed their determination, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the killer of Madhu, confronted Cäëüra, and Lord Balaräma, the son of Rohiëé, confronted Muñöika. Krishna and Cäëüra and then Balaräma and Muñöika locked themselves hand to hand, leg to leg, and each began to press against the other with a view to come out victorious. They joined palm to palm, calf to calf, head to head, chest to chest and began to strike each other. The fighting increased as they pushed each other from one place to another. One captured the other and threw him down on the ground, and another rushed from the back to the front of another and tried to overcome him with a hold. The fighting increased step by step. There was picking up, dragging and pushing, and then the legs and hands were locked together. All the arts of wrestling were perfectly exhibited by the parties, as each tried his best to defeat his opponent.

But the audience in the wrestling arena was not very much satisfied because the combatants did not appear to be equally matched. They considered Krishna and Balaräma to be mere boys before Cäëüra and Muñöika, who were the strongest wrestlers, as solid as stone. Being compassionate and favoring Krishna and Balaräma, the many ladies in the audience began to talk as follows: “Dear friends, there is injustice here.” Another said, “Even in front of the King this wrestling is going on between incompatible sides.” The ladies had lost their sense of enjoyment. They could not encourage the fighting between the strong and the weak. “Muñöika and Cäëüra are just like thunderbolts, as strong as great mountains, and Krishna and Balaräma are two delicate boys of very tender age. The principle of justice has already left this assembly. Persons who are aware of the civilized principles of justice will not remain to watch this unfair match. Those taking part in this wrestling match are not very much enlightened; therefore whether they speak or remain silent, they are being subjected to the reactions of sinful activities.” “But my dear friends,” another lady in the assembly spoke out, “just look at the face of Krishna. There are drops of perspiration on His face from chasing His enemy, and His face appears like the lotus flower with drops of water.” Another lady said, “Don’t you see how the face of Lord Balaräma has turned especially beautiful? There is a reddish hue on His white face because He is engaged in a strong wrestling match with Muñöika.”

After taking Their baths and finishing all other morning duties, Krishna and Balaräma could hear the beating of the kettledrums in the wrestling camp. They immediately prepared Themselves to proceed to the spot to see the fun. When Krishna and Balaräma reached the gate of the wrestling camp, They saw a big elephant of the name Kuvalayäpéòa being tended by a caretaker riding on its head. The caretaker was deliberately blocking Their entrance by keeping the elephant in front of the gateway. Krishna could understand the purpose of the caretaker, and He prepared Himself by tightening His clothes before combating the elephant. He addressed the caretaker in a very grave voice, as resounding as a cloud: “You miscreant caretaker, give way and let Me pass through the gate. If you block My way, I shall send you and your elephant to the house of death personified.”

The caretaker, being thus insulted by Krishna, became very angry, and in order to challenge Krishna, as was previously planned, he provoked the elephant to attack. The elephant then moved before Krishna like inevitable death. It rushed towards Him and tried to catch Him with its trunk, but Krishna very dexterously moved behind the elephant. Being able to see only to the end of its trunk, the elephant could not see Krishna hiding behind its legs, but it tried to capture Him with its trunk. Krishna again very quickly escaped capture, and He again ran behind the elephant and caught its tail. Holding the elephant by its tail, Krishna began to pull it, and with very great strength He dragged it for at least twenty-five yards, just as Garuòa drags an insignificant snake. Krishna pulled the elephant from this side to that, from right to left, just as He used to pull a calf by its tail in His childhood. After this, Krishna went in front of the elephant and gave it a strong slap. He then slipped away from the elephant’s view and ran to its back. Then, falling down on the ground, Krishna placed Himself in front of the elephant’s two legs and caused it to trip and fall. Krishna immediately got up, but the elephant, thinking that He was still lying down, tried to push an ivory tusk through the body of Krishna by forcibly stabbing it into the ground. Although the elephant was harassed and angry, the caretaker riding on its head tried to provoke it further. The elephant then rushed madly towards Krishna. As soon as it came within reach, Krishna caught hold of the trunk and pulled the elephant down. When the elephant and caretaker fell, Krishna jumped up on the elephant, broke off one of its tusks, and with it killed the elephant and the caretaker also. After killing the elephant, Krishna took the ivory tusk on His shoulder. Decorated with drops of perspiration and sprinkled with the blood of the elephant, He looked very beautiful, and thus He proceeded towards the wrestling arena. Lord Balaräma took the other tusk of the elephant on His shoulder. Accompanied by Their cowherd boyfriends, They entered the arena.

After leaving the florist’s place, Krishna and Balaräma saw a hunchbacked young woman carrying a dish of sandalwood pulp through the streets. Since Krishna is the reservoir of all pleasure, He wanted to make all His companions joyous by cutting a joke with the hunchbacked woman. Krishna addressed her, “O tall young woman, who are you? Tell Me, for whom are you carrying this sandalwood pulp in your hand? I think you should offer this sandalwood to Me, and if you do so I am sure you will be fortunate.” Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He knew everything about the hunchback. By His inquiry He indicated that there was no use in serving a demon; she would do better to serve Krishna and Balaräma and get an immediate result of the service.

The woman replied to Krishna, “My dear Çyämasundara, dear beautiful dark boy, You may know that I am engaged as a maidservant of Kansa. I am supplying him pulp of sandalwood daily. The King is very much pleased with me for supplying this nice thing, but now I see that there is no one who can better be served by this pulp of sandalwood than You two brothers.” Being captivated by the beautiful features of Krishna and Balaräma, Their talking, Their smiling, Their glancing and Their other activities, the hunchbacked woman began to smear all the pulp of sandalwood over Their bodies with great satisfaction and devotion. The two transcendental brothers, Krishna and Balaräma, were naturally beautiful and had beautiful complexions, and They were nicely dressed in colorful garments. The upper portions of Their bodies were already very attractive, and when the hunchbacked woman smeared Their bodies with sandalwood pulp, They looked even more beautiful. Krishna was very pleased by this service, and He began to consider how to reward her. In other words, in order to draw the attention of the Lord, the Krishna conscious devotee has to serve Him in great love and devotion. Krishna cannot be pleased by any action other than transcendental loving service unto Him. Thinking like this, Lord Krishna pressed the feet of the hunchbacked woman with His toes and, capturing her cheeks with His fingers, gave her a jerk in order to make her straight. At once the hunchbacked woman looked like a beautiful straight girl, with broad hips, thin waist and very nice, well-shaped breasts. Since Krishna was pleased with the service of the hunchbacked woman, and since she was touched by Krishna’s hands, she became the most beautiful girl among women. This incident shows that by serving Krishna the devotee immediately becomes elevated to the most exalted position in all respects. Devotional service is so potent that anyone who takes to it becomes qualified with all godly qualities. Krishna was attracted to the hunchbacked woman not for her beauty but for her service; as soon as she rendered service, she immediately became the most beautiful woman. A Krishna conscious person does not have to be qualified or beautiful; after becoming Krishna conscious and rendering service unto Krishna, he becomes very qualified and beautiful.

While Akrüra was offering his prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Lord disappeared from the water, exactly as an expert dramatic actor changes his dress and assumes his original feature. After the Vishnu-mürti disappeared, Akrüra got out of the water. Finishing the rest of his ritualistic performance, he went near the chariot of Balaräma and Krishna and was struck with wonder. Krishna asked whether he had seen something wonderful within the water or in space. Akrüra said, “My dear Lord, all wonderful things that are happening within this world, either in the sky or in the water or on the land, are factually appearing in Your universal form. So when I have seen You, what wonderful things have I not seen?” This statement confirms the Vedic version that one who knows Krishna knows everything and that one who has seen Krishna has seen everything, regardless of how wonderful a thing may be. “My dear Lord,” Akrüra continued, “there cannot be anything more wonderful than Your transcendental form. When I have seen Your transcendental form, what is there left to see?”

After saying this, Akrüra immediately started driving the chariot, and by the end of the day they reached the precincts of Mathurä. As they rode from Våndävana to Mathurä, all the passersby along the way who saw Krishna and Balaräma could not help but look at Them again and again. In the meantime, the other inhabitants of Våndävana, headed by Nanda and Upananda, had already reached Mathurä by going through the forests, and they were awaiting the arrival of Krishna and Balaräma in a garden. Upon reaching the entrance to Mathurä, Krishna and Balaräma got down from the chariot and shook hands with Akrüra. Krishna informed him, “You may go home now because We shall enter Mathurä later, along with Our associates.” Akrüra replied, “My dear Lord, I cannot go to Mathurä alone, leaving You aside. I am Your surrendered servant. Please do not try to avoid me. Please, come along with me, with Your elder brother and cowherd boyfriends, and sanctify my house. My dear Lord, if You come, my home will be sanctified by the dust of Your lotus feet. The water emanating from the perspiration of Your lotus feet, namely the Ganges, purifies everyone, including the forefathers, the fire-god and all other demigods. Bali Mahäräja has become famous simply by washing Your lotus feet, and he enjoyed all material opulences and later on was elevated to the highest position of liberation. The Ganges water not only sanctifies the three worlds but is carried on the head of Lord Çiva. The ancestors of Bhagératha, sanctified by this water, achieved the heavenly planets. O Supreme Lord of lords! O master of the universe! One can achieve piety simply by hearing about Your transcendental pastimes. O Supreme Näräyaëa, who are praised by selected verses, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.”