A demon named Bakāsura once came to Vṛndāvana in the form of a huge crane with a very sharp beak. As soon as he arrived in Vṛndāvana, he swallowed Kṛṣṇa. When Balarāma and the other boys saw that Kṛṣṇa had been devoured by the gigantic crane, they became almost unconscious, like senses without life.
Although Kṛṣṇa is always as soft as a lotus, within the throat of Bakāsura He created a burning sensation as if He were hotter than fire. And although Kṛṣṇa's whole body is sweeter than sugar candy, to Bakāsura He tasted extremely bitter. When Kṛṣṇa is accepted as an enemy, He becomes the most intolerable object for the nondevotee; indeed, a nondevotee cannot tolerate Kṛṣṇa either within or without.
Kṛṣṇa became like fire, burning the root of the demon's throat, and the demon immediately disgorged Him. When the demon saw that Kṛṣṇa, although having been swallowed, was unharmed, he immediately attacked Kṛṣṇa again with his sharp beak.
Kṛṣṇa then took hold of the two halves of Baka's beak, and in the presence of all the cowherd boys He very easily bifurcated the demon, as a child splits a blade of virana grass. By killing Bakāsura, Kṛṣṇa delighted the denizens of heaven. They showered Him with mallikā-puspa, flowers grown in the heavenly Nandana gardens, and congratulated Him by sounding celestial kettledrums and conchshells and offering prayers. Seeing this, the cowherd boys were struck with wonder.