03.021
Pancharatra: After returning from Rajasuya, Krishna goes after Shalva and finds his battleship parked in the middle of an ocean.
वासुदेव उवाच॥
Vāsudeva said.
आनर्तनगरं मुक्तं ततोऽहमगमं तदा। महाक्रतौ राजसूये निवृत्ते नृपते तव ॥३-२१-१॥
After the city of Anarta was released, I then went from there; when your great Rājasūya sacrifice had been completed, O king. (3-21-1)
अपश्यं द्वारकां चाहं महाराज हतत्विषम्। निःस्वाध्यायवषट्कारां निर्भूषणवरस्त्रियम् ॥३-२१-२॥
O great king, I saw Dvārakā, bereft of its former splendor, lacking the recitation of sacred texts and sacrificial exclamations, and without its ornaments and noble women. (3-21-2)
अनभिज्ञेयरूपाणि द्वारकोपवनानि च। दृष्ट्वा शङ्कोपपन्नोऽहमपृच्छं हृदिकात्मजम् ॥३-२१-३॥
Having seen the unfamiliar forms of the gardens of Dvārakā, I became doubtful and asked the son of Hṛdika. (3-21-3)
अस्वस्थनरनारीकमिदं वृष्णिपुरं भृषम्। किमिदं नरशार्दूल श्रोतुमिच्छामहे वयम् ॥३-२१-४॥
This city of the Vṛṣṇis is greatly filled with unwell men and women; what is this, O tiger among men? We wish to hear (about it). (3-21-4)
एवमुक्तस्तु स मया विस्तरेणेदमब्रवीत्। रोधं मोक्षं च शाल्वेन हार्दिक्यो राजसत्तम ॥३-२१-५॥
Thus, when I had spoken in detail, he, the son of Hṛdika, best of kings, told this about the obstruction and release by Śālva. (3-21-5)
ततोऽहं कौरवश्रेष्ठ श्रुत्वा सर्वमशेषतः। विनाशे शाल्वराजस्य तदैवाकरवं मतिम् ॥३-२१-६॥
Then, O best of the Kauravas, after hearing everything in full about the destruction of the king of Śālva, I immediately made up my mind. (3-21-6)
ततोऽहं भरतश्रेष्ठ समाश्वास्य पुरे जनम्। राजानमाहुकं चैव तथैवानकदुन्दुभिम् ॥ सर्ववृष्णिप्रवीरांश्च हर्षयन्नब्रुवं तदा ॥३-२१-७॥
Then, O best of the Bharatas, after consoling the people in the city, the king Āhuka, and also Anakadundubhi, I spoke to all the foremost of the Vṛṣṇis, cheering them. (3-21-7)
अप्रमादः सदा कार्यो नगरे यादवर्षभाः। शाल्वराजविनाशाय प्रयातं मां निबोधत ॥३-२१-८॥
O foremost of the Yādavas, always maintain vigilance in the city; know that I have departed for the destruction of the king of Śālva. (3-21-8)
नाहत्वा तं निवर्तिष्ये पुरीं द्वारवतीं प्रति। सशाल्वं सौभनगरं हत्वा द्रष्टास्मि वः पुनः ॥ त्रिसामा हन्यतामेषा दुन्दुभिः शत्रुभीषणी ॥३-२१-९॥
I will not return to the city of Dvāravatī without killing him. After slaying Śālva along with the Saubha city, I shall see you all again. Trisāmā, let this drum that terrifies enemies be sounded. (3-21-9)
ते मयाश्वासिता वीरा यथावद्भरतर्षभ। सर्वे मामब्रुवन्हृष्टाः प्रयाहि जहि शात्रवान् ॥३-२१-१०॥
O bull among the Bharatas, those heroes, having been properly encouraged by me, all joyfully said to me: "Go forth, slay the enemies." (3-21-10)
तैः प्रहृष्टात्मभिर्वीरैराशीर्भिरभिनन्दितः। वाचयित्वा द्विजश्रेष्ठान्प्रणम्य शिरसाहुकम् ॥३-२१-११॥
He was honored with blessings by those heroic men whose minds were delighted; after having the best of the twice-born recite, he bowed his head to Ahuka. (3-21-11)
सैन्यसुग्रीवयुक्तेन रथेनानादयन्दिशः। प्रध्माप्य शङ्खप्रवरं पाञ्चजन्यमहं नृप ॥३-२१-१२॥
O king, I, with Sugrīva and the army mounted on the chariot, blew the excellent conch Pāñcajanya, making all directions resound. (3-21-12)
प्रयातोऽस्मि नरव्याघ्र बलेन महता वृतः। कॢप्तेन चतुरङ्गेण बलेन जितकाशिना ॥३-२१-१३॥
O tiger among men, I have set out, surrounded by a great army, with a well-arranged fourfold force, accompanied by the conqueror of Kāśī. (3-21-13)
समतीत्य बहून्देशान्गिरींश्च बहुपादपान्। सरांसि सरितश्चैव मार्त्तिकावतमासदम् ॥३-२१-१४॥
After traversing many regions, mountains, and forests with many trees, as well as lakes and rivers, he finally reached Mārtikāvata. (3-21-14)
तत्राश्रौषं नरव्याघ्र शाल्वं नगरमन्तिकात्। प्रयातं सौभमास्थाय तमहं पृष्ठतोऽन्वयाम् ॥३-२१-१५॥
There, O tiger among men, I heard that Śālva, having mounted the Saubha, departed from near the city; I followed him from behind. (3-21-15)
ततः सागरमासाद्य कुक्षौ तस्य महोर्मिणः। समुद्रनाभ्यां शाल्वोऽभूत्सौभमास्थाय शत्रुहन् ॥३-२१-१६॥
Then, having reached the ocean, in the midst of its great waves, at the navel of the sea, Śālva appeared, having mounted his Saubha (aerial city), as the destroyer of enemies. (3-21-16)
स समालोक्य दूरान्मां स्मयन्निव युधिष्ठिर। आह्वयामास दुष्टात्मा युद्धायैव मुहुर्मुहुः ॥३-२१-१७॥
O Yudhiṣṭhira, he looked at me from a distance, as if smiling, and that wicked-souled man repeatedly challenged me to battle. (3-21-17)
तस्य शार्ङ्गविनिर्मुक्तैर्बहुभिर्मर्मभेदिभिः। पुरं नासाद्यत शरैस्ततो मां रोष आविशत् ॥३-२१-१८॥
When the city was not reached by the many arrows, piercing the vital points, released from Śārṅga, then anger entered me. (3-21-18)
स चापि पापप्रकृतिर्दैतेयापसदो नृप। मय्यवर्षत दुर्धर्षः शरधाराः सहस्रशः ॥३-२१-१९॥
O king, that lowest among the Daityas, of evil nature and difficult to assail, rained thousands of streams of arrows upon me. (3-21-19)
सैनिकान्मम सूतं च हयांश्च समवाकिरत्। अचिन्तयन्तस्तु शरान्वयं युध्याम भारत ॥३-२१-२०॥
O Bhārata, the soldiers covered my charioteer and horses with arrows, but we, not considering (the attack), continued to fight. (3-21-20)
ततः शतसहस्राणि शराणां नतपर्वणाम्। चिक्षिपुः समरे वीरा मयि शाल्वपदानुगाः ॥३-२१-२१॥
Then, the heroes who were followers of Śālva's army hurled hundreds of thousands of arrows with bent joints at me in the battle. (3-21-21)
ते हयान्मे रथं चैव तदा दारुकमेव च। छादयामासुरसुरा बाणैर्मर्मविभेदिभिः ॥३-२१-२२॥
Then the Asuras covered my horses, chariot, and Dāruka as well with arrows that pierced the vital parts. (3-21-22)
न हया न रथो वीर न यन्ता मम दारुकः। अदृश्यन्त शरैश्छन्नास्तथाहं सैनिकाश्च मे ॥३-२१-२३॥
Neither my horses, nor my chariot, nor my charioteer Dāruka, nor I, nor my soldiers could be seen, all being covered by arrows. (3-21-23)
ततोऽहमपि कौरव्य शराणामयुतान्बहून्। अभिमन्त्रितानां धनुषा दिव्येन विधिनाक्षिपम् ॥३-२१-२४॥
Then I too, O descendant of Kuru, using the divine bow and proper method, released many tens of thousands of arrows empowered by mantra. (3-21-24)
न तत्र विषयस्त्वासीन्मम सैन्यस्य भारत। खे विषक्तं हि तत्सौभं क्रोशमात्र इवाभवत् ॥३-२१-२५॥
O Bhārata, there was no domain of my army there. That Saubha, indeed, suspended in the sky, became as if at the distance of a krośa. (3-21-25)
ततस्ते प्रेक्षकाः सर्वे रङ्गवाट इव स्थिताः। हर्षयामासुरुच्चैर्मां सिंहनादतलस्वनैः ॥३-२१-२६॥
Then all those spectators, standing as if in an arena, made me rejoice with loud reverberating lion-roar sounds. (3-21-26)
मत्कार्मुकविनिर्मुक्ता दानवानां महारणे। अङ्गेषु रुधिराक्तास्ते विविशुः शलभा इव ॥३-२१-२७॥
The arrows released from my bow, smeared with blood, entered the bodies of the Dānavas in the great battle like moths. (3-21-27)
ततो हलहलाशब्दः सौभमध्ये व्यवर्धत। वध्यतां विशिखैस्तीक्ष्णैः पततां च महार्णवे ॥३-२१-२८॥
Then a roaring sound arose in the midst of the Saubha. Let them be slain with sharp arrows, and let those who fall descend into the great ocean. (3-21-28)
ते निकृत्तभुजस्कन्धाः कबन्धाकृतिदर्शनाः। नदन्तो भैरवान्नादन्निपतन्ति स्म दानवाः ॥३-२१-२९॥
Those demons, with their arms and shoulders severed and appearing like trunk-forms, were roaring with terrible sounds as they fell. (3-21-29)
ततो गोक्षीरकुन्देन्दुमृणालरजतप्रभम्। जलजं पाञ्चजन्यं वै प्राणेनाहमपूरयम् ॥३-२१-३०॥
Then I filled the Pāñcajanya conch, which had the radiance of cow's milk, jasmine, the moon, lotus-stalk, and silver, with my breath. (3-21-30)
तान्दृष्ट्वा पतितांस्तत्र शाल्वः सौभपतिस्तदा। मायायुद्धेन महता योधयामास मां युधि ॥३-२१-३१॥
Seeing them fallen there, Śālva, the lord of Saubha, then attacked me in battle with great magical warfare. (3-21-31)
ततो हुडहुडाः प्रासाः शक्तिशूलपरश्वधाः। पट्टिशाश्च भुशुण्ड्यश्च प्रापतन्ननिशं मयि ॥३-२१-३२॥
Then, roaring javelins, lances, tridents, battle-axes, pikes, and slings continuously fell upon me. (3-21-32)
तानहं माययैवाशु प्रतिगृह्य व्यनाशयम्। तस्यां हतायां मायायां गिरिशृङ्गैरयोधयत् ॥३-२१-३३॥
I quickly destroyed them by illusion. When that illusion was killed, he fought with mountain peaks. (3-21-33)
ततोऽभवत्तम इव प्रभातमिव चाभवत्। दुर्दिनं सुदिनं चैव शीतमुष्णं च भारत ॥३-२१-३४॥
Then, O Bhārata, it became as if night and as if dawn; it was both a bad day and a good day, both cold and hot. (3-21-34)
एवं मायां विकुर्वाणो योधयामास मां रिपुः। विज्ञाय तदहं सर्वं माययैव व्यनाशयम् ॥ यथाकालं तु युद्धेन व्यधमं सर्वतः शरैः ॥३-२१-३५॥
Thus, the enemy, employing illusion, fought with me; realizing this, I destroyed all his illusions. Then, at the right time, I struck him down from all sides with arrows in battle. (3-21-35)
ततो व्योम महाराज शतसूर्यमिवाभवत्। शतचन्द्रं च कौन्तेय सहस्रायुततारकम् ॥३-२१-३६॥
Then, O great king, the sky became as if with a hundred suns; and, O son of Kunti, it was filled with a hundred moons and thousands upon thousands of stars. (3-21-36)
ततो नाज्ञायत तदा दिवारात्रं तथा दिशः। ततोऽहं मोहमापन्नः प्रज्ञास्त्रं समयोजयम् ॥ ततस्तदस्त्रमस्त्रेण विधूतं शरतूलवत् ॥३-२१-३७॥
Then, neither day nor night nor the directions were perceived. Then, afflicted by delusion, I applied the weapon of wisdom. Then that weapon was dispelled by my weapon like autumn-cotton. (3-21-37)
तथा तदभवद्युद्धं तुमुलं लोमहर्षणम्। लब्धालोकश्च राजेन्द्र पुनः शत्रुमयोधयम् ॥३-२१-३८॥
Thus, that battle became tumultuous and hair-raising. Regaining his sight, O king, he again fought the enemy. (3-21-38)
