सौभ का विनाश

Krishna said: O best of men, the great enemy, the king Shalva, thus encountered by me in battle, again rose in the sky.

O great king, thereupon eagerly desiring victory, that wicked-minded (Danava) hurled at me Shataghnis, great maces, flaming lances, big clubs and swords.

As the weapons came down through the sky I speedily stopped them with my swift arrows. I cut them off into two or three pieces before they could reachine. Thereupon a great uproar rose in the sky.

He (Shalva) then covered Daruka, my horses and car with hundreds and thousands of straight arrow.

O hero, Daruka, who was about to faint away, spoke thus to me, “As it is my duty to stay, therefore I stay, though severely afflicted with the arrows of Shalva. But I am unable any longer to stay, my body has become weak."

Hearing these piteous words of my charioteer. I looked at him and saw that my charioteer had been fearfully wounded with arrows.

O best of the Pandavas, there was not a spot on his breast or on his head or in his body or in his two arms which was not covered with arrows. Blood flowed profusely from his wounds thus inflicted by the arrows. He looked like a hill of red chalk after a shower of rain.

O mighty-armed hero, seeing my charioteer thus pierced and enfeebled by the hands I cheered him.

O descendant of Bharata, (at this time) a certain person quickly came to my car and addressed me like a friend. O hero, O Yudhishthira, know he appeared (to me) to be a servant of Ahuka and he delivered to me a message from his (Ahuka) in a sad and choked voice.

(He said), "O hero, the king of Dvarka, Ahuka, has said this to you. “O Keshava, hear what your father's friend has said.

O descendant of Vrishni race, O irrepressible hero, Shalva came to Dvarka in your absence and by main force he has killed the son of Sura (Vasudeva, Krishna's father).

O Janardana, therefore there is no need of fighting here. Cease fighting and defend Dvarka. This is (now) your principal duty.”

Having heard his words, my heart became heavy and I could not ascertain what I should do and what I should not.

O hero, having heard of this great evil, I mentally censured Satyaki, Baladeva and also the great car-warrior Pradyumna.

O descendant of Kuru, having reposed on them the duty of protecting Dvarka and my father, I had come to the destruction of Saubha.

I asked myself in sorrow, “Do that slayer of foes Baladeva, Satyaki, the son of Rukmani, (Pradyumna) the greatly powerful Charudeshna, Samba and others live? O best of men, if they were alive. Even the wielder of thunder (Indra) could not have killed the son of Sura (my father). It is evident the son of Sura is dead; it is also evident that the others. With Baladeva at their head have all lost their lives. This is my firm belief.” I was again and again filled with the thought of their destruction. I was overwhelmed with grief, great king, but I again fought with Shalva.

O great king, O hero, I now saw the son of Sura (my father) himself falling from the Saubha (car). At this sight I fainted away.

O ruler of men, my father appeared like Yayati when he (that king) losing all his virtues fell down towards earth from heaven.

I saw my father falling like a luminary whose merit is lost, his headgear pale and loosely flowing his hair and dress disordered.

O son of Kunti, thereupon my Saranga bow fell from my hand; I fainted away and sat down on the side of the car.

O descendant of the Bharata race, seeing me in a swoon on the car and one like dead, my soldiers all exclaimed, “Oh” and “Alas!”

My father with out-stretched arms and legs appeared like a bird dropping from the sky.

O mighty-armed hero, when he was thus falling, the hostile warriors with lances and axes in their hands began to strike him grievously. At this my heart trembled.

O hero, regaining my consciousness soon after, I did not find them in that great battle either the (car) Saubha or the enemy Shalva or my old father.

I then concluded in my mind that it was nothing but illusion. Thereupon regaining my senses, I again began to discharge hundreds of arrows.