93- Naraka is killed 

Vyāsa said: 

1-2. Osages, seated on the back of the inebriated Airavata, Indra the lord of the three worlds came to meet Lord Krişhņa at Dvaravati. After entering the city he approached the lord and mentioned to him the vicious activities of the asura Naraka. 

3. O lord, all miseries have been subdued by you, the lord of Devas, though stationed in the form of a human being. 

4-5. For affording protection to those people who perform penance, the following asuras have been killed by you-Arista, Dhenuka, Kesin, Pralamba and others. Those who harassed the universe were destroyed by you, namely, Kamsa, Kuvalayàpida, the child-slayer Pūtanā and many others. 

6. When the three worlds have been saved by your excellent intellect as well as brawny baton-like arms, the heaven-dwellers partook of oblations in the sacrifice and be came gratified. 

7. O lord, it behoves you to pursue efforts and counter- measures after listening to the reason for which I have come now. 

8. O suppressor of enemies, this son of Bhūmi named Naraka 

who is the king of Pragjyotişa harasses and destroys all living beings. 

9. After killing Devas, Siddhas, kings, and others, that Asura imprisoned their daughters in his own palace. 

10. He has taken away the umbrella of Pracetas, that exudes water. He has removed the Maniparvata, peak of the Mandara. 

11. That Asura has taken away the illustrious ear-rings of my mother Aditi, the car-rings that exude nectar. He now desires to take possession of my elephant Airavata. 

12. O lord, I have told you about his evil activities. What steps should be taken by way of remedy may be pondered over by yourself. 

Vyāsa said: 

13. On hearing this, lord Krishna, son of Devaki, smiled and caught hold of the hand of Indra. He then got up from the excellent seat. 

14. He then rode on Garuda who traversed through the sky. He kept Satyabhama also on its back and went to the city of Pragjyotisa. 

15. Even as the residents of Dväraka watched him, the delighted Indra mounted his elephant Airavata and went to heaven. 

16. For a hundred Yojanas all round the city of Pragjyotișa, the entire place was covered with terrible nooses in order to ward off the army of enemies. 

17. Lord Krishna hurled his discus Sudarsana and cut off those nooses. Then the asura Mura got up. Keśava killed him. 

18. By the fire from the sharp edges of his discus Hari burned seven thousand sons of Mura as though they were mere moths, 

19. O brahmins, after killing Mura, Hayagriva and Panchajana the intelligent lord hastened to Pragjyotişa. 

20. There Krishna fought with Naraka who had a great army. In that battle Lord Krishna killed thousands of asuras. 

21. By hurling his discus the discus-bearing lord, the power ful destroyer of asuras, split Naraka into two, Naraka, son of the Earth, who was hurling weapons and missiles on him. 

22. When Naraka was killed, the Earth approached the lord of the universe taking with her the earrings of Aditi. She spoke these words:

The Earth said: 

23. O lord, when I was lifted up by you in the form of a Boar, this son had been born of me as a result of my contact with you. 

24. He had been given to me by you and now has been struck down by you. Take back these two ear-rings and protect his children. 

25. It is for reducing my own burden that O lord of gentle and pleasant facc, you have come to this world a part of yours. 

26. You are the creator, re-creator, annihilator, eternal source of origin and one whose form is identical with that of the universe. O Achyuta, how am I to eulogise you?

27. You are the one all-pervading and the pervaded; deed, the doer and the thing done. You are the Ātman, the inner soul of all living beings. O Achyuta, how can I eulogise you? 

28. You are the Supreme Ātman, the innermost soul, the soul of living beings, the eternal lord. These are not your praises. They are the statements of facts. How shall anyone go about this act of eulogy)? 

29. O lord, the soul of all-living beings, be pleased. May what is done by Naraka be excused for making him free from defects. My son has already been struck down. 

Vyāsa said: 

30. “So be it”, the lord said to the Earth. O excellent sages, the conceiver and creator of the living beings took up jewels from the residence of Naraka. 

31. The lord of unequalled exploits saw sixteen thousand one hundred virgins in the harem, O excellent brahmins. 

32-35. He saw six thousand terrible elephants with four tusks and two million and one hundred thousand Kamboja horses. Immediately the lord despatched those girls, elephants and horses to Dvărakả through the servants of Naraka. The umbrella of Varuna and the jewel mountain were put on the back of Garuda the lord of birds. Accompanied by Satyabhama, Krishna mounted Garuda and went to Heaven to restore ear-rings to Aditi.