वासुदेव उवाच एवं स पुरुषव्याघ्र शाल्वराजो महारिपुः। युध्यमानो मया संख्ये वियदभ्यगमत् पुनः॥
Krishna said: O best of men, the great enemy, the king Shalva, thus encountered by me in battle, again rose in the sky.
ततः शतघ्नीश्च महागदाश्च दीप्तांश्च शूलान् मुसलानसींश्च। चिक्षेप रोपान्मयि मन्दबुद्धिः शाल्वो महाराज जयाभिकाक्षी॥
O great king, thereupon eagerly desiring victory, that wicked-minded (Danava) hurled at me Shataghnis, great maces, flaming lances, big clubs and swords.
तानाशुगैरापततोऽहमाशु निवार्य हन्तुं खगमान् ख एव। स्ततोऽन्तरिक्षे निनदो बभूव॥
As the weapons came down through the sky I speedily stopped them with my swift arrows. I cut them off into two or three pieces before they could reachine. Thereupon a great uproar rose in the sky.
ततः शतसहस्रेण शराणां नतपर्वणाम्। दारुकं वाजिनश्चैव रथं च समवाकिरत्॥
He (Shalva) then covered Daruka, my horses and car with hundreds and thousands of straight arrow.
ततो मामब्रवीद् वीर दारुको विह्वलनिव। रथातव्यमिति तिष्ठामि शाल्वबाणप्रपीडितः। अवस्थातुं न शक्नोमि अझं मे व्यवसीदति॥
O hero, Daruka, who was about to faint away, spoke thus to me, “As it is my duty to stay, therefore I stay, though severely afflicted with the arrows of Shalva. But I am unable any longer to stay, my body has become weak."
इति तस्य निशम्याहं सारथेः करुणं वचः। अवेक्षमाणो यन्तारमपश्यं शरपीडितम्॥
Hearing these piteous words of my charioteer. I looked at him and saw that my charioteer had been fearfully wounded with arrows.
न तस्योरसि नो मूर्भि न काये न भुजद्वये। अन्तरं पाण्डवश्रेष्ठ पश्याम्यनिचितं शरैः॥ स तु बाणवरोत्पीडाद् विस्रवत्यसृगुल्वणम्। अभिवृष्टे यथा मेधे गिरिगैरिकधातुमान्॥
O best of the Pandavas, there was not a spot on his breast or on his head or in his body or in his two arms which was not covered with arrows. Blood flowed profusely from his wounds thus inflicted by the arrows. He looked like a hill of red chalk after a shower of rain.
अभीषुहस्तं तं दृष्ट्वा सीदन्तं सारथिं रणे। अस्तम्भयं महाबाहो शाल्वबाणप्रपीडितम्॥
O mighty-armed hero, seeing my charioteer thus pierced and enfeebled by the hands I cheered him.
अथ मां पुरुषः कश्चिद् द्वारकानिलयोऽब्रवीत्। त्वरिता रथमभ्येत्य सौहृदादिव भारत॥ आहुकस्य वचो वीर तस्यैव परिचारकः। विषण्णः सन्नकण्ठेन तन्निबोध युधिष्ठिर॥
O descendant of Bharata, (at this time) a certain person quickly came to my car and addressed me like a friend. O hero, O Yudhishthira, know he appeared (to me) to be a servant of Ahuka and he delivered to me a message from his (Ahuka) in a sad and choked voice.
द्वारकाधिपतिर्वीर आह त्वामाहुको वचः। केशवैहि विजानीष्व यत् त्वां पितृसखोऽब्रवीत्॥
(He said), "O hero, the king of Dvarka, Ahuka, has said this to you. “O Keshava, hear what your father's friend has said.
उपयायाद्य शाल्वेन द्वारकां वृष्णिनन्दन। विषक्ते त्वयि दुर्धर्ष हतः शूरसुतो बलात्॥
O descendant of Vrishni race, O irrepressible hero, Shalva came to Dvarka in your absence and by main force he has killed the son of Sura (Vasudeva, Krishna's father).
तदलं साधु युद्धेन निवर्तस्व जनार्दन। द्वारकामेव रक्षस्व कार्यमेतन्महत् तव॥
O Janardana, therefore there is no need of fighting here. Cease fighting and defend Dvarka. This is (now) your principal duty.”
इत्यहं तस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा परमदुर्मनाः। निश्चयं नाधिगच्छामि कर्तव्यस्येतरस्य च॥
Having heard his words, my heart became heavy and I could not ascertain what I should do and what I should not.
सात्यकिं बलदेवं च प्रद्युम्नं च महारथम्। जगहें मनसा वीर तच्छ्रुत्वा महदप्रियम्॥
O hero, having heard of this great evil, I mentally censured Satyaki, Baladeva and also the great car-warrior Pradyumna.
अहं हि द्वारकायाश्च पितुश्च कुरुनन्दन। तेषु रक्षां समाधाय प्रयातः सौभपातने।॥
O descendant of Kuru, having reposed on them the duty of protecting Dvarka and my father, I had come to the destruction of Saubha.
बलदेवो महाबाहुः कच्चिज्जीवति शत्रुहा। सात्यकी रौक्मिण्येश्च चारुदेष्णश्च वीर्यवान्॥ साम्बप्रभृतयश्चैवेत्यहमासं सुदुर्मनाः। एतेषु हि नरव्याघ्र जीवत्सु न कथंचन॥ शक्यः शूरसुतो हन्तुमपि वज्रभृता स्वयम्। हतः शूरसुतो व्यक्तं चैते परासवः॥ बलदेवमुखाः सर्व इति मे निश्चिता मतिः। सोऽहं सर्वविनाशं तं चिन्तयानो मुहुर्मुहुः। अविह्वलो महाराज पुनः शाल्वमयोधयम्॥
I asked myself in sorrow, “Do that slayer of foes Baladeva, Satyaki, the son of Rukmani, (Pradyumna) the greatly powerful Charudeshna, Samba and others live? O best of men, if they were alive. Even the wielder of thunder (Indra) could not have killed the son of Sura (my father). It is evident the son of Sura is dead; it is also evident that the others. With Baladeva at their head have all lost their lives. This is my firm belief.” I was again and again filled with the thought of their destruction. I was overwhelmed with grief, great king, but I again fought with Shalva.
ततोऽपश्यं महाराज प्रपतन्तमहं तदा। सौभाच्छूरसुतं वीर ततो मां मोह आविशत्॥
O great king, O hero, I now saw the son of Sura (my father) himself falling from the Saubha (car). At this sight I fainted away.
तस्य रूपं प्रपततः पितुर्मम नराधिप। ययातेः क्षीणपुण्यस्य स्वर्गादिव महीतलम्॥
O ruler of men, my father appeared like Yayati when he (that king) losing all his virtues fell down towards earth from heaven.
विशीर्णमलिनोष्णीषः प्रकीर्णाम्बरमूर्धजः। प्रपतन् दृश्यते ह स्म क्षीणपुण्य इव ग्रहः॥
I saw my father falling like a luminary whose merit is lost, his headgear pale and loosely flowing his hair and dress disordered.
ततः शाधिनुःश्रेष्ठं करात् प्रपतितं मम। मोहापन्नश्च कौन्तेय रथोपस्थ उपाविशम्॥
O son of Kunti, thereupon my Saranga bow fell from my hand; I fainted away and sat down on the side of the car.
ततो हाहाकृतं सर्वं सैन्यं मे गतचेतनम्। मां दृष्ट्वा रथनीडस्थं गतासुमिव भारत॥
O descendant of the Bharata race, seeing me in a swoon on the car and one like dead, my soldiers all exclaimed, “Oh” and “Alas!”
प्रसार्य प्रसार्य चरणावपि। रूपं पितुर्मे विबभौ शकुनेः पततो यथा॥
My father with out-stretched arms and legs appeared like a bird dropping from the sky.
तं पतन्तं महाबाहो शूलपट्टिशपाणयः। अभिघ्नन्तो भृशं वीर मम चेतो ह्यकम्पयन्॥
O mighty-armed hero, when he was thus falling, the hostile warriors with lances and axes in their hands began to strike him grievously. At this my heart trembled.
बाहू पततः महं तदा वीर महाविमर्दे। न तत्र सौभं न रिपुं च शाल्वं पश्यामि वृद्धं पितरं न चापि॥
O hero, regaining my consciousness soon after, I did not find them in that great battle either the (car) Saubha or the enemy Shalva or my old father.
ततो ममासीन्मनसि मायेयमिति निश्चितम्। प्रबुद्धोऽस्मि ततो भूयः शतशोऽवाकिरं शरान्।॥
I then concluded in my mind that it was nothing but illusion. Thereupon regaining my senses, I again began to discharge hundreds of arrows.