Later, He frolicked with the cowherd boys (Gopalas), but in between, He quietly vanquished or totally annihilated all the demons that sought to make Him their target. This included a huge snake that lived in a lake, poisoning the waters and giving much trouble. On one occasion He saved the entire village from a torrential deluge sent by an angry rain god, by simply holding up on His little finger the Govardan Hill, so that the hill became a gigantic umbrella. When he was eight, Krishna went back to Mathura the place of His birth, and put Kamsa to death. His captive parents were freed and the kingdom was turned over to the gentle ruler Ugrasena.

Soon after this, Krishna came into contact with His aunt Kunti and her sons the Pandavas. Years later, His ties with the Pandavas got further strengthened when His sister Subadhra married Arjuna, one of the Pandavas. In the course of time, Krishna became the ruler of Dwaraka.

Step by step, Krishna arranged to get imperceptibly involved in the fratricidal conflict between the Pandavas and their evil cousins the Kauravas.