1–çré-çuka uväca
athänyad api kåñëasya
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çåëu karmädbhutaà nåpa
kréòä-nara-çarérasya
yathä saubha-patir hataù
Çukadeva Gosvämé said: Now please hear, O King, another wondrous deed
performed by Lord Kåñëa, who appeared in His humanlike body to enjoy
transcendental pastimes. Hear how He killed the master of Saubha.
2–çiçupäla-sakhaù çälvo
rukmiëy-udväha ägataù
yadubhir nirjitaù saìkhye
jaräsandhädayas tathä
Çälva was a friend of Çiçupäla’s. When he attended the wedding of Rukmiëé,
the Yadu warriors defeated him in battle, along with Jaräsandha and the other
kings.
3–çälvaù pratijïäm akaroc
chåëvatäà sarva-bhübhujäm
ayädaväà kñmäà kariñye
pauruñaà mama paçyata
Çälva swore in the presence of all the kings: “I will rid the earth of Yädavas.
Just see my prowess!”
4–iti müòhaù pratijïäya
devaà paçu-patià prabhum
ärädhayäm äsa nåpaù
päàçu-muñöià sakåd grasan
Having thus made his vow, the foolish King proceeded to worship Lord
Paçupati [Çiva] as his deity by eating a handful of dust each day, and nothing
more.
5-saàvatsaränte bhagavän
äçu-toña umä-patiù
vareëa cchandayäm äsa
çälvaà çaraëam ägatam
The great Lord Umäpati is known as “he who is quickly pleased,” yet only
at the end of a year did he gratify Çälva, who had approached him for shelter, by
offering him a choice of benedictions.
6–deväsura-manuñyäëäà
gandharvoraga-rakñasäm
abhedyaà käma-gaà vavre
sa yänaà våñëi-bhéñaëam
Çälva chose a vehicle that could be destroyed by neither demigods, demons,
humans, Gandharvas, Uragas nor Räkñasas, that could travel anywhere he
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wished to go, and that would terrify the Våñëis.
7–tatheti giriçädiñöo
mayaù para-puraà-jayaù
puraà nirmäya çälväya
prädät saubham ayas-mayam
Lord Çiva said, “So be it.” On his order, Maya Dänava, who conquers his
enemies’ cities, constructed a flying iron city named Saubha and presented it to
Çälva.
8–sa labdhvä käma-gaà yänaà
tamo-dhäma duräsadam
yayas dväravatéà çälvo
vairaà våñëi-kåtaà smaran
This unassailable vehicle was filled with darkness and could go anywhere.
Upon obtaining it, Çälva went to Dvärakä, remembering the Våñëis’ enmity
toward him.
9/10/11–nirudhya senayä çälvo
mahatyä bharatarñabha
puréà babhaïjopavanän
udyänäni ca sarvaçaù
sa-gopuräëi dväräëi
präsädäööäla-tolikäù
vihärän sa vimänägryän
nipetuù çastra-våñöayaù
çilä-drumäç cäçanayaù
sarpä äsära-çarkaräù
pracaëòaç cakraväto ‘bhüd
rajasäcchäditä diçaù
Çälva besieged the city with a large army, O best of the Bharatas, decimating
the outlying parks and gardens, the mansions along with their observatories,
towering gateways and surrounding walls, and also the public recreational areas.
From his excellent airship he threw down a torrent of weapons, including
stones, tree trunks, thunderbolts, snakes and hailstones. A fierce whirlwind
arose and blanketed all directions with dust.
12—ity ardyamänä saubhena
kåñëasya nagaré bhåçam
näbhyapadyata çaà räjaàs
tri-pureëa yathä mahé
Thus terribly tormented by the airship Saubha, Lord Kåñëa’s city had no
peace, O King, just like the earth when it was attacked by the three aerial cities
of the demons.
13–pradyumno bhagavän vékñya
bädhyamänä nijäù prajäù
ma bhaiñöety abhyadhäd véro
rathärüòho mahä-yaçäù
Seeing His subjects so harassed, the glorious and heroic Lord Pradyumna
told them, “Do not fear,” and mounted His chariot.
14/15–sätyakiç cärudeñëaç ca
sämbo ‘krüraù sahänujaù
härdikyo bhänuvindaç ca
gadaç ca çuka-säraëau
apare ca maheñv-äsä
ratha-yüthapa-yüthapäù
niryayur daàçitä guptä
rathebhäçva-padätibhi
The chief commanders of the chariot warriors—Sätyaki, Cärudeñëa, Sämba,
Akrüra and his younger brothers, along with Härdikya, Bhänuvinda, Gada,
Çuka and Säraëa—went out of the city with many other eminent bowmen, all
girded in armor and protected by contingents of soldiers riding on chariots,
elephants and horses, and also by companies of infantry.
16–tataù pravavåte yuddhaà
çälvänäà yadubhiù saha
yathäsuräëäà vibudhais
tumulaà loma-harñaëam
A tumultuous, hair-raising battle then commenced between Çälva’s forces
and the Yadus. It equaled the great battles between the demons and demigods.
17–täç ca saubha-pater mäyä
divyästrai rukmiëé-sutaù
kñaëena näçayäm äsa
naiçaà tama ivoñëa-guù
With His divine weapons Pradyumna instantly destroyed all of Çälva’s magic
illusions, in the same way that the warm rays of the sun dissipate the darkness
of night.
18/19–vivyädha païca-viàçatyä
svarëa-puìkhair ayo-mukhaiù
çälvasya dhvajiné-pälaà
çaraiù sannata-parvabhiù
çatenätäòayac chälvam
ekaikenäsya sainikän
daçabhir daçabhir netèn
vähanäni tribhis tribhiù
Lord Pradyumna’s arrows all had gold shafts, iron heads and perfectly
smooth joints. With twenty-five of them He struck down Çälva’s
commander-in-chief [Dyumän], and with one hundred He struck Çälva himself.
Then He pierced Çälva’s officers with one arrow each, his chariot drivers with
ten arrows each, and his horses and other carriers with three arrows each.
20–tad adbhutaà mahat karma
pradyumnasya mahätmanaù
dåñövä taà püjayäm äsuù
sarve sva-para-sainikäù
When they saw the glorious Pradyumna perform that amazing and mighty
feat, all the soldiers on both sides praised Him.
21–bahu-rüpaika-rüpaà tad
dåçyate na ca dåçyate
mäyä-mayaà maya-kåtaà
durvibhävyaà parair abhüt
At one moment the magic airship built by Maya Dänava appeared in many
identical forms, and the next moment it was again only one. Sometimes it was
visible, and sometimes not. Thus Çälva’s opponents could never be sure where it
was.
22–kvacid bhümau kvacid vyomni
giri-mürdhni jale kvacit
aläta-cakra-vad bhrämyat
saubhaà tad duravasthitam
From one moment to the next the Saubha airship appeared on the earth, in
the sky, on a mountain peak or in the water. Like a whirling, flaming baton, it
never remained in any one place.
23–yatra yatropalakñyeta
sa-saubhaù saha-sainikaù
çälvas tatas tato ‘muïcaï
charän sätvata-yüthapäù
Wherever Çälva would appear with his Saubha ship and his army, there the
Yadu commanders would shoot their arrows.
24–çarair agny-arka-saàsparçair
äçé-viña-duräsadaiù
péòyamäna-puränékaù
çälvo ‘muhyat pareritaiù
Çälva became bewildered upon seeing his army and aerial city thus harassed
by his enemy’s arrows, which struck like fire and the sun and were as
intolerable as snake venom.
25–çälvänékapa-çastraughair
våñëi-vérä bhåçärditäù
na tatyajü raëaà svaà svaà
loka-dvaya-jigéñavaù
Because the heroes of the Våñëi clan were eager for victory in this world and
the next, they did not abandon their assigned posts on the battlefield, even
though the downpour of weapons hurled by Çälva’s commanders tormented
them.
26–çälvämätyo dyumän näma
pradyumnaà prak prapéòitaù
äsädya gadayä maurvyä
vyähatya vyanadad balé
Çälva’s minister Dyumän, previously wounded by Çré Pradyumna, now ran
up to Him and, roaring loudly, struck Him with his club of black steel.
27–pradyumnaà gadayä sérëavakñaù-
sthalam arià-damam
apoväha raëät süto
dharma-vid därukätmajaù
Pradyumna’s driver, the son of Däruka, thought that his valiant master’s
chest had been shattered by the club. Knowing well his religious duty, he
removed Pradyumna from the battlefield.
PURPORT
28–labdha-samjïo muhürtena
kärñëiù särathim abravét
aho asädhv idaà süta
yad raëän me ‘pasarpaëam
Quickly regaining consciousness, Lord Kåñëa’s son Pradyumna said to His
charioteer, “O driver, this is abominable—for Me to have been removed from
the battlefield!
29–na yadünäà kule jätaù
çrüyate raëa-vicyutaù
vinä mat kléba-cittena
sütena präpta-kilbiñät
“Except for Me, no one born in the Yadu dynasty has ever been known to
abandon the battlefield. My reputation has now been stained by a driver who
thinks like a eunuch.
30–kià nu vakñye ‘bhisaìgamya
pitarau räma-keçavau
yuddhät samyag apakräntaù
påñöas taträtmanaù kñamam
“What will I say to My fathers, Räma and Keçava, when I return to Them
after having simply fled the battle? What can I tell Them that will befit My
honor?
31–vyaktaà me kathayiñyanti
hasantyo bhrätå-jämayaù
klaibyaà kathaà kathaà véra
tavänyaiù kathyatäà mådhe
“Certainly My sisters-in-law will laugh at Me and say, ‘O hero, tell us how
in the world Your enemies turned You into such a coward in battle.’ ”
32–särathir uväca
dharmaà vijänatäyuñman
kåtam etan mayä vibho
sütaù kåcchra-gataà rakñed
rathinaà särathià rathé
The driver replied: O long-lived one, I have done this knowing full well my
prescribed duty. O my Lord, the chariot driver must protect the master of the
chariot when he is in danger, and the master must also protect his driver.
33–etad viditvä tu bhavän
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mayäpovähito raëät
upasåñöaù pareëeti
mürcchito gadayä hataù
With this rule in mind, I removed You from the battlefield, since You had
been struck unconscious by Your enemy’s club and I thought You were
seriously injured.
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