03.015
Pancharatra: Krishna narrates the reason for going after Shalva.
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
asāṁnidhyaṁ kathaṁ kṛṣṇa tavāsīd vṛṣṇinandana। kva cāsīd vipravāsas te kiṁ vā akāṛṣīḥ pravāsakaḥ ॥3-15-1॥
O Kṛṣṇa, O delight of the Vṛṣṇis, how did your absence occur? Where was your separation? Or what did you do as a traveler? (3-15-1)
kṛṣṇa uvāca॥
Kṛṣṇa said.
śālvasya nagaraṃ saubhaṃ gato'ham bharatarṣabha। vinihantuṃ naraśreṣṭha tatra me śṛṇu kāraṇam ॥3-15-2॥
O best of men, bull among the Bharatas, I went to the city Saubha of Śālva to destroy it; there, hear my reason. (3-15-2)
mahātejā mahābāhur yaḥ sa rājā mahāyaśāḥ। damaghoṣātmajo vīraḥ śiśupālo mayā hataḥ ॥3-15-3॥
Śiśupāla, the heroic son of Damaghoṣa, who was a king of great fame, mighty arms, and great brilliance, has been slain by me. (3-15-3)
yajñe te bharataśreṣṭha rājasūye'rhaṇāṃ prati। sa roṣavaśasamprāpto nāmṛṣyata durātmavān ॥3-15-4॥
O best of the Bharatas, in your Rājasūya sacrifice, he, the wicked-minded one, overcome by the power of anger, could not endure the honors given to others. (3-15-4)
śrutvā taṃ nihataṃ śālvastīvraroṣasamanvitaḥ। upāyāddvārakāṃ śūnyāmihasthe mayi bhārata ॥3-15-5॥
O Bhārata, having heard that Śālva was slain, filled with intense anger, he approached the empty city of Dvārakā while I was here.
sa tatra yodhito rājan bālakaiḥ vṛṣṇipuṅgavaiḥ। āgataḥ kāmagaṃ saubham āruhyaiva nṛśaṃsakṛt ॥3-15-6॥
O king, he fought there with the boys and the foremost of the Vṛṣṇis; then, having come, he mounted the Saubha, which moved at will, and committed cruel deeds. (3-15-6)
tato vṛṣṇipravīrāṃstān bālān hatvā bahūṃs tadā। purodyānāni sarvāṇi bhedayāmāsa durmatiḥ ॥3-15-7॥
Then, after killing those many children, the mighty Vṛṣṇis, at that time the evil-minded one destroyed all the city gardens. (3-15-7)
uktavāṃś ca mahābāho kvāsau vṛṣṇikulādhamah। vāsudevaḥ sumandātmā vasudevasuto gataḥ ॥3-15-8॥
Having spoken thus, O mighty-armed one, where has that lowest of the Vṛṣṇi clan, Vāsudeva, the very dull-minded son of Vasudeva, gone? (3-15-8)
tasya yuddhārthino darpaṃ yuddhe nāśayitāsmyaḥam। ānartāḥ satyamākhyāta tatra gantāsmi yatra saḥ ॥3-15-9॥
I am the destroyer of the pride in battle of him who seeks war. O Anartas, declare this truly: I will go there where he is. (3-15-9)
taṃ hatvā vinivartiṣye kaṃsakeśiniṣūdanam। ahatvā na nivartiṣye satyenāyudhamālabhe ॥3-15-10॥
Having slain him, I shall return, O destroyer of Kamsa and Keshi. Without slaying him, I shall not return; by truth, I take up my weapon. (3-15-10)
kvāsau kvāsāviti punastatra tatra vidhāvati। mayā kila raṇe yuddhaṃ kāṅkṣamāṇaḥ sa saubharāṭ ॥3-15-11॥
Saying, "Where is he, where is he?", he again runs here and there, desiring a fight with me in battle, that king of the Saubhas. (3-15-11)
adya taṃ pāpakarmāṇaṃ kṣudraṃ viśvāsaghātinam। śiśupālavadhaamarṣād gamayiṣye yamakṣayam ॥3-15-12॥
Today, out of anger at the killing of Śiśupāla, I will send that base, evil-doing betrayer of trust to Yama's abode. (3-15-12)
mama pāpasvabhāvena bhrātā yena nipātitaḥ। śiśupālo mahīpālastaṃ vadhiṣye mahītale ॥3-15-13॥
Because of my evil nature, the brother who was cast down by Śiśupāla, the king, I shall slay him on the earth. (3-15-13)
bhrātā bālaś ca rājā ca na ca saṅgrāmamūrdhani। pramattaś ca hato vīras taṃ haniṣye janārdanam ॥3-15-14॥
Whether he is a brother, a child, or a king, and even if not in the forefront of battle, if he is a negligent and slain hero, I shall slay that Janardana. (3-15-14)
evamādi mahārāja vilapya divamāsthitaḥ। kāmagena sa saubhena kṣiptvā māṃ kurunandana ॥3-15-15॥
O great king, after lamenting in this way, he ascended to heaven in the wish-moving Saubha and cast me away, O joy of the Kurus. (3-15-15)
tamaśrauṣam ahaṃ gatvā yathā vṛttaḥ sudurmatiḥ। mayi kauravya duṣṭātmā mārttikāvatako nṛpaḥ ॥3-15-16॥
O Kauravya, I went and heard all that happened—how the very evil-minded, wicked-souled king of Mrittikāvata acted towards me. (3-15-16)
tato'ham api kauravya roṣavyākulalocanaḥ। niścitya manasā rājan vadhāyāsya mano dadhe ॥3-15-17॥
Then I too, O Kauravya, my eyes filled with anger, firmly resolved in my mind, O king, to kill him. (3-15-17)
ānarteṣu vimardaṃ ca kṣepaṃ cātmani kaurava। pravṛddhamavalepaṃ ca tasya duṣkṛtakarmaṇaḥ ॥3-15-18॥
O Kaurava, in the Anarta region, there was conflict and abuse directed at himself, and the arrogance of that evil-doer had greatly increased. (3-15-18)
tataḥ saubhavadhaayāhaṃ pratasthe pṛthivīpate। sa mayā sāgarāvarte dṛṣṭa āsītparīpsatā ॥3-15-19॥
Then, O lord of the earth, I set out for the destruction of Saubha. There, in the whirlpool of the ocean, I saw him, eager to achieve his purpose. (3-15-19)
tataḥ pradhmāpya jalajaṃ pāñcajanyam ahaṃ nṛpa। āhūya śālvaṃ samare yuddhāya samavasthitaḥ ॥3-15-20॥
Then, O king, after blowing the Panchajanya conch, I summoned Śālva and stood ready for battle. (3-15-20)
sumuhūrtam abhūd yuddhaṃ tatra me dānavaiḥ saha। vaśībhūtāś ca me sarve bhūtale ca nipātitāḥ ॥3-15-21॥
There was a battle for a good while with the Dānavas there; all my subdued forces were cast down to the earth. (3-15-21)
etatkāryaṃ mahābāho yenāhaṃ nāgamaṃ tadā। śrutvaiva hāstinapuraṃ dyūtaṃ cāvinayotthitam ॥3-15-22॥
O mighty-armed one, this was the reason why I did not come then; for I had just heard about the dice-game and the impropriety that had arisen in Hastinapura. (3-15-22)
