Radha Krishna - Chapter 77: S'âlva and the Saubha-fortress Finished

(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Touching water, fastening His armor and picking up His bow He [Pradyumna] said to His charioteer: 'Take Me to where the warrior Dyumân is.' (2) With Dyumân devastating His troops struck the son of Rukminî back with a smile, counterattacking with eight nârâca arrows [iron types]. (3) He struck with four for the four horses, one for the driver, with two for the bow and flag and with one for his head. (4) Gada, Sâtyaki, Sâmba and others finished off the army of the master of Saubha; all inside Saubha fell into the ocean with their throats cut. (5) The fight between the Yadus and the followers of S'âlva striking one another, that was thus tumultuous and fearsome, went on for twenty-seven days and nights. (6-7) Krishna who upon the call of the son of Dharma had gone to Indraprastha [see 10.71] then, with the Râjasûya completed, with S'is'upâla being killed and with noticing very bad omens, took leave of the Kuru elders, the sages and Prithâ and her sons, and went to Dvârakâ. (8) He said to Himself: 'With Me accompanied by My illustrious elder brother coming to this place, may the kings siding with S'is'upâla well be attacking My city.'

(9) Kes'ava, when He saw king S'âlva's Saubha and the destruction going on of all that belonged to Him, arranged for the protection of the city and said to Dâruka: (10) 'Bring Me My chariot o driver, and quickly take Me near S'âlva; and mind not to be outsmarted by this lord of Saubha, he's a great magician.'

(11) Thus commanded taking control drove he forward the chariot, so that, with Him arriving there, all of His troops and the soldiers of the opposing party caught sight of the emblem [of Garuda]. (12) When S'âlva, as the master of a practically completely destroyed army, saw Lord Krishna on the battlefield, hurled he his spear with a scary roar at Krishna's charioteer. (13) In its flight illumining all directions like it was a great meteor, was it by Krishna midair swiftly cut in a hundred pieces. (14) Like the sun with its rays in the sky, pierced He him with six penetrating arrows and aimed He torrents of them at the Saubha-fortress that was moving about. (15) But when S'âlva struck S'auri's left arm, the arm with His bow, fell, most amazingly, the S'ârnga from the hand of S'ârngadhanvâ. (16) While there from all the living beings witnessing arose a great cry of dismay, roared the lord of Saubha and said he this to Janârdana: (17-18) 'Since by You, o fool, right from under our eyes the bride of Your brother [nephew factually], a friend [S'is'upâla], was stolen [10.53] and he, my friend thus, in his heedlessness by You within the assembly was killed [10.74], will You Yourself, who are so convinced of Your invincibility, today with my sharp arrows be sent to the land of no return, if You dare to stand in front of me!'

(19) The Supreme Lord said: 'You moron, boast in vain not seeing death impending; heroes rather demonstrate their prowess, they don't prattle!'

(20) Thus having spoken struck the Supreme Lord S'âlva him infuriated with frightening power and speed with His club on the collarbone so that he trembling had to vomit blood. (21) But when he lifted His club again had S'âlva disappeared and appeared a moment later a man bowing his head before Krishna who lamenting spoke the words: 'Mother Devakî has sent me! (22) Krishna, o Krishna, o Mighty-armed One so full of love for Your parents, Your father has been captured and led away by S'âlva like it was a butcher taking a domestic animal to the slaughterhouse.'

(23) Hearing these disturbing words spoke Krishna, having assumed the nature of a human being, out of love with compassion [acting] disconsolate, like He was a normal man: (24) 'With Balarâma who is never confounded and invincibly defeats Sura and Asura, how could that petty S'âlva abduct My father; how mighty fate is!'

(25) With Govinda speaking thus came the master of Saubha closer to Krishna as if he was leading Vasudeva before Him and said he the following: (26) 'This is the one who begot You and for whose sake You live in this world; I'll kill him right before Your eyes; save him if You can, You infant!'

(27) The magician thus mocking Him cut off the head of 'Ânakadundubhi' and climbed, taking the head, in the Saubha-vehicle that hovered in the sky. (28) Even though He knew all about it was He for a moment absorbed in His normal faith of love for the ones dear to Him, but then it dawned on Him, with His great powers of perception, that it had been a demoniac, magic trick that by S'âlva was used according the designs of Maya Dânava. (29) Alert on the battlefield as if He awoke from a dream seeing nor the messenger nor His father's body anywhere and noticing that His enemy sitting in his Saubha moved about in the sky, prepared Acyuta to kill him. (30) That is how some sages say it who don't reason correctly, o seer among the kings; they most certainly are contradicting themselves with what they say when they fail to remember the way it is [compare e.g. 10.3: 15-17; 10.11: 7; 10.12: 27; 10.31: *; 10.33: 37; 10.37: 23; 10.38: 10; 10.50: 29; 10.52: 7 and 10.60: 58]. (31) The lamentation, bewilderment, affection or fear that are all the product of ignorance, simply do not relate to the infinite perception, knowledge and opulence of the Infinite One, do they? (32) At His feet do those who encouraged by service in self-realization dispel the bodily concept of life that bewildered man since time immemorial and attain they in a personal relationship the eternal glory - how in the world can there be bewilderment for Him, the Supreme Destination of the Truthful? (33) And while S'âlva with great force was attacking Him with torrents of weapons, pierced Lord Krishna unerring in His prowess, with His arrows his armor, bow and crest-jewel and smashed He with His club the Saubha-vehicle of His enemy. (34) Shattered into thousands of pieces by the club wielded by Krishna's hand, fell it into the water. S'âlva thereupon abandoned, rose to his feet and rushed with his club in his hands forward to attack Acyuta. (35) Running toward Him carrying his club was his arm severed with a bhalla cutting arrow and held He, shining like a mountain against the rising sun, in order to kill S'âlva next up His disc-weapon that appeared exactly like the burst of light at the end of time. (36) With it severed the Lord the head of that master of great magic, complete with earrings and crown, just like lord Indra with his thunderbolt did with Vritrâsura [see 6.12]. From his men then rose a loudly voiced 'alas, alas!'

(37) With the sinner fallen and the Saubha-fortress destroyed by the club, sounded kettledrums in the sky, o King, played by groups of demigods. Next was it Dantavakra who furiously, in order to revenge his friends, ran forward.'