IT was too much for Kamsa to tolerate. He resented the drums being beaten in celebration of Krishna’s victory. He was angry that all his powerful supporters had been killed. He therefore ordered the drumming to be stopped. He shouted in frustration, “Drive out these two boys from Mathura. Arrest Nanda and kill him for his treachery. Also kill that rascal Vasudeva without delay. The faithless father of mine, Ugrasena, who has always supported my enemies, should be killed.” Krishna could not tolerate the disregard Kamsa was showing to the elders. He became furious. He made his body very light and with one leap reached the very high dias on which Kamsa was seated. Seeing Krishna dashing towards him with great speed, Kamsa, who was bold in his own way, got up quickly from his seat and took his sword and shield to resist. Krishna with one push knocked the crown from the head of Kamsa and grabbed his long hair in his hand. He then dragged Kamsa from his throne to the wrestling arena and threw him on the ground. Kamsa died. Krishna dragged his body up and down in the arena as a lion would do with the body of an elephant it had killed. All the spectators cried. ‘Oh! alas! Oh, alas!

Kamsa had eight brothers, headed by Kanka. All of them were younger to him. When they learned that their brother had been killed, they joined together and rushed towards Krishna in great anger to kill him. Balarama took charge of killing all of them. He took up the elephant tusk and killed the eight brothers one after another, just as a lion kills a group of deer. The wives of Kamasa and of his brothers came there weeping and waiting. Krishna consoled them all. He arranged for the necessary ceremonies for the dead.

Then Krishna and Balarama released their father and mother, Vasudeva and Devaki, who had been imprisoned by Kamsa. Krishna and Balarama fell at their feel and received their blessings. They also released Ugrasena, the father of Kamasa from the prison and crowned him again as the king. Nanda and Yasoda spent some days happily at Mathura and then returned to Vrindavan leaving behind Krishna and Balarama under the care of Devaki and Vasudeva.

All was now set for the wrestling match. The famous wrestler Chanura came to Balarama and Krishna and said, “We have heard about your past achievements. You are great heroes. You are both famous everywhere as experts in wrestling. Hearing this and desirous of seeing your valour, the king has invited you to his court. I invite you to a wrestling match.” Krishna immediately understood the wicked motive of Chanura. He was also pleased at the proposal for a wrestling match. But he spoke as follows diplomatically: “We shall always do what is pleasing to the king. But we are only boys. We can engage ourselves only in playful wrestling contexts with boys of our own age group. The wrestling context should be arranged according to rules, or else sin would befall even those who witness it.”

But Chanura replied, “Neither Balarama nor you, who have killed the elephant and many others can be called mere boys. You are undoubtedly qualified to wrestle with strong opponents. You show your strength against me and let Balarama compete with Mushtika, another great wrestler.”

 Accepting the challenge, Krishna and Balarama approached Chanura and Mushtika respectively. Entwining hand to hand and leg to leg, Krishna and Chanura pulled at each other eager for victory. Fist against fist, elbow against elbow, head against head and chest against chest, they clashed. Whirling round arm in arm, pushing away with a stroke of the hand, trying to strangle by embracing, throwing down on the ground, pushing forward and backward—by all such means each tried to overpower the other. By throwing up, by lifting, by whirling, by pressing down and such other tactics, they tried to hurt each other and win. Balarama fought with Mushtika in the same way.

Krishna now decided to kill Chanura. He struck him thrice with the fist. The great wrestler furiously hit Krishna’s chest with both his fists. But it made no impact on Krishna. Catching hold of Chanura by the hand, Krishna whirled him round and round until the wrestler fell dead striking the earth with his body.

Even earlier, Mushtika was struck by the powerful fists of Balarama. He trembled, vomitted blood and fell down on the earth.

Later many other wrestlers entered the arena. But they were no match for Krishna and Balarama. All were killed in no time.

The people gathered there clapped their hands in great ecstasy. There was no limit to their joy. All the Gopa friends of Krishna jumped into the arena. Krishna and Balarama danced to their joyous singing. Everyone was delighted to see that dance of Rama and Krishna.