Bhagavatapurana 10.76: atha ṣaṭsaptatitamo'dhyāyaḥ

10.76.1

/0 śrī-śuka uvāca
athānyad api kṛṣṇasya śṛṇu karmādbhutaṃ nṛpa /
krīḍā-nara-śarīrasya yathā saubha-patir hataḥ //

Śrī Śuka said: / Now hear another marvelous deed of Kṛṣṇa, O king, / who assumed a human body for his divine play, how the lord of Saubha was slain.

1. Sri Suka said:— Now listen to an account also of another wonderful deed of Krishna, O king, who sportfully assumed a human form,— how the chief of Saubha (Salva) was put an end to.

10.76.2

śiśupāla-sakhaḥ śālvo rukmiṇy-udvāha āgataḥ /
yadubhir nirjitaḥ saṅkhye jarāsandhādayas tathā //

Śālva, the friend of Śiśupāla, who had come to Rukmiṇī's wedding, / was defeated in battle by the Yadus, as were Jarāsandha and the others.

2. Sisupala's friend Salva was present at the time of Rukmini's swayamvara and he like Jarasandha and others was completely routed in battle by Yadus. [1. On a certain day there appeared in the presence of the Supreme Lord the sage whose lotus feet are worshipped by the celestials.

10.76.3

śālvaḥ pratijñām akaroc chṛṇvatāṃ sarva-bhūbhujām /
ayādavāṃ kṣmāṃ kariṣye pauruṣaṃ mama paśyata //

Śālva made a vow in the hearing of all the kings: / "I shall rid the earth of the Yadavas; behold my manly power!"

3. Before all the princes, Salva took a vow, "I shall rid the earth of Yadavas: note my heroic spirit".

10.76.4

iti mūḍhaḥ pratijñāya devaṃ paśu-patiṃ prabhum /
ārādhayām āsa nṛpaḥ pāṃśu-muṣṭiṃ sakṛd grasan //

Having made this vow, the foolish king worshiped the Lord, / the divine Paśupati, swallowing only a handful of dust once [a day].

4. Thus resolved the fool (he went into the forest for tapas, for many years after he left for the forest, his return was being expected, (but) as he did not return, his next brother was installed on the throne by the ministers who wanted a king); by his tapas he propitiated the powerful god Pasupati by swallowing (as food) a handful of dust but once (a day).

10.76.5

saṃvatsarānte bhagavān āśu-toṣa umā-patiḥ /
vareṇa cchandayām āsa śālvaṃ śaraṇam āgatam //

At the end of a year, the Lord, the husband of Umā, who is easily pleased, / invited Śālva, who had taken refuge in him, to choose a boon.

5. At the end of a year, the worshipful god, Lord of Uma, who is soon and easily pleased, offered to confer boons on Salva who sought his protection. 6. He prayed to him for a aerial car which would go at his will and cannot be broken by the gods, asuras or men, by Gandharvas or Rakshasas and which would be a terror to Vrishnis.

10.76.6

devāsura-manuṣyāṇāṃ gandharvoraga-rakṣasām /
abhedyaṃ kāma-gaṃ vavre sa yānaṃ vṛṣṇi-bhīṣaṇam //

He chose an aerial vehicle that could go at will, indestructible to gods, demons, / humans, Gandharvas, serpents, and Rakṣasas, and terrifying to the Vṛṣṇis.

10.76.7

tatheti giriśādiṣṭo mayaḥ para-puraṃ-jayaḥ /
puraṃ nirmāya śālvāya prādāt saubham ayas-mayam //

Saying "So be it," commanded by Giriśa, Maya, the conqueror of enemy cities, / constructed an iron vehicle named Saubha and gave it to Śālva.

7. Accordingly commanded by the god Siva, Maya able to conquer enemies, constructed a city like a car, all iron, called Saubha and gave it to Salva.

10.76.8

sa labdhvā kāma-gaṃ yānaṃ tamo-dhāma durāsadam /
yayas dvāravatīṃ śālvo vairaṃ vṛṣṇi-kṛtaṃ smaran //

Having obtained that vehicle which could go at will, an impenetrable abode of darkness, / Śālva went to Dvāravatī, brooding upon his enmity toward the Vṛṣṇis.

8. Having obtained that self-travelling car, the abode of darkness, inaccessible to others,

8. Mindful of the enmity borne by (he bore to) Vrishnis, Salva marched against Dwaravati.]

10.76.9

nirudhya senayā śālvo mahatyā bharatarṣabha /
purīṃ babhañjopavanān udyānāni ca sarvaśaḥ //

Surrounding the city with a vast army, O best of the Bharatas, / Śālva smashed the parks and pleasure gardens on every side.

9. With a large army Salva blockaded the city, O bull among Bharatas, and levelled to the ground all the gardens and parks.

10.76.10

sa-gopurāṇi dvārāṇi prāsādāṭṭāla-tolikāḥ /
vihārān sa vimānāgryān nipetuḥ śastra-vṛṣṭayaḥ //

Upon the gates with their archways, the palaces, towers, balconies, / and resting-halls, showers of weapons rained down from that foremost of aerial vehicles.

10. On towers, entrances, mansions, balconeys, portals, pleasure-gardens fell showers of weapons from his floating city (from the sky).

10.76.11

śilā-drumāś cāśanayaḥ sarpā āsāra-śarkarāḥ /
pracaṇḍaś cakravāto 'bhūd rajasācchāditā diśaḥ //

Rocks, trees, thunderbolts, snakes, and downpours of gravel [rained down]; / a fierce whirlwind arose, and the directions were obscured with dust.

11. There fell rocks, (Hills), trees, thunder-bolts, serpents, showers of sand: fearful whirl-winds swept: the cardinal points were darkened with dust. 12. Thus harassed by Saubha, Krishna’s city could not at all find any ease, like the earth under the scourge of Tripura.

10.76.12

ity ardyamānā saubhena kṛṣṇasya nagarī bhṛśam /
nābhyapadyata śaṃ rājaṃs tri-pureṇa yathā mahī //

Being thus exceedingly afflicted by the Saubha [craft], Kṛṣṇa's city / found no peace, O King, just as the earth [found none] when beset by the three cities [of the asuras].

10.76.13

pradyumno bhagavān vīkṣya bādhyamānā nijāḥ prajāḥ /
ma bhaiṣṭety abhyadhād vīro rathārūḍho mahā-yaśāḥ //

Seeing his own subjects being harassed, the lordly Pradyumna, / a heroic warrior of great renown, mounted his chariot and said, 'Do not fear!'

13. Pradyumna, the blessed one, saw his people thus put to distress, bid them be fearless and the warrior of renown mounted his chariot (D. remembered the word of his parents).

10.76.14

sātyakiś cārudeṣṇaś ca sāmbo 'krūraḥ sahānujaḥ /
hārdikyo bhānuvindaś ca gadaś ca śuka-sāraṇau //

Sātyaki, Cārudeṣṇa, Sāmba, and Akrūra with his younger brother, / Hārdikya [Kṛtavarman], Bhānuvinda, Gada, Śuka, and Sāraṇa,

14. & 15. Satyaki, Charudeshna, Samba, Akrura with his brother Hardikya, Bhanuvinda, Gada, Suka and Sarana and many other warriors armed with bows, leading many warriors in the chariots, well-armed and protected with armours, and with chariots, elephants, horses and foot-soldiers, issued from the city.

10.76.15

apare ca maheṣv-āsā ratha-yūthapa-yūthapāḥ /
niryayur daṃśitā guptā rathebhāśva-padātibhiḥ //

and other great archers, commanders among the chariot-brigade chiefs, / rode forth in armor, protected by chariots, elephants, cavalry, and infantry.

10.76.16

tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṃ śālvānāṃ yadubhiḥ saha /
yathāsurāṇāṃ vibudhais tumulaṃ loma-harṣaṇam //

Then a battle broke out between the Śālvas and the Yadus, / tumultuous and hair-raising, like that of the asuras with the gods.

16. Then between Salvas and Yadus raged a fearful and multous battle like that between the asuras and the gods.

10.76.17

tāś ca saubha-pater māyā divyāstrai rukmiṇī-sutaḥ /
kṣaṇena nāśayām āsa naiśaṃ tama ivoṣṇa-guḥ //

And the illusions of the lord of the Saubha [craft], the son of Rukmiṇī / destroyed in an instant with celestial missiles, as the hot-rayed sun dispels the night’s darkness.

17. As the sun of hot rays dispels the darkness of the night, Rukmini’s son in a moment with his divine missiles destroyed those magical weapons of Salva, the chief of Saubha.

10.76.18

vivyādha pañca-viṃśatyā svarṇa-puṅkhair ayo-mukhaiḥ /
śālvasya dhvajinī-pālaṃ śaraiḥ sannata-parvabhiḥ //

With twenty-five iron-tipped arrows tipped with golden feathers / and curved joints, he pierced the commander of Śālva's army.

18. With twenty-five shafts of golden hilts, provided with iron tips and well-wrought knots he struck the commander of Salva’s army.

10.76.19

śatenātāḍayac chālvam ekaikenāsya sainikān /
daśabhir daśabhir netṝn vāhanāni tribhis tribhiḥ //

He struck Śālva with a hundred [arrows], his soldiers each with one, / the troop leaders with ten each, and the mounts with three each.

19. With a hundred shafts he struck Salva and every one of his soldiers with one, each charioteer (the leader of each detachment) with ten and the animals with three.

10.76.20

tad adbhutaṃ mahat karma pradyumnasya mahātmanaḥ /
dṛṣṭvā taṃ pūjayām āsuḥ sarve sva-para-sainikāḥ //

Beholding that great and wondrous deed of the magnanimous Pradyumna, / all the warriors, both his own and the enemy's, honored him.

20. Seeing that wonderful and great skill (heroic action) of the noble Pradyumna, the soldiers of his own (all the citizens) and the enemies’ army applauded him.

10.76.21

bahu-rūpaika-rūpaṃ tad dṛśyate na ca dṛśyate /
māyā-mayaṃ maya-kṛtaṃ durvibhāvyaṃ parair abhūt //

Assuming many forms, appearing as one, now seen and now unseen, / that [vehicle] made of illusion, fashioned by Maya, was incomprehensible to the adversaries.

21. But the Saubha constructed by Maya, full of magical arrangements, appears to be many, or but one, and does not at all appear now again; thus it became difficult for others to conceive what it was (or where it was).

10.76.22

kvacid bhūmau kvacid vyomni giri-mūrdhni jale kvacit /
alāta-cakra-vad bhrāmyat saubhaṃ tad duravasthitam //

Now on the ground, now in the sky, now on a mountain peak, now in water, / whirling like a firebrand circle, that Saubha [craft] never remained stationary.

22. Now on the ground, now in the sky, now on the summit of the hill, now on water, the Saubha was going round and round like a fire-brand hardly to be found stopping at any point.

10.76.23

yatra yatropalakṣyeta sa-saubhaḥ saha-sainikaḥ /
śālvas tatas tato 'muñcañ charān sātvata-yūthapāḥ //

Wherever Śālva with his Saubha and his soldiers came into view, / right there the Sātvata troop-commanders discharged their arrows.

23. Wherever Salva may seem to be with his Saubha and army, towards every such point, the leaders of the Satvata army sent their shafts.

10.76.24

śarair agny-arka-saṃsparśair āśī-viṣa-durāsadaiḥ /
pīḍyamāna-purānīkaḥ śālvo 'muhyat pareritaiḥ //

By arrows touching like fire and the sun, deadly as poisonous serpents, / discharged by the foes, Śālva was bewildered as his city and army were tormented.

24. His floating city and his army being severely beaten by the enemies’ (Yadavas’) shafts which burned, like fire and the sun, everything they touched and were unapproachable like monstrous serpents, Salva got confounded. 25. Vrishni warriors also were severely beaten by the weapons thrown by Salva, but did not abandon the field and their respective posts: (for they wanted to win both the worlds).

10.76.25

śālvānīkapa-śastraughair vṛṣṇi-vīrā bhṛśārditāḥ /
na tatyajū raṇaṃ svaṃ svaṃ loka-dvaya-jigīṣavaḥ //

Though heavily tormented by the flood of weapons from Śālva’s commanders, / the Vṛṣṇi heroes did not abandon their respective battle stations, desirous of winning both worlds.

10.76.26

śālvāmātyo dyumān nāma pradyumnaṃ prak prapīḍitaḥ /
āsādya gadayā maurvyā vyāhatya vyanadad balī //

Śālva's minister, named Dyumān, who had been afflicted earlier, / advanced upon Pradyumna, struck him with an iron-bound club, and let out a mighty roar.

26. A minister of Salva, Dyumat by name, previously very badly beaten, approached Pradyumna and struck him with the mace of Mura (a heavy mace) and proud of it he roared aloud.

10.76.27

pradyumnaṃ gadayā sīrṇa- vakṣaḥ-sthalam ariṃ-damam /
apovāha raṇāt sūto dharma-vid dārukātmajaḥ //

His chest crushed by the club, the tamer of foes, Pradyumna, / was carried away from the battlefield by his charioteer, the son of Dāruka, who knew dharma.

27. The son of Daruka, the charioteer, knowing his duty, carried away Pradyumna, vanquisher of enemies, whose chest was by the Gada.

10.76.28

labdha-samjño muhūrtena kārṣṇiḥ sārathim abravīt /
aho asādhv idaṃ sūta yad raṇān me 'pasarpaṇam //

Regaining consciousness in a short while, the son of Kṛṣṇa said to his charioteer: / 'Alas, this was not right, O driver, that I was carried off from the battle!

28. Krishna's son recovered his senses in an hour and said to the charioteer, "Ah! It is bad, O charioteer, that I was removed from the field.

10.76.29

na yadūnāṃ kule jātaḥ śrūyate raṇa-vicyutaḥ /
vinā mat klība-cittena sūtena prāpta-kilbiṣāt //

No one born in the race of the Yadus is heard to have retreated from battle, / except me, whose fault was brought about by an unmanly-minded charioteer!

29. "No one born of Yadu's race is known to have turned his back on the battle-field excepting my poor self in the hands of a weak-hearted charioteer, in a moment of difficulty.

10.76.30

kiṃ nu vakṣye 'bhisaṅgamya pitarau rāma-keśavau /
yuddhāt samyag apakrāntaḥ pṛṣṭas tatrātmanaḥ kṣamam //

What shall I say when I meet my two fathers, Rāma and Keśava, / having thoroughly fled the fight, when questioned about my duty?'

30. "What should I having evidently retreated from (righteous) battle have to say to my parents, Rama and Krishna, when I meet them, and am asked about my ability?

10.76.31

vyaktaṃ me kathayiṣyanti hasantyo bhrātṛ-jāmayaḥ /
klaibyaṃ kathaṃ kathaṃ vīra tavānyaiḥ kathyatāṃ mṛdhe //

'Clearly my sisters-in-law will laugh and say to me: / "O hero, tell us: how could such cowardice be attributed to you by others in combat?"'

31. My brothers and sisters would certainly laugh at my weakness, "How, How, O warrior, did you fare with the enemies in the battle? Please tell us".

10.76.32

/0 sārathir uvāca
dharmaṃ vijānatāyuṣman kṛtam etan mayā vibho /
sūtaḥ kṛcchra-gataṃ rakṣed rathinaṃ sārathiṃ rathī //

The charioteer said: / 'Knowing dharma, O long-lived one, this was done by me, O lord; / a charioteer must protect a chariot-warrior in distress, and a chariot-warrior his charioteer.

32. The charioteer said:— That was done by me sensible of my duty, O Lord, O long-lived one: the rule is the charioteer should protect the warrior in peril and the warrior should protect the charioteer in peril.

10.76.33

etad viditvā tu bhavān mayāpovāhito raṇāt /
upasṛṣṭaḥ pareṇeti mūrcchito gadayā hataḥ //

Knowing this, you were borne away from the battle by me, / as you were assailed by the enemy, struck by a club, and fallen into a swoon.'

33. Conscious of this duty I took thee away from the field when thou, attacked by the enemy and beaten with a mace, fellest into a swoon.