03.021
Pancharatra: After returning from Rajasuya, Krishna goes after Shalva and finds his battleship parked in the middle of an ocean.
vāsudeva uvāca॥
Vāsudeva said.
ānartanagaraṃ muktaṃ tato'hamagamaṃ tadā। mahākratau rājasūye nivṛtte nṛpate tava ॥3-21-1॥
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)
apaśyaṃ dvārakāṃ cāhaṃ mahārāja hatatviṣam। niḥsvādhyāyavaṣaṭkārāṃ nirbhūṣaṇavarastriyam ॥3-21-2॥
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)
anabhijñeyarūpāṇi dvārakopavanāni ca। dṛṣṭvā śaṅkopapanno'ham apṛcchaṃ hṛdikātmajam ॥3-21-3॥
Having seen the unfamiliar forms of the gardens of Dvārakā, I became doubtful and asked the son of Hṛdika. (3-21-3)
asvasthanaranārikam idaṁ vṛṣṇipuraṁ bhṛśam। kim idaṁ naraśārdūla śrotum icchāmahe vayam ॥3-21-4॥
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)
evam-uktas tu sa mayā vistareṇedam abravīt। rodhaṃ mokṣaṃ ca śālvena hārdikyo rājasattama ॥3-21-5॥
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)
tato'haṃ kauravaśreṣṭha śrutvā sarvamaśeṣataḥ। vināśe śālvarājasya tadaivākaravaṃ matim ॥3-21-6॥
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)
tato'haṃ bharataśreṣṭha samāśvāsya pure janam। rājānamāhukaṃ caiva tathaivānakadundubhim ॥ sarvavṛṣṇipravīrāṃśca harṣayann abruvaṃ tadā ॥3-21-7॥
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)
apramādaḥ sadā kāryo nagare yādavaṛṣabhāḥ। śālvarājavināśāya prayātaṃ māṃ nibodhata ॥3-21-8॥
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)
nāhatvā taṃ nivartiṣye purīṃ dvāravatīṃ prati। saśālavaṃ saubhanagaraṃ hatvā draṣṭāsmi vaḥ punaḥ ॥ trisāmā hanyatāmeṣā dundubhiḥ śatrubhīṣaṇī ॥3-21-9॥
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)
te mayāśvāsitā vīrā yathāvad bharatarṣabha। sarve mām abruvan hṛṣṭāḥ prayāhi jahi śātravān ॥3-21-10॥
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)
taiḥ prahṛṣṭātmabhir vīrair āśīrbhir abhinanditaḥ। vācayitvā dvijaśreṣṭhān praṇamya śirasā ahukam ॥3-21-11॥
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)
sainyasugrīvayuktena rathenānādayandiśaḥ। pradhmāpya śaṅkhapravaraṃ pāñcajanyamahaṃ nṛpa ॥3-21-12॥
O king, I, with Sugrīva and the army mounted on the chariot, blew the excellent conch Pāñcajanya, making all directions resound. (3-21-12)
prayāto'smi naravyāghra balena mahatā vṛtaḥ। kḷptena caturaṅgeṇa balena jitakāśinā ॥3-21-13॥
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)
samatītya bahūn deśān girīṁś ca bahu-pādapān। sarāṁsi saritaś caiva mārtikāvatam āsadam ॥3-21-14॥
After traversing many regions, mountains, and forests with many trees, as well as lakes and rivers, he finally reached Mārtikāvata. (3-21-14)
tatrāśrauṣaṃ naravyāghra śālvaṃ nagaram-antikāt। prayātaṃ saubham-āsthāya tam-ahaṃ pṛṣṭhato'nvayām ॥3-21-15॥
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)
tataḥ sāgaram āsādya kukṣau tasya maho-rmiṇaḥ। samudra-nābhyāṃ śālvaḥ abhūt saubham āsthāya śatru-han ॥3-21-16॥
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)
sa samālokya dūrānmāṃ smayanniva yudhiṣṭhira। āhvayāmāsa duṣṭātmā yuddhāyaiva muhurmuhuḥ ॥3-21-17॥
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)
tasya śārṅgavinirmuktair bahubhir marmabhedibhiḥ। puraṃ nāsādyata śaraistato māṃ roṣa āviśat ॥3-21-18॥
When the city was not reached by the many arrows, piercing the vital points, released from Śārṅga, then anger entered me. (3-21-18)
sa cāpi pāpaprakṛtir daiteyāpasado nṛpa। mayy avarṣata durdharṣaḥ śaradhārāḥ sahasraśaḥ ॥3-21-19॥
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)
sainikān mama sūtaṃ ca hayāṃś ca samavākirat। acintayant as tu śarān vayaṃ yudhyāma bhārata ॥3-21-20॥
O Bhārata, the soldiers covered my charioteer and horses with arrows, but we, not considering (the attack), continued to fight. (3-21-20)
tataḥ śatasahasrāṇi śarāṇāṃ nataparvaṇām। cikṣipuḥ samare vīrā mayi śālvapadānugāḥ ॥3-21-21॥
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)
te hayān me rathaṃ caiva tadā dārukam eva ca। chādayām āsur asurā bāṇair marmavibhedibhiḥ ॥3-21-22॥
Then the Asuras covered my horses, chariot, and Dāruka as well with arrows that pierced the vital parts. (3-21-22)
na hayā na ratho vīra na yantā mama dārukaḥ। adṛśyanta śaraiś channās tathāhaṃ sainikāś ca me ॥3-21-23॥
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)
tato'ham api kauravya śarāṇām ayutān bahūn। abhimantritānāṃ dhanuṣā divyena vidhinākṣipam ॥3-21-24॥
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)
na tatra viṣayastvāsīnmama sainyasya bhārata। khe viṣaktaṃ hi tatsaubhaṃ krośamātra ivābhavat ॥3-21-25॥
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)
tataste prekṣakāḥ sarve raṅgavāṭa iva sthitāḥ। harṣayāmāsur uccair māṃ siṃhanādatalasvanaiḥ ॥3-21-26॥
Then all those spectators, standing as if in an arena, made me rejoice with loud reverberating lion-roar sounds. (3-21-26)
matkārmukavinirmuktā dānavānāṃ mahāraṇe। aṅgeṣu rudhirāktāste viviśuḥ śalabhā iva ॥3-21-27॥
The arrows released from my bow, smeared with blood, entered the bodies of the Dānavas in the great battle like moths. (3-21-27)
tato halahalāśabdaḥ saubhamadhye vyavardhata। vadhyatāṃ viśikhaiḥ tīkṣṇaiḥ patatāṃ ca mahārṇave ॥3-21-28॥
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)
te nikṛttabhujaskandhāḥ kabandhākṛtidarśanāḥ। nadanto bhairavānnādannipatanti sma dānavāḥ ॥3-21-29॥
Those demons, with their arms and shoulders severed and appearing like trunk-forms, were roaring with terrible sounds as they fell. (3-21-29)
tato gokṣīrakundendumṛṇālarajataprabham। jalajaṃ pāñcajanyaṃ vai prāṇenāham apūrayam ॥3-21-30॥
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)
tāndṛṣṭvā patitāṃstatra śālvaḥ saubhapatis tadā। māyāyuddhena mahatā yodhayāmāsa māṃ yudhi ॥3-21-31॥
Seeing them fallen there, Śālva, the lord of Saubha, then attacked me in battle with great magical warfare. (3-21-31)
tato huḍahuḍāḥ prāsāḥ śaktiśūlaparaśvadhāḥ। paṭṭiśāś ca bhuśuṇḍyaś ca prāpatann aniśaṃ mayi ॥3-21-32॥
Then, roaring javelins, lances, tridents, battle-axes, pikes, and slings continuously fell upon me. (3-21-32)
tān ahaṃ māyayā eva āśu pratigṛhya vyanāśayam। tasyām hatāyām māyāyām giriśṛṅgaiḥ ayodhayat ॥3-21-33॥
I quickly destroyed them by illusion. When that illusion was killed, he fought with mountain peaks. (3-21-33)
tato'bhavat tama iva prabhātam iva ca abhavat। durdinaṃ sudinaṃ ca eva śīta-uṣṇaṃ ca bhārata ॥3-21-34॥
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)
evaṃ māyāṃ vikurvāṇo yodhayāmāsa māṃ ripuḥ। vijñāya tadahaṃ sarvaṃ māyayāiva vyanāśayam ॥ yathākālaṃ tu yuddhena vyadhamaṃ sarvataḥ śaraiḥ ॥3-21-35॥
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)
tato vyoma mahārāja śatasūryamivābhavat। śatacandraṃ ca kaunteya sahasrāyutatārakam ॥3-21-36॥
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)
tato nājñāyata tadā divārātraṃ tathā diśaḥ। tato'haṃ mohamāpannaḥ prajñāstraṃ samayojayam॥ tatastadastramastreṇa vidhūtaṃ śaratūlavat॥3-21-37॥
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)
tathā tadabhavadyuddhaṃ tumulaṃ lomaharṣaṇam। labdhālokaśca rājendra punaḥ śatrumayodhayam ॥3-21-38॥
Thus, that battle became tumultuous and hair-raising. Regaining his sight, O king, he again fought the enemy. (3-21-38)
