Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.2372

c8.2372

3) War with Śambara. Pradyumna waited for an opportunity to kill Śambara. One day Pradyumna went under the flagstaff of Śambara which flew the royal flag of the king with an emblem of the figure of a lion embossed on it. He dropped it down by one stroke of his arrow. Hearing of this Śambara ordered his sons to kill Pradyumna. The eleven sons of Śambara, viz., Atisena, Citrasena, Śiṣvaksena, Śrutasena, Suṣeṇa, Somasena, Ākkāla, Vikala, Kumbhaketu, Sudamṣṭra and Keśī, attacked Pradyumna. The devas came in their vimānas and joined sides with Pradyumna. The army of the demons teased him with various kinds of weapons like javelins, arrows, spears and battle axes. But Pradyumna cut them all by his arrows and cut to pieces all the sons of Śambara. Then Śambara sent an army against him. They were also made to flee by the arrows of Pradyumna. Then Śambara himself came on the scene. The fight became horrible. The continuous flow of arrows made it impossible for even Sun’s rays to reach the earth. Then Śambara started his magical war. But Pradyumna faced that also. Śambara sent phantom lions; but Pradyumna made them immobile. Śambara then in turn created storms, rains, wild animals, serpents and vultures. All of them were killed by Pradyumna. Then with a well-aimed arrow Pradyumna killed Śambara. Then he rushed to Dvārakā carrying Māyāvatī with him. The people of Dvārakā were astounded to see them. Pradyumna went to Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī and told them the whole story. They were overjoyed to find them and blessed them.