Vrndavana was always absorbed in the thought of Krsna. Everyone remembered His pastimes and was constantly merged in the ocean of transcendental bliss. But the material world is so contaminated that even in Vrndavana the asuras or demons tried to disturb the peaceful situation.

One demon named Aristasura entered the village like a great bull with a gigantic body and horns, digging up the earth with his hooves. When the demon entered Vrndavana, it appeared that the whole land trembled, as if there were an earthquake. He roared fiercely, and after digging up the earth on the riverside, he entered the village proper. The fearful roaring of the bull was so piercing that some of the pregnant cows and women had miscarriages. Its body was so big, stout and strong that a cloud hovered over its body just as clouds hover over mountains. Aristasura entered Vrndavana with such a fearful appearance that just on seeing this great demon, all the men and women were afflicted with great fear, and the cows and other animals fled the village.

The situation became very terrible, and all the inhabitants of Vrndavana began to cry, "Krsna! Krsna, please save us!" Krsna also saw that the cows were running away, and He immediately replied, "Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid." He then appeared before Aristasura and said, "You are the lowest of living entities! Why are you frightening the inhabitants of Gokula? What will you gain by this action? If you have come to challenge My authority, then I am prepared to fight you." In this way, Krsna challenged the demon, and the demon became very angry by the words of Krsna. Krsna stood before the bull, resting His hand on the shoulder of a friend. The bull began to proceed towards Krsna in anger. Digging the earth with his hooves, Aristasura lifted his tail, and it appeared that clouds were hovering about the tail. His eyes were reddish and moving in anger. Pointing his horns at Krsna, he began to charge Him, just like the thunderbolt of Indra. But Krsna immediately caught his horns and tossed him away, just as a gigantic elephant repels a small inimical elephant. Although the demon appeared to be very tired and although he was perspiring, he took courage and got up. Again he charged Krsna with great force and anger. While rushing towards Krsna, he breathed very heavily. Krsna again caught his horns and immediately threw him on the ground, breaking his horns. Krsna then began to kick his body, just as one squeezes a wet cloth on the ground. Being thus kicked by Krsna, Aristasura rolled over and began to move his legs violently. Bleeding and passing stool and urine, his eyes starting from their sockets, he passed to the kingdom of death.

The demigods in the celestial planets began to shower flowers on Krsna for His wonderful achievements. Krsna was already the life and soul of the inhabitants of Vrndavana, and after killing this demon in the shape of a bull, He became the cynosure of all eyes. With Balarama, He triumphantly entered Vrndavana village, and the inhabitants glorified Him and Balarama with great jubilation. When a person performs some wonderful feat, his kinsmen and relatives and friends naturally become jubilant.

It was after this incident that the great sage Narada disclosed the secret of Krsna. Narada Muni is generally known as devadarsana, which means that he can be seen only by demigods or persons on the same level with the demigods. But Narada visited Kamsa, who was not at all on the level of the demigods, and yet Kamsa saw him. Of course Kamsa also saw Krsna, what to speak of Narada Muni, but generally one must have purified eyes to see the Lord and His devotees. Of course, by association with a pure devotee, one can derive an imperceptible benefit, which is called ajnatasukrti. He cannot understand how he is making progress, yet he makes progress by seeing the devotee of the Lord. Narada Muni's mission was to finish things quickly. Krsna appeared to kill the demons, and Kamsa was the chief among them. Narada wanted to expedite things; therefore, he immediately approached Kamsa with all the real information. "You are to be killed by the eighth son of Vasudeva," Narada told Kamsa. "That eighth son is Krsna. You were misled by Vasudeva into believing that the eighth issue of Vasudeva was a daughter. Actually, the daughter was born of Yasoda, the wife of Nanda Maharaja, and Vasudeva exchanged the daughter, so you were misled. Krsna is the son of Vasudeva, as is Balarama. Being afraid of your atrocious nature, Vasudeva has tactfully hidden Them in Vrndavana, out of your sight." Narada further informed Kamsa, "Krsna and Balarama have been living incognito in the care of Nanda Maharaja. All the asuras, your companions who were sent to Vrndavana to kill different children, were all killed by Krsna and Balarama."

As soon as Kamsa got this information from Narada Muni, he took out his sharpend sword and prepared to kill Vasudeva for his duplicity. But Narada pacified him. "You are not to be killed by Vasudeva," he said. "Why are you so anxious to kill him? Better try to kill Krsna and Balarama." But in order to satisfy his wrath, Kamsa arrested Vasudeva and his wife and shackled them in iron chains. Acting on the new information, Kamsa immediately called for the Kesi demon and asked him to go to Vrndavana immediately to fetch Balarama and Krsna. In actuality, Kamsa asked Kesi to go to Vrndavana to be killed by Krsna and Balarama and thus get salvation. Then Kamsa called for the expert elephant trainers, Canura, Mustika, Sala, Tosala, etc., and he told them, "My dear friends, try to hear me attentively. At Nanda Maharaja's place in Vrndavana there are two brothers, Krsna and Balarama. They are actually two sons of Vasudeva. As you know, I have been destined to be killed by Krsna; there is a prophecy to this effect. Now I am requesting you to arrange for a wrestling match. People from different parts of the country will come to see the festival. I will arrange to get those two boys here, and you will try to kill Them in the wrestling arena."

Wrestling matches are still enjoyed by the indigenous people in the northern part of India, and it appears from the statements of Srimad-Bhagavatam that 5,000 years ago wrestling was popular. Kamsa planned to arrange such a wrestling competition and to invite people to visit. He also told the trainers of the elephants, "Be sure to bring the elephant named Kuvalayapida and keep him at the gate of the wrestling camp. Try to capture Krsna and Balarama on Their arrival and kill Them."

Kamsa also advised his friends to arrange to worship Lord Siva by offering animal sacrifices and performing the sacrifice called Dhanur-yajna and the sacrifice performed on the fourteenth day of the moon, known as Caturdasi. This date falls three days after Ekadasi, and it is set aside for the worship of Lord Siva. One of the plenary portions of Lord Siva is called Kalabhairava. This form of Lord Siva is worshiped by the demons who offer skinned animals before him. The process is still current in India in a place called Vaidyanatha-dhama where the demons offer animal sacrifices to the deity of Kalabhairava. Kamsa belonged to this demonic group. He was also an expert diplomat, and so he quickly arranged for his demon friends to kill Krsna and Balarama.

He then called for Akrura, one of the descendants in the family of Yadu in which Krsna was born as the son of Vasudeva. When Akrura came to see Kamsa, Kamsa very politely shook hands with him and said, "My dear Akrura, actually I've no better friend than you in the Bhoja and Yadu dynasties. You are the most munificent person, so as a friend I am begging charity from you. Actually I have taken shelter of you exactly as King Indra takes shelter of Lord Visnu. I request you to go immediately to Vrndavana and find the two boys named Krsna and Balarama. They are sons of Nanda Maharaja. Take this nice chariot, especially prepared for the boys, and bring Them here immediately. That is my request to you. Now, my plan is to kill these two boys. As soon as They come in the gate, there will be a giant elephant named Kuvalayapida awaiting, and possibly he will be able to kill Them. But if somehow or other They escape, They will next meet the wrestlers and will be killed by them. That is my plan. And after killing these two boys, I shall kill Vasudeva and Nanda, who are supporters of the Vrsni and Bhoja dynasties. I shall also kill my father Ugrasena and his brother Devaka, because they are actually my enemies and are hindrances to my diplomacy and politics. Thus I shall get rid of all my enemies. Jarasandha is my father-in-law, and I have a great monkey friend named Dvivida. With their help it will be easy to kill all the kings on the surface of the world who support the demigods. This is my plan. In this way I shall be free from all opposition, and it will be very pleasant to rule the world without obstruction. You may know also that Sambara, Narakasura and Banasura are my intimate friends, and when I begin this war against the kings who support the demigods, they will help me considerably. Surely I shall be rid of all my enemies. Please go immediately to Vrndavana and encourage the boys to come here to see the beauty of Mathura and take pleasure in the wrestling competition."

After hearing this plan of Kamsa's, Akrura replied, "My dear King, your plan is very excellently made to counteract the hindrances to your diplomatic activities. But you should maintain some discretion, or your plans will not be fruitful. After all, man proposes, God disposes. We may make very great plans, but unless they are sanctioned by the supreme authority, they will fail. Everyone in this material world knows that the supernatural power is the ultimate disposer of everything. One may make a very great plan with his fertile brain, but he must know that he will become subjected to the fruits, misery and happiness. But I have nothing to say against your proposal. As a friend, I shall carry out your order and bring Krsna and Balarama here, as you desire."

After instructing his friends in various ways, Kamsa retired, and Akrura went to Vrndavana.

Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Thirty-fifth Chapter of Krsna, "Kamsa Sends Akrura for Krsna."