Bhagavatapurana 10.77: atha saptasaptatitamo'dhyāyaḥ

10.77.1

/0 śrī-śuka uvāca
sa upaspṛśya salilaṃ daṃśito dhṛta-kārmukaḥ /
naya māṃ dyumataḥ pārśvaṃ vīrasyety āha sārathim //

Śrī Śuka said: / Having touched water, clad in armor, and taking up his bow, / he said to the charioteer: 'Take me to the side of that hero Dyumān!'

1. Sri Suka said:— Pradyumna made Achamana, donned his armour, took up his bow (having heard what the charioteer said Pradyumna, the delight of Yadus again took up his weapons) and said to the charioteer on the field, 'Look here, Dyumat has put on his armour and raised his bow; take me to the side of the warrior Dyumat''.

10.77.2

vidhamantaṃ sva-sainyāni dyumantaṃ rukmiṇī-sutaḥ /
pratihatya pratyavidhyān nārācair aṣṭabhiḥ smayan //

Confronting Dyumān, who was decimating his own troops, / the son of Rukmiṇī checked him and, smiling, pierced him with eight steel shafts.

2. When Dyumat was scattering his troops, Rukmani's son smiled and struck him with eight Naracha shafts.

10.77.3

caturbhiś caturo vāhān sūtam ekena cāhanat /
dvābhyaṃ dhanuś ca ketuṃ ca śareṇānyena vai śiraḥ //

With four he struck down his four horses, with one his charioteer, / with two his bow and flagpole, and with yet another arrow his head.

3. He struck the four horses with four shafts and the charioteer with one and with two shafts he cut off his bow and flag and with another struck his head.

10.77.4

gada-sātyaki-sāmbādyā jaghnuḥ saubha-pater balam /
petuḥ samudre saubheyāḥ sarve sañchinna-kandharāḥ //

Gada, Sātyaki, Sāmba, and the others slaughtered the force of the Saubha's master; / all the Saubha warriors fell into the ocean with their necks severed.

4. Gada, Satyaki, Samba and others dealt severe blows to the army of Salva and those that were in the Saubha fell all into the sea, their necks cut off.

10.77.5

evaṃ yadūnāṃ śālvānāṃ nighnatām itaretaram /
yuddhaṃ tri-nava-rātraṃ tad abhūt tumulam ulbaṇam //

Thus, as the Yadus and the Śālvas slew one another, / that battle raged, tumultuous and fierce, for thrice nine nights.

5. Thus a fearful and tumultuous battle between the Yadus and Salva who struck down one another, was continued to be fought for twenty-seven nights.

10.77.6

indraprasthaṃ gataḥ kṛṣṇa āhūto dharma-sūnunā /
rājasūye 'tha nivṛtte śiśupāle ca saṃsthite //

Kṛṣṇa had gone to Indraprastha, invited by the son of Dharma [Yudhiṣṭhira]; / then, when the Rājasūya sacrifice was concluded and Śiśupāla was slain,

6. Krishna, who had been invited by Yudhishtira was staying in Indraprastha, even after the completion of the Rajasuya and the fall of Sisupala.

10.77.7

kuru-vṛddhān anujñāpya munīṃś ca sa-sutāṃ pṛthām /
nimittāny ati-ghorāṇi paśyan dvāravatīṃ yayau //

taking leave of the Kuru elders, the sages, and Pṛthā with her sons, / he departed for Dvāravatī, observing exceedingly terrible omens.

7. Now, noticing fearful portents He took leave of the aged Kurus, Rishis, Kunti and her sons and set out to Dwaraka.

10.77.8

āha cāham ihāyāta ārya-miśrābhisaṅgataḥ /
rājanyāś caidya-pakṣīyā nūnaṃ hanyuḥ purīṃ mama //

And he said: 'Since I have come here in the company of the noble elders, / the kings allied with the king of Cedi [Śiśupāla] must surely be attacking my city.'

8. (Before starting) He also told them at the request of the

14. This very moment I pursue him; and having killed the wicked one and drowned his Saubha in the sea, shall go back to Dwaraka. respectable Dharmaraja, "The princes on the side of Chaidya might certainly attack my city".

10.77.9

vīkṣya tat kadanaṃ svānāṃ nirūpya pura-rakṣaṇam /
saubhaṃ ca śālva-rājaṃ ca dārukaṃ prāha keśavaḥ //

Seeing that destruction of his kin, arranging for the city's defense, / and seeing the Saubha and the king of Śālva, Keśava said to Dāruka:

9. When he saw how his own people were struggling and how the city was (Rama) defended and also saw the Saubha and the king of Salvas observed to Daruka.

10.77.10

rathaṃ prāpaya me sūta śālvasyāntikam āśu vai /
sambhramas te na kartavyo māyāvī saubha-rāḍ ayam //

'O charioteer, take my chariot swiftly to Śālva's presence; / you must not be bewildered, for this lord of the Saubha is a master of illusions.'

10. O charioteer, take my car (at once) near Salvas, do not get frightened. Here is the chief of Saubha and he is versed in magical ways.

10.77.11

ity uktaś codayām āsa ratham āsthāya dārukaḥ /
viśantaṃ dadṛśuḥ sarve sve pare cāruṇānujam //

Thus addressed, Dāruka mounted the chariot and drove it forward; / all, both his own men and the enemies, saw the younger brother of Aruṇa's elder brother [Kṛṣṇa] entering.

11. Thus instructed, Daruka mounted the chariot and drove it: all people on his side and those on the opposite saw Aruna's brother entering.

10.77.12

śālvaś ca kṛṣṇam ālokya hata-prāya-baleśvaraḥ /
prāharat kṛṣṇa-sūtaya śaktiṃ bhīma-ravāṃ mṛdhe //

And Śālva, seeing Kṛṣṇa when his own army's leaders were mostly slain, / hurled in battle a spear of terrible sound at Kṛṣṇa's charioteer.

12. Leading the remnant of his army that was mostly beaten down Salva saw Krishna on the battle-field and darted at His charioteer his Sakti of terrible noise.

10.77.13

tām āpatantīṃ nabhasi maholkām iva raṃhasā /
bhāsayantīṃ diśaḥ śauriḥ sāyakaiḥ śatadhācchinat //

As it was hurtling through the sky with great speed like a huge meteor, / illuminating the quarters, Śauri cut it into a hundred pieces with his arrows.

13. Krishna with His shafts cut into hundred pieces that Sakti which was rushing through the air like a great fire-brand illuminating the cardinal points.

10.77.14

taṃ ca ṣoḍaśabhir viddhvā bānaiḥ saubhaṃ ca khe bhramat /
avidhyac chara-sandohaiḥ khaṃ sūrya iva raśmibhiḥ //

Having pierced him with sixteen arrows and the Saubha as it wandered in the sky, / he pierced the sky with multitudes of arrows, like the sun with its rays.

14. He (Krishna) hit him with sixteen shafts and with volleys of arrows covered the saubha that was wheeling in the sky, just as the sun does the space with his rays.

10.77.15

śālvaḥ śaures tu doḥ savyaṃ sa-śārṅgaṃ śārṅga-dhanvanaḥ /
bibheda nyapatad dhastāc chārṅgam āsīt tad adbhutam //

Śālva, however, pierced the left arm of Śauri, bearer of the Śārṅga bow, / along with the Śārṅga bow; the Śārṅga fell from his hand, and that was astonishing.

15. Salva hit Krishna's left arm by which the Sarnga was held and Sarnga fell from His hand and it was really wonderful.

10.77.16

hāhā-kāro mahān āsīd bhūtānāṃ tatra paśyatām /
ninadya saubha-rāḍ uccair idam āha janārdanam //

A great cry of woe arose from the creatures watching there; / roaring loudly, the lord of the Saubha spoke these words to Janārdana:

26. Thus spoken to, Sri Krishna, beaten with arrows, again took up His bow. 16. Then arose a loud outcry of wonder and fear on the part of the creatures that were witnessing it, and Salva loudly roared and said this to Krishna.

10.77.17

yat tvayā mūḍha naḥ sakhyur bhrātur bhāryā hṛtekṣatām /
pramattaḥ sa sabhā-madhye tvayā vyāpāditaḥ sakhā //

'Since by you, O fool, the wife of our friend and brother [Rukmiṇī] was abducted before our eyes, / and that friend [Śiśupāla], while off his guard in the assembly, was slain by you,

17. 'O dull-witted one, as we were all looking on, our friend's wife was carried away and in the midst of the assembly and when not prepared, my friend was killed by thee.

10.77.18

taṃ tvādya niśitair bāṇair aparājita-māninam /
nayāmy apunar-āvṛttiṃ yadi tiṣṭher mamāgrataḥ //

therefore you, who think yourself undefeated, I will today / dispatch to the realm of no return with sharp arrows, if you stand before me!'

18. 'Thee of such pride and possessed with the false notion of being invincible, I shall send to the state from which there is no returning, only if Thou standest before me.

10.77.19

/0 śrī-bhagavān uvāca
vṛthā tvaṃ katthase manda na paśyasy antike 'ntakam /
paurusaṃ darśayanti sma śūrā na bahu-bhāṣiṇaḥ //

The Lord said: / 'In vain do you boast, fool; you do not see death near at hand. / Heroes demonstrate their valor; they do not speak much.'

19. The Lord said:- In vain prattlest thou, O dull-witted one, but doest not see Yama beside thee: (thou hast no great heroism); warriors display their strength and skill, but do not talk much. (D. For us warriors talk is of no value).

10.77.20

ity uktvā bhagavāñ chālvaṃ gadayā bhīma-vegayā /
tatāḍa jatrau saṃrabdhaḥ sa cakampe vamann asṛk //

Having spoken thus, the Lord furiously struck Śālva upon the collarbone
with his mace of frightful velocity; he trembled, vomiting blood.

20. Saying this the Lord in rage struck Salva at his ankle-knot with His gada of formidable force: and he shook and vomited blood.

10.77.21

gadāyāṃ sannivṛttāyāṃ śālvas tv antaradhīyata /
tato muhūrta āgatya puruṣaḥ śirasācyutam /
devakyā prahito 'smīti natvā prāha vaco rudan //

When the mace was withdrawn, Śālva vanished from sight.
Then, after an instant, a man arrived, bowing his head to Acyuta;
saying, "I have been sent by Devakī," he spoke these words, weeping:

21. Salva disappeared; then after an hour a certain person came in, bowed his head to Achyuta and, shedding tears, said, "I am sent by Devaki".

10.77.22

kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa mahā-bāho pitā te pitṛ-vatsala /
baddhvāpanītaḥ śālvena saunikena yathā paśuḥ //

"Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, mighty-armed one! You who love your father—
your father has been bound and carried off by Śālva, like an animal by a butcher!"

22. "O Krishna, Krishna of powerful arms affectionate to parents; Thy father is bound and carried away by Salva just as an animal is dragged away by the butcher."

10.77.23

niśamya vipriyaṃ kṛṣṇo mānusīṃ prakṛtiṃ gataḥ /
vimanasko ghṛṇī snehād babhāṣe prākṛto yathā //

Hearing this distressing news, Kṛṣṇa assumed a human nature,
and downcast, tender out of affection, he spoke like an ordinary man:

23. Hearing the unpleasant news Krishna, following human nature, troubled at heart and full of mercy, spoke out of affection like an ordinary mortal.

10.77.24

kathaṃ rāmam asambhrāntaṃ jitvājeyaṃ surāsuraiḥ /
śālvenālpīyasā nītaḥ pitā me balavān vidhiḥ //

"How could my father be taken by the petty Śālva,
after conquering the unconfounded Rāma, unconquerable by gods and demons? Truly, fate is powerful!"

24. "How is it that Rama never to be perturbed and not possible to be subdued by the gods and asuras, is overcome and my father is carried away by the worthless Salva-Providence is powerful!"

10.77.25

iti bruvāṇe govinde saubha-rāṭ pratyupasthitaḥ /
vasudevam ivānīya kṛṣṇaṃ cedam uvāca saḥ //

While Govinda was speaking thus, the lord of the Saubha [craft] appeared,
bringing what seemed to be Vasudeva, and said to Kṛṣṇa:

25. When Govinda was saying this, Salva presented himself and, showing something like Vasudeva (His father) said to Krishna as follows:

10.77.26

eṣa te janitā tāto yad-artham iha jīvasi /
vadhiṣye vīkṣatas te 'mum īśaś cet pāhi bāliśa //

"Here is your father who begot you, for whose sake you live here in this world.
I shall slay him while you look on; foolish boy, protect him if you are Lord!"

26. "Here is Thy own father for whose sake Thou livest, before Thy eyes I kill him: see if Thou couldst save him, O childish one."

10.77.27

evaṃ nirbhartsya māyāvī khaḍgenānakadundubheḥ /
utkṛtya śira ādāya kha-sthaṃ saubhaṃ samāviśat //

Having reviled him thus, the master of illusions severed the head
of Ānakadundubhi with a sword, and taking it, entered the Saubha stationed in the sky.

27. Having thus threatened, the deceitful Salva (D. Then Salva sprang at and) cut off the head of that Vasudeva and with the head he returned to the Saubha that was up in the sky. 28. Thereupon He was for a while overwhelmed (as it were) with the human nature for the sake of His relations, though He is by nature one of perfect light. Then Krishna of immense power understood all that to be the asura-illusion tried by Salva under the instruction of Maya.

10.77.28

tato muhūrtaṃ prakṛtāv upaplutaḥ sva-bodha āste sva-janānuṣaṅgataḥ /
mahānubhāvas tad abudhyad āsurīṃ māyāṃ sa śālva-prasṛtāṃ mayoditām //

Then, for a moment, he remained overwhelmed in human nature, his self-awareness clouded by attachment to his kin;
but the exalted Lord soon realized it was a demoniac trick spread by Śālva, devised by Maya.

28. D. Then for a while Sri Krishna continued to stop in the battle-field, though in His unlimited and unobstructed omniscience, seeming to be one of human nature. Then the omnipotent Lord as if roused by the words of His devout people behaved as if He then perceived the whole thing to be the Asura-illusion instituted by Salva as taught by Maya.

10.77.29

na tatra dūtaṃ na pituḥ kalevaraṃ prabuddha ājau samapaśyad acyutaḥ /
svāpnaṃ yathā cāmbara-cāriṇaṃ ripuṃ saubha-stham ālokya nihantum udyataḥ //

en:

29. There the wakeful Paramatman Krishna now found no messenger, no father's body: it was a dream: and seeing the enemy passing through the air seated in the Saubha, the Lord proceeded to kill him.

10.77.30

evaṃ vadanti rājarṣe ṛṣayaḥ ke ca nānvitāḥ /
yat sva-vāco virudhyeta nūnaṃ te na smaranty uta //

So some sages declare, O royal sage, but they are not consistent;
surely they do not remember that this contradicts their own words.

30. Thus, O saintly king, certain rishis are not very consistent in their talk, for they do not indeed remember what is contradictory to their words.

30. D. O saintly king, certain Rishis along with the celestials traversing the sky were expressing themselves thus: The wise do not think that the Lord's words, i.e., Vedic words, do not really contain any contradiction or imply defects of understanding in Him.

30. V. Certain Rishis who do not perceive the relation of ideas before and after are incapable of realising how their own words might become contradictory.

10.77.31

kva śoka-mohau sneho vā bhayaṃ vā ye 'jña-sambhavāḥ /
kva cākhaṇḍita-vijñāna- jñānaiśvaryas tv akhaṇḍitaḥ //

Where are grief, delusion, attachment, or fear, which arise from ignorance,
and where is he of undivided wisdom, knowledge, and unbroken sovereignty?

31. Where are the grief and folly and confusion, attachment and fear which find place only in the ignorant? (and) Where is the Absolute one possessed of infinite Vignana and Gnana and lordly power?

10.77.32

yat-pāda-sevorjitayātma-vidyayā hinvanty anādyātma-viparyaya-graham /
labhanta ātmīyam anantam aiśvaraṃ kuto nu mohaḥ paramasya sad-gateḥ //

By knowledge of the self, invigorated through service to his feet, [sages] cast off beginningless misconception of the self
and attain their own endless sovereign nature; whence, then, could delusion come to the Supreme, the refuge of virtuous devotees?

32. How could there be really any confusion or delusion in that Supreme Lord, the goal of the righteous, from whom devotees obtain their essential and unlimited lordly state through Atmavidya gained and strengthened by service to His feet and get rid of the wrong notions rooted through ignorance from eternity?

10.77.32.p1

taṃ śastra-pūgaiḥ praharantam ojasā $ śālvaṃ śaraiḥ śaurir amogha-vikramaḥ &

While Śālva was striking with masses of weapons with all his might, Śauri of unfailing valor,

33. Sri Krishna of ever unfailing prowess deeply pierced Salva with shafts and cut off his armour, his bow and the jewel on his head and with His Gada thoroughly knocked down the Saubha of the enemy.

10.77.33

viddhvācchinad varma dhanuḥ śiro-maṇiṃ % saubhaṃ ca śatror gadayā ruroja ha //

pierced him with arrows, severed his armor, bow, and crest-jewel, and shattered the enemy's Saubha with his mace.

10.77.34

tat kṛṣṇa-hasteritayā vicūrṇitaṃ papāta toye gadayā sahasradhā /
visṛjya tad bhū-talam āsthito gadām udyamya śālvo 'cyutam abhyagād drutam //

Pulverized by the mace hurled from Kṛṣṇa’s hand, it fell into the water in a thousand pieces.
Abandoning it and standing on the ground, Śālva raised his mace and rushed swiftly upon Acyuta.

34. Struck by the gada from the hand of Krishna, that Saubha broke into a thousand pieces and fell into water as powder. Leaving it, he stood on the earth and raising his gada he quickly ran towards Achyuta.

10.77.35

ādhāvataḥ sa-gadaṃ tasya bāhuṃ bhallena chittvātha rathāṅgam adbhutam /
vadhāya śālvasya layārka-sannibhaṃ bibhrad babhau sārka ivodayācalaḥ //

As he charged forward, [the Lord] severed his arm, mace and all, with a crescent-tipped arrow; then, to slay Śālva, he held his wondrous discus,
resembling the sun at the dissolution of the world, and shone like the eastern mountain with the rising sun.

35. Now Sri Krishna cut off with a Bhalla the arm with the gada of Salva that was rushing towards Him and next for the destruction of Salva He raised His Chakra burning like the sun of deluge, and shone like the Orient Hill with the sun on its summits.

10.77.36

jahāra tenaiva śiraḥ sa-kuṇḍalaṃ kirīṭa-yuktaṃ puru-māyino hariḥ /
vajreṇa vṛtrasya yathā purandaro babhūva hāheti vacas tadā nṛṇām //

With that very weapon, Hari struck off the head, adorned with earrings and a diadem, of that great illusionist,
just as Purandara severed the head of Vṛtra with his thunderbolt; then a cry of "Alas, alas!" rose from the people.

36. With the same Chakra Hari cut off the head adorned with ear-rings and Kireeta of Salva of extensive illusions, just

15 & 16. Entering the beautiful city decorated with numerous flags and other ornamental work, clean and moistened quadrangles, Devaki’s son was honoured by the elderly Yadus as well as by the people both of the city and the country, rendered happy the sixteen thousand queens immersed in love and lived blissfully, O joy of Kurus! as Purandara cut off the head of Vritra, and great was the outcry then among men.

10.77.37

tasmin nipatite pāpe saubhe ca gadayā hate /
nedur dundubhayo rājan divi deva-gaṇeritāḥ /
sakhīnām apacitiṃ kurvan dantavakro ruṣābhyagāt //

When that wicked one had fallen and the Saubha was destroyed by the mace,
kettledrums sounded in the heavens, O king, beaten by the hosts of gods.
Then, to repay the debt of his friends, Dantavakra rushed forward in fury.

37. When that Salva, the wicked, was struck down, there were heard Dundubhis, beaten by the gods; then Dantavaktra proceeded against Sri Krishna in order to please his friends.