वासुदेव उवाच आनर्तनगरं मुक्तं ततोऽहमगमं तदा। महाक्रतौ राजसूये निवृत्ते नृपते तव॥
Krishna said: O king, when he (Shalva) left the city of the Anarthas, I returned there on the completion of your great Rajasuya sacrifice.
अपश्यं द्वारकां चाहं महाराज हतत्विषम्। निःस्वाध्यायवषट्कारां निर्भूषणवरस्त्रियम्॥ अनभिज्ञेयरूपाणि द्वारकोपवनानि च। दृष्ट्वा शङ्कोपपन्नोऽहमपृच्छं हृदिकात्मजम्॥
O great king, on my arrival I found Dvarka shorn of its splendour. Vedic recitations and sacrificial offerings were stopped, beautiful damsels were destitute of ornaments and the gardens were devoid of beauty, Alarmed by the sight, I asked the son of Hridika.
अस्वस्थनरनारीकमिदं वृष्णिकुलं भृशम्। किमिदं नरशार्दूल श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः॥
"O best of men, why are the men and the women of the Vrishni race are all woc-begone. I desire to hear all about it."
एवमुक्तः स तु मया विस्तरेणेदमब्रवीत्। रोधं मोक्षं च शाल्वेन हार्दिक्यो राजसत्तम॥
O best of kings, having been thus addressed by me, the son of Hridika narrated to me in detail the invasion of the city by Shalva and his subsequent defeat and departure.
ततोऽहं भरतश्रेष्ठ श्रुत्वा सर्वमशेषतः। विनाशे शाल्वराजस्य तदैवाकरवं मतिम्॥
O best of the Bharata race, thereupon having heard all, I instantly made up my mind to kill king Shalva.
ततोऽहं भरतश्रेष्ठ समाश्वास्य पुरे जनम्। राजानमाहुकं चैव तथैवानकदुन्दुभिम्॥ सर्वान् वृष्णिप्रवीरांश्च हर्षयन्नब्रुवं तदा। अप्रमादः सद कार्यो नगरे यादवर्षभाः॥
O best of the Bharata race, encouraging the citizens, I thus addressed with cheerfulness king Ahuka and Anakadundubhi and also all the chief heroes of the Vrishni race, "O best of the Yadavas, stay all of you in the city with all caution.
शाल्वराजविनाशाय प्रयातं मां निबोधत। नाहत्वा तं निवर्तिष्ये पुरी द्वारवतीं प्रति॥
Know, I shall go to kill Shalva, Without killing him, I shall not return to the city of Dvarvati.
सशाल्वं सौभनगरं हत्वा द्रष्टास्मि वः पुनः। त्रि: समाहन्यतामेषा दुन्दुभिः शत्रुभीषणा॥
I will again come back to you after destroying Shalva with his city “Saubha'' made of precious metals. Strike up the three notes of the Dundubhi (musical instrument) which are so dreadful to the foes."
ते मयाऽऽश्वासिता वीरा यथावद् भरतर्षभ। सर्वे मामब्रुवन् हृष्टाः प्रयाहि जहि शात्रवान्॥
O best of the Bharata race, thus adequately encouraged by me, they all with cheerful hearts said to me, “Go and kill the enemy."
तैः प्रहृष्टात्मभिवीरैराशीर्भिरभिनन्दितः। वाचयित्वा द्विजश्रेष्ठान् प्रणम्य शिरसा भवम्॥ शैब्यसुग्रीवयुक्तेन रथेनानादयन् दिशः। प्रघ्माप्य शङ्खप्रवरं पाञ्चजन्यमहं नृप॥ प्रयातोऽस्मि नरव्याघ्र बलेन महता वृतः। क्लुप्तेन चतुरङ्गेण यत्तेन जितकाशिना॥
O king, having received the benedictions of those cheerful heroes and having caused the Brahmanas to utter auspicious words and having also bowed down to the best of Brahmanas and to Shiva, I started on my car yoked with (my horses) Shaivya and Sugriva, filling all directions with the clatter of its wheels and blowing that best of conches named the Panchajanya. O best of men, surrounded by my invincible and victorious army consisting of four kinds of troops, all so persevering in battle, I started.
समतीत्य बहून् देशान् गिरीश्च बहुपादपान्। सरांसि सरितश्चैव मार्तिकावतमासदम्॥
Passing over many countries, mountains and trees, many lakes and rivers, I at last arrived at the country of Martikavata.
तत्राश्रौषं नरव्याघ्र शाल्वं सागरमन्तिकात्। प्रयान्तं सौभमास्थाय तमहं पृष्ठतोऽन्वयाम्॥
O best of men, here did I hear that Shalva was coursing in his (car) Saubha near the ocean. I soon followed him there.
ततः सागरमासाद्य कुक्षौ तस्य महोर्मिणः। समुद्रनाभ्यां शाल्वोऽभूत् सौभमास्थाय शत्रुहन्॥
O slayer of foes, having reached the ocean (I saw) Shalva on his (Saubha, car made of precious metal in the midst of the ocean full of heaving billows.
स समालोक्य दूरान्मां स्मयन्निव युधिष्ठिर। आह्वयामास दुष्टात्मा युद्धायैव मुहुर्मुहुः॥
O Yudhishthira, having seen ine from a distance, that wicked-minded (Asura) challenged me again and again to the fight.
तस्य शाईविनिर्मुक्तैर्बहुभिर्मर्मभेदिभिः। पुरं नासाद्यत शरैस्ततो मां रोष आविशत्॥
Many arrows, each capable of piercing to the very heart, discharged from my bow, did not reach his car. Thereupon I became filled with wrath.
स चापि पापप्रकृतिदैतेयापसदो नृप। मय्यवर्षत दुर्धर्षः शरधाराः सहस्रशः॥
O king, that greatly sinful and irrepressibly powerful wretch of a Daitya's son began to shoot at me thousands of arrows in torrents.
सैनिकान् मम सूतं च हयांश्च समवाकिरत्। अचिन्तयन्तस्तु शरान् वयं युध्याम भारत॥
O descendant of Bharata, he showered arrows on my soldiers, on my charioteer and on my horses. But without much caring for his arrows, we continued to fight.
ततः शतसहस्राणि शराणां नतपर्वणाम्। चिक्षिपुः समरे वीरा मयि शाल्वपदानुगाः॥
Thereupon those warriors who were at the command of Shalva showced on me thousands of straight arrows.
ते हयांश्च रथं चैव तदा दारुकमेव च। छादयामासुरसुरास्तैर्बाणैर्मर्मभेदिभिः॥
The Asura heroes covered my horses, my car and my charioteer, Daruka, with arrows cach capable of piercing to the very heart.
न हया न रथो वीर न यन्ता मम दारुकः। अदृश्यन्त शरैश्छन्नास्तथाहं सैनिकाश्च मे॥
O nero, I could not at that time see either my car or horses or my charioteer Daruka. For ! and my soldiers were covered with arrows.
ततोऽहमपि कौन्तेय शराणामयुतान् बहून्। आमन्त्रितानांधनुषा दिव्येन विधिनाक्षिपम्॥
O son of Kunti, thereupon I too discharged from my bows tens of thousands of arrows inspiring them with proper Mantras and shooting them with celestials methods.
न तत्र विषयस्त्वासीन्मम सैन्यस्य भारत। खे विषक्तं हि तत् सौभं क्रोशमात्र इवाभवत्॥
O descendant of Bharata, as that (car) Saubha made of precious metals was in the sky full two miles off, it could not be seen by my troops.
ततस्ते प्रेक्षकाः सर्वे रङ्गवाट इव स्थिताः। हर्षयामासुरुच्चैर्मी सिंहनादतलस्वनैः॥
Therefore, they only looked on from that field of battle like (so many) spectators in a place of annusement but they cheered me on by clappings and by shouts loud as the roars of lions.
मत्कराग्रविनिर्मुक्ता दानवानां शरास्तथा। अङ्गेषु रुचिरापाङ्गा विविशुः शलभा इव॥
The beautiful arrows discharged from the fore part of my hand penetrated into the bodies of the Danavas like biting insects.
ततो हलहलाशब्दः सौभमध्ये व्यवर्धत। वध्यतां विशिखैस्तीक्ष्णैः पततां च महार्णवे॥
Thereupon loud cries of those dying of the wounds inflicted by the arrows rose on the Saubha (car); and they (those wounded) fell into the water of the great ocean.
ते निकृत्तभुजस्कन्धाः कवन्धाकृतिदर्शनाः। नदन्तो भैरवान् नादान् निपतन्ति स्म दानवाः॥
Having lost their arms and necks and having appeared like Kabandhas (a sort of headless ghosts), the Danavas fell (down into the sea) with fearful cries.
पतितास्तेऽपि भक्ष्यन्ते समुद्राम्भोनिवासिभिः। ततो गोक्षीरकुन्देन्दुमृणालरजतप्रभम्॥ जलजं पाञ्चजन्यं वै प्राणेनाहमपूरयम्। तान् दृष्ट्वा पतितास्तत्र शाल्व: सौभपतिस्ततः॥ मायायुद्धेन महता योधयामास मां युधि। ततो गदा हलाः प्रासाः शूलशक्तिपरश्वधाः॥ असयः शक्तिकुलिशपाशटिकनपाः शराः। पट्टिशाश्च भुशुण्ड्यश्च प्रपतन्त्वनिशं मयि॥
As they fell, they were devoured by the animals, living in the waters of the ocean. Thereupon 1 powerfully blew the (conch) Panchajanya, which was obtained from the waters and which was as graceful as the lotus stock and as white as the milk or the Kunda flower or the moon or the silver. Having seen them fall, the king of Saubha Shalva. Began to fight with me with the help of illusion. Then he began to hurl upon me clubs, plough-shares, winged darts, lances, javelins, thunder-bolts, nooses, broad-swords, bullets, shafts, axes and rockets.
तामहं माययैवाशु प्रतिगृह्य व्यनाशयम्। तस्यां हतायां मायायां गिरिशृङ्गैरयोधयत्॥
Allowing them to come towards me, I soon destroyed them all by counter illusion. On mis illusion being rendered ineffectual he began to fight with mountain-peaks.
ततोऽभवत् तम इव प्रकाश इव चाभवत्। दुर्दिनं सुदिनं चैव शीतमुष्णं च भारत॥ अङ्गारपांशुवर्षे च शस्त्रवर्षं च भारत। एवं मायां प्रकुर्वाणो योधयामास मां रिपुः॥
O descendant of Bharata, then there was darkness and light alternately, the day was now fair, now gloomy and now hot and now cold. There was a fearful shower of cools, ashes and weapons. Creating such illusions, the enemy fought with me.
विज्ञाय तदहं सर्वं माययैव व्यनाशयम्। यथाकालं तु युद्धेन व्यधमं सर्वतः शरैः।।३८
Knowing this, I destroyed his illusion by counter illusion; and at the proper times I showered arrows all around.
ततो व्योम महाराज शतसूर्यमिवाभवत्। शतचन्द्रं च कौन्तेय सहस्रायुततारकम्॥
O great king, O son of Kunti, then the sky blazed forth with one hundred suns, with one hundred moons and thousands and tens of thousands of stars.
ततो नाज्ञायत तदा दिवारानं तथा दिशः। ततोऽहं मोहमापन्नः प्रज्ञास्त्रं समयोजयम्॥
None could ascertain whether it was then day or night. None could distinguish even the points of heaven. Thereupon becoming bewildered, I fixed on my bowstring the weapon, named Prajnastra.
ततस्तदस्त्रं कौन्तेयधूतं तूलमिवानलैः। तथा तदभवद् युद्धं तुमुलं लोमहर्षणम्। लब्धालोकस्तु राजेन्द्र पुनः शत्रुमयोधयम्॥
O son of Kunti, that weapon rushed onwards like flakes of cotton blown away by the winds. Tlien a great and hair-stirring battle took place. O king of kings, having rcguined light, I again fought with the enemy.