One evening whilst Janārddana was engaged in Rāsa, the demon Aristha,
disguised as a bull, came there striking terror into the hearts of all.
His appearance was like a cloud saturated with waters—his two horns were
very sharp and his two eyes were bright like the sun. As he proceeded,
he ploughed up the ground with his hoofs: his tongue was repeatedly
licking his lips; his tail was erect; the sinews of his shoulders were
strong and between them rose a hump of enormous proportions; his
haunches were soiled with ordure and he was a dread to the herds; his
dewlap hung low and his face was marked with scars from butting against
the trees. Terrifying all the kine, and destroying hermits and ascetics
that demon, in the guise of a bull, haunts all the forests. Being
greatly stricken with fear on beholding that dreadful bull, the
cow-herds and their females cried out "Krishna, Krishna". Krishna then
shouted and slapped his arms in defiance. When the demon heard the
noise, he turned upon his challenger, and fixing his eyes and pointing
his horns at the belly of Kesava, he ran furiously upon the youth.
Krishna did not stir from his place, but smiling in sport and derision,
awaited the near approach of the bull, when he seized him, as an
alligator would have done and held him firmly by the horns, whilst he
pressed his sides with his knees. Having thus humiliated his pride and
held him captive by his horn, he wrung his throat as if it had been a
piece of wet cloth; and then tearing off one of the horns, he beat the
dreadful demon with it until he died vomiting blood from his mouth.
Seeing him slain the herdsmen glorified Krishna, as the companies of the
celestials of old praised Indra, when he triumphed over the Asura
Jambha.