After leaving the florist's place, Krsna and Balarama saw a hunchbacked young woman carrying a dish of sandalwood pulp through the streets. Since Krsna is the reservoir of all pleasure, He wanted to make all His companions joyous by cutting a joke with the hunchbacked woman. Krsna 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." Krsna 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; one had better serve Krsna and Balarama and get rid of the result of sins.

The woman replied to Krsna, "My dear Syamasundara, dear beautiful dark boy, You may know that I am engaged as maidservant of Kamsa. I am supplying him pulp of sandalwood daily. The King is very 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 Krsna and Balarama, Their talking, Their smiling, Their glancing and other activities, the hunchbacked woman began to smear the pulp of sandalwood over Their bodies with great satisfaction and devotion. The two transcendental beggars, Krsna and Balarama, 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. Krsna 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 Krsna conscious devotee has to serve Him in great love and devotion. Krsna cannot be pleased by any action other than transcendental loving service unto Him. Thinking like this, Lord Krsna 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 Krsna was pleased with the service of the hunchbacked woman, and since she was touched by Krsna's hands, she became the most beautiful girl among women. This incident shows that by serving Krsna 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. Krsna 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 Krsna conscious person does not have to be qualified or beautiful; after becoming Krsna conscious and rendering service unto Krsna, he becomes very qualified and beautiful.

When the woman was turned by Krsna's favor into an exquisitely beautiful young girl, she naturally felt very much obliged to Krsna, and she was also attracted by His beauty. Without hesitation, she caught the rear part of His cloth and began to snatch it. She smiled flirtatiously and admitted that she was agitated by lusty desires. She forgot that she was on the street and before the elder brother of Krsna and His friends.

She frankly proposed to Krsna: "My dear hero, I cannot leave You in this way. You must come to my place. I am already very much attracted to Your beauty, so I must receive You well, for You are the best among males. You must also be very kind upon me." In plain words she proposed that Krsna come to her home and satisfy her lusty desires. Krsna, of course, felt a little bit embarrassed in front of His elder brother, Balarama, but He knew that the girl was simple and attracted; therefore He simply smiled at her words. Looking towards His cowherd boy friends, He replied to the girl, "My dear beautiful girl, I am very much pleased by your invitation, and I must come to your home after finishing My other business here. Such a beautiful girl like you is the only means of solace for a person like Me, for I am away from home and not married. Certainly, as a suitable girl friend, you can give us relief from all kinds of mental agitation." Krsna satisfied the girl in this way with sweet words. Leaving her there, He began to proceed down the street of the marketplace where the citizens were prepared to receive Him with various kinds of presentations, especially betel nuts, flowers and sandalwood.

The mercantile men in the market worshiped Krsna and Balarama with great respect. When Krsna was passing through the street, all the women in the surrounding houses came to see Him, and some of the younger ones almost fainted, being captivated by His beauty. Their hair and tight dresses loosened, and they forgot where they were standing.

Krsna next inquired from the citizens as to the location of the place of sacrifice. Kamsa had arranged for the sacrifice called Dhanur-yajna, and to designate this particular sacrifice he had placed a big bow near the sacrificial altar. The bow was very big and wonderful and resembled the rainbow in the sky. Within the sacrificial arena, this bow was protected by many constables and watchmen engaged by King Kamsa. As Krsna and Balarama approached the bow, they were warned not to go nearer, but Krsna ignored this warning. He forcibly went up and immediately took the big bow in His left hand. After stringing the bow in the presence of the crowd, He drew it and broke it at the middle into two parts, exactly as an elephant breaks sugar cane in the field. Everyone present appreciated Krsna's power. The sound of the bow cracking filled both sky and land and was heard by Kamsa. When Kamsa heard what had happened, he began to fear for his life. The caretaker of the bow, who was standing by watching, became very angry. He ordered his men to take up weapons, and he began to rush towards Krsna, shouting, "Arrest Him! Kill Him! Kill Him!" Krsna and Balarama were surrounded. When They saw the threatening motions of the guards, they became angry, and taking up the two pieces of the broken bow, They began to beat off all the caretaker's men. While this turmoil was going on, Kamsa sent a small group of troops to assist the caretakers, but both Krsna and Balarama fought with them and also killed them.

After this, Krsna did not proceed further into the sacrificial arena but went out the gate and proceeded towards Their resting camp. Along the way, He visited various places in Mathura City with great delight. Seeing the activities and wonderful prowess of Krsna, all the citizens of Mathura began to consider the two brothers to be demigods who had come down to Mathura, and they all looked upon Them with great astonishment. The two brothers strolled carefree in the street, not caring for the law and order of Kamsa.

When evening came, Krsna and Balarama, with Their cowherd boy friends, went to the outskirts of the city where all their cars were assembled. Thus Krsna and Balarama gave some preliminary hints of Their arrival to Kamsa, and he could understand what severe type of danger was awaiting him the next day in the sacrificial arena.

When Krsna and Balarama were going from Vrndavana to Mathura, the inhabitants of Vrndavana had imagined the great fortune of the citizens of Mathura in being able to see the wonderful beauty of Krsna, who is worshiped by His pure devotees as well as the goddess of fortune. The fantasies of the residents of Vrndavana were actually realized, for the citizens of Mathura became fully satisfied by seeing Krsna.

When Krsna returned to His camp, He was taken care of by servants who washed His lotus feet, gave Him a nice seat and offered Him milk and palatable dishes of foodstuffs. After taking supper and thinking of the next day's program, He very peacefully began to take rest. Thus He passed the night there.

On the other side, when Kamsa came to understand about the breaking of his wonderful bow and the killing of the caretaker and soldiers by Krsna, he could partially realize the power of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He could realize that the eighth son of Devaki had appeared and that now his death was imminent. Thinking of his imminent death, he could not rest the entire night. He began to have many inauspicious visions, and he could understand that both Krsna and Balarama, who had approached the precincts of the city, were his messengers of death. Kamsa began to see various kinds of inauspicious signs, both awake and dreaming. When he looked in the mirror he could not see his head, although the head was actually present. He could see the luminaries in the sky in double, although there was only one set factually. He began to see holes in his shadow, and he could hear a high buzzing sound within his ears. All the trees before him appeared to be made of gold, and he could not see his own footprints in dust or muddy clay. In dream he saw various kinds of ghosts being carried in a carriage drawn by donkeys. He also dreamed that someone gave him poison, and he was drinking it. He dreamed also that he was going naked with a garland of flowers and was smearing oil all over his body. Thus, as Kamsa saw various signs of death both awake and sleeping, he could understand that death was certain, and thus in great anxiety he could not rest that night. Just after the night expired, he busily arranged for the wrestling match.

The wrestling arena was nicely cleansed and decorated with flags, festoons and flowers, and the match was announced by the beating of kettledrums. The platform appeared very beautiful due to streamers and flags. Different types of galleries were arranged for respectable persons--kings, brahmanas and ksatriyas. The various kings had reserved thrones, and others had arranged seats also. Kamsa finally arrived, accompanied by various ministers and secretaries, and he sat on the raised platform especially meant for him. Unfortunately, although he was sitting in the center of all governing executive heads, his heart was palpitating in fear of death. Cruel death evidently does not care even for a person as powerful as Kamsa. When death comes, it does not care for anyone's exalted position.

When everything was complete, the wrestlers, who were to exhibit their skills before the assembly, walked into the arena. They were decorated with bright ornaments and dress. Some of the famous wrestlers were Canura, Mustika, Sala, Kuta and Tosala. Being enlivened by the musical concert, they passed through with great alacrity. All the respectable cowherd men who came from Vrndavana, headed by Nanda, were also welcomed by Kamsa. After presenting Kamsa with the milk products they had brought with them, the cowherd men also took their respective seats by the side of the King, on a platform especially meant for them.

Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Forty-first Chapter of Krsna, "The Breaking of the Bow in the Sacrificial Arena."