Narada told King Bahulashva how Krishna protected the gopis. Krishna had gone with them to Lokajanghavana. Flowering madhavi vines filled that woodland. He gathered fragrant flowers and arranged them in the gopis' hair. The company walked near the Kalindi, amid bees and scented breezes. Then Krishna entered Mahapunyavana, where tamala and other trees grew. There He began the rasa dance with Radha. The gopis sang around Them as Narada's account turned to an unexpected visitor.
That visitor was Shankhachuda, a powerful yaksha in Kubera's service. He was highly skilled in fighting with a mace. Earlier, he had heard reports of Kamsa's extraordinary strength. Taking an immensely heavy mace, he had traveled to Mathura. He entered Kamsa's assembly and bowed before the king. Then, full of pride, he challenged Kamsa to a contest. The loser, he proposed, would become the winner's servant. Kamsa agreed, took up his own great mace, and entered the arena.
Their maces struck with a noise the poem compares to thunder. The two warriors fought with all their strength. Sparks flew from the weapons as each tried to overcome the other. At last both maces broke into pieces. Angered, Kamsa struck the yaksha with his fist. Shankhachuda answered with a blow of his own. Their struggle continued for twenty-seven days. Neither lost his strength, and each marveled at his opponent.
Kamsa seized Shankhachuda and hurled him high into the sky. The epic account describes a distance of a hundred yojanas. The yaksha fell, shaken for a moment. He recovered and seized Kamsa in turn. He threw the king into the air with tremendous force. Narada describes this throw in the poem's vast measure of ten thousand yojanas. Kamsa fell from the sky and again caught hold of the yaksha. He flung Shankhachuda down upon the earth. Shankhachuda likewise grasped Kamsa and dashed him to the ground. As their struggle continued, the earth trembled.
Gargacharya then came to the arena. Both combatants paid him respect. He told Kamsa to stop this fruitless contest. Shankhachuda, he explained, was a warrior of equal strength. He recalled opponents who had fallen beneath Kamsa's blows. Yet this yaksha remained undefeated, strengthened by Shiva's blessing. Garga advised the two to become friends. They accepted his counsel and ended their quarrel.
Shankhachuda took leave of Kamsa and set off toward home. On the way, at night, he heard the music of rasa. Following the rhythm, he reached the place of the dance. There he saw Krishna together with Radha. Krishna held His flute and smiled gently. His left arm rested with Radha, and His right leg was gracefully bent. The yaksha took the tender-looking Krishna for someone easily overcome. He decided to carry away a gopi.
Bahulashva asked Narada what happened when the intruder arrived. Narada described the yaksha's frightening, tiger-like face and towering form. The gopis were terrified at the sight of him. They scattered, and cries rose through the gathering. Shankhachuda seized the gopi Shatachandranana. He fled with her toward the north. Overcome by fear, she wept and repeatedly called Krishna's name. Hearing her cries, Krishna pursued him with a shala tree in His hand.
When the yaksha saw Krishna approaching, he became afraid for his life. He released the gopi and ran away. Krishna continued the pursuit wherever Shankhachuda fled. At last the yaksha reached the slopes of the Himalaya. There he raised a shala tree and turned to face Krishna. He stood ready for another fight. Krishna hurled His tree at him with great force. The blow brought Shankhachuda down like a tree felled by a storm.
The yaksha rose again and struck Krishna with his fist. He roared so loudly that the sound filled the surrounding directions. Krishna caught him with both hands. He swung him and threw him to the earth, like wind uprooting a lotus. Shankhachuda also seized Krishna and dashed Him down. As the two fought, the earth shook again. At last Krishna killed Shankhachuda with a blow. He took the precious jewel that had adorned the yaksha's head. A great radiance emerged from Shankhachuda and illumined the directions. In Vraja, that radiance entered Krishna's friend Shridama.
Krishna quickly returned to the rasa circle. He carried the recovered jewel in His hand. The chapter says that He gave it to Chandranana. Then He resumed the rasa dance with the gopis.