Shalva Attacks Dvaraka

Verse 1 (3.14.1)

असान्निध्यं कथं कृष्ण तवासीद्वृष्णिनन्दन । क्व चासीद्विप्रवासस्ते किं चाकार्षीः प्रवासतः ॥

asānnidhyaṃ kathaṃ kṛṣṇa tavāsīdvṛṣṇinandana | kva cāsīdvipravāsaste kiṃ cākārṣīḥ pravāsataḥ

How did it come about that you were away, Krishna, O joy of the Vrishnis? Where had you gone, and what did you do while you were away?

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (किंचाकार्षीः → किं चाकार्षीः).

Verse 2 (3.14.2)

साल्वस्य नगरं सौभं गतोऽहं भरतर्षभ । निहन्तुं कौरवश्रेष्ठ तत्र मे शृणु कारणम् ॥

sālvasya nagaraṃ saubhaṃ gato'haṃ bharatarṣabha | nihantuṃ kauravaśreṣṭha tatra me śṛṇu kāraṇam

I had gone to Shalva's city Saubha, O bull of the Bharatas, to destroy it, O best of the Kauravas. Hear from me the reason.

Note on the text: निहन्तुं कौरवश्रेष्ठ for the critical edition's vinihantuṃ naraśreṣṭha is a recension variant and is kept.

Verse 3 (3.14.3)

महातेजा महाबाहुर्यः स राजा महायशाः । दमघोषात्मजो वीरः शिशुपालो मया हतः ॥

mahātejā mahābāhuryaḥ sa rājā mahāyaśāḥ | damaghoṣātmajo vīraḥ śiśupālo mayā hataḥ

That splendid, mighty-armed and famous king, the heroic son of Damaghosha, Shishupala, was slain by me.

Note on the text: Corrected महांवाहुर्यः → महाबाहुर्यः (misprint in Wikisource; stray anusvara and व for ब, the critical edition reads mahābāhur yaḥ).

Verse 4 (3.14.4)

यज्ञे ते भरतश्रेष्ठ राजसूयेऽर्हणां प्रति । स रोषवशमापन्नो नामृष्यत दुरात्मवान् ॥

yajñe te bharataśreṣṭha rājasūye'rhaṇāṃ prati | sa roṣavaśamāpanno nāmṛṣyata durātmavān

At your Rajasuya sacrifice, O best of the Bharatas, he was seized with rage over the guest-offering; the wicked man could not bear it.

Verse 5 (3.14.5)

श्रुत्वा तं निहतं साल्वस्तीव्ररोषसमन्वितः । उपायाद्द्वारकां शून्यामिहस्थे मयि भारत ॥

śrutvā taṃ nihataṃ sālvastīvraroṣasamanvitaḥ | upāyāddvārakāṃ śūnyāmihasthe mayi bhārata

Hearing that he had been slain, Shalva, filled with fierce anger, came against Dvaraka, which was empty of me while I was here, O Bharata.

Verse 6 (3.14.6)

स तत्र युद्धमकरोद्बालकैर्वृष्णिपुङ्गवैः । निवृत्तः कामगं सौभमारुह्यैव नृशंसवत् ॥

sa tatra yuddhamakarodbālakairvṛṣṇipuṅgavaiḥ | nivṛttaḥ kāmagaṃ saubhamāruhyaiva nṛśaṃsavat

There he fought the young bulls of the Vrishnis; he had come back riding the Saubha, which flies wherever he wills, and he acted like a savage.

Note on the text: Its readings (युद्धमकरोद्, निवृत्तः, नृशंसवत् for yodhito rājan, āgataḥ, nṛśaṃsakṛt) are recension variants and are kept.

Verse 7 (3.14.7)

चिरजीवी नृपः सोऽपि प्रसादात्पद्मजन्मनः । ततो वृष्णिप्रवीरांस्तान्बालान्हत्वा बहूंस्तदा । पुरोद्यानानि सर्वाणि भेदयामास दुर्मतिः ॥

cirajīvī nṛpaḥ so'pi prasādātpadmajanmanaḥ | tato vṛṣṇipravīrāṃstānbālānhatvā bahūṃstadā | purodyānāni sarvāṇi bhedayāmāsa durmatiḥ

(That king too was long-lived by the grace of lotus-born Brahma.) Then, having killed many of those young Vrishni heroes, the evil-minded one laid waste all the gardens of the city.

Note on the text: Removed the stray wiki marks (` and ') around the first line, and corrected दुर्भतिः → दुर्मतिः (misprint in Wikisource, भ for म; the critical edition reads durmatiḥ). The first line is not in the critical edition's text (its apparatus has it as 3.15.6d*0074_01); the other two lines match CE 3.15.7.

Verse 8 (3.14.8)

उक्तवांश्च महाबाहो क्वासौ वृष्णिकुलाधमः । वासुदेवः स मन्दात्मा वसुदेवसुतो गतः ॥

uktavāṃśca mahābāho kvāsau vṛṣṇikulādhamaḥ | vāsudevaḥ sa mandātmā vasudevasuto gataḥ

And he said, O mighty-armed one: "Where is that lowest of the Vrishni race, Vasudeva, son of Vasudeva, the dull-witted one? Where has he gone?

Verse 9 (3.14.9)

तस्य युद्धार्थिनो दर्पं युद्धेनाशयिताऽस्म्यहम् । आनर्ताः सत्यमाख्यात तत्र गन्ताऽस्मि यत्र सः ॥

tasya yuddhārthino darpaṃ yuddhenāśayitā'smyaham | ānartāḥ satyamākhyāta tatra gantā'smi yatra saḥ

I will crush in battle the pride of that man who hungers for battle. Anartas, tell me the truth: I will go wherever he is.

Note on the text: Speaker: Shalva's threats, quoted within Krishna's account, fill verses 9–10 and 12–14 without a printed heading.

Verse 10 (3.14.10)

तं हत्वा विनिवर्तिष्ये कंसकेशिनिषूदनम् । अहत्वा न निवर्तिष्ये सत्येनायुधमालभे ॥

taṃ hatvā vinivartiṣye kaṃsakeśiniṣūdanam | ahatvā na nivartiṣye satyenāyudhamālabhe

Only after killing that slayer of Kamsa and Keshin will I turn back; I will not turn back without killing him. I swear it by the truth, touching my weapon."

Note on the text: Speaker: Shalva's threats, quoted within Krishna's account, fill verses 9–10 and 12–14 without a printed heading.

Verse 11 (3.14.11)

क्वासौ क्वासाविति पुनस्तत्रतत्र प्रधावति । मया सह रणे योद्धुं काङ्क्षमाणः स सौभराट् ॥

kvāsau kvāsāviti punastatratatra pradhāvati | mayā saha raṇe yoddhuṃ kāṅkṣamāṇaḥ sa saubharāṭ

"Where is he? Where is he?" he cried again and again, rushing here and there, that lord of Saubha, longing to fight me in battle.

Note on the text: मया सह रणे योद्धुं and प्रधावति for the critical edition's mayā kila raṇe yuddhaṃ and vidhāvati are recension variants and are kept.

Verse 12 (3.14.12)

अद्य तं पापकर्माणं क्षुद्रं विश्वासघातिनम् । शिशुपालवधामर्षाद्गमयिष्ये यमक्षयम् ॥

adya taṃ pāpakarmāṇaṃ kṣudraṃ viśvāsaghātinam | śiśupālavadhāmarṣādgamayiṣye yamakṣayam

"Today, in my fury at the killing of Shishupala, I will send to Yama's realm that base doer of evil, that betrayer of trust.

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (अद्यतं → अद्य तं). Speaker: Shalva's threats, quoted within Krishna's account, fill verses 9–10 and 12–14 without a printed heading.

Verse 13 (3.14.13)

मम पापस्वभावेन भ्राता येन निपातितः । शिशुपालो महीपालस्तं वधिष्ये महीतले ॥

mama pāpasvabhāvena bhrātā yena nipātitaḥ | śiśupālo mahīpālastaṃ vadhiṣye mahītale

The wicked man by whom my brother, King Shishupala, was struck down — him I will kill upon this earth.

Note on the text: Speaker: Shalva's threats, quoted within Krishna's account, fill verses 9–10 and 12–14 without a printed heading.

Verse 14 (3.14.14)

भ्राता बालश्च राजा च न च संग्रामकोविदः । प्रमत्तश्च हतो वीरस्तं हनिष्ये जनार्दनम् ॥

bhrātā bālaśca rājā ca na ca saṃgrāmakovidaḥ | pramattaśca hato vīrastaṃ haniṣye janārdanam

My brother was young, and a king, and no master of warfare, and the hero was slain off his guard. I will kill Janardana!"

Note on the text: Its न च संग्रामकोविदः for the critical edition's na ca saṃgrāmamūrdhani is a recension variant and is kept. Speaker: Shalva's threats, quoted within Krishna's account, fill verses 9–10 and 12–14 without a printed heading.

Verse 15 (3.14.15)

एवमादि महाराज विलप्य दिवमास्थितः । कामगेन स सौभेन क्षिप्त्वा मां कुरुनन्दन ॥

evamādi mahārāja vilapya divamāsthitaḥ | kāmagena sa saubhena kṣiptvā māṃ kurunandana

Ranting in this way, O great king, he rose into the sky in the Saubha that flies at will, having heaped insults on me, O joy of the Kurus.

Note on the text: Corrected एकमादि → एवमादि (misprint in Wikisource, क for व; the critical edition reads evamādi) and restored a missing word space (विलप्यदिवमास्थितः → विलप्य दिवमास्थितः).

Verse 16 (3.14.16)

तमश्रौषमहं गत्वा यथा वृत्तः स दुर्मतिः । मयि कौरव्य दुष्टात्मा मार्तिकावतको नृपः ॥

tamaśrauṣamahaṃ gatvā yathā vṛttaḥ sa durmatiḥ | mayi kauravya duṣṭātmā mārtikāvatako nṛpaḥ

When I came back I heard how that evil-minded one had behaved towards me, O Kauravya — that wicked king of Marttikavata.

Verse 17 (3.14.17)

ततोऽहमपि कौरव्य रोषव्याकुललोचनः । निश्चित्य मनसा राजन्वधायास्य मनो दधे ॥

tato'hamapi kauravya roṣavyākulalocanaḥ | niścitya manasā rājanvadhāyāsya mano dadhe

Then I too, O Kauravya, my eyes clouded with rage, made up my mind, O king, and resolved to kill him,

Verse 18 (3.14.18)

आनर्तेषु विमर्दं च क्षेपं चात्मनि कौरव । प्रवृद्धमवलेपं च तस्य दुष्कृतकर्मणः ॥

ānarteṣu vimardaṃ ca kṣepaṃ cātmani kaurava | pravṛddhamavalepaṃ ca tasya duṣkṛtakarmaṇaḥ

seeing the havoc among the Anartas, the insults to myself, and the swollen arrogance of that evildoer, O Kaurava.

Verse 19 (3.14.19)

ततः सौभवधायाहं प्रतस्थे पृथिवीपते । स मया सागरावर्ते दृष्ट आसीत्परीप्सता ॥

tataḥ saubhavadhāyāhaṃ pratasthe pṛthivīpate | sa mayā sāgarāvarte dṛṣṭa āsītparīpsatā

Then I set out to destroy Saubha, O lord of the earth, and, searching for him, I found him at an island ringed by the sea.

Verse 20 (3.14.20)

ततः प्रध्माप्य जलजं पाञ्चजन्यमहं नृप । आहूय साल्वं समरे युद्धाय समवस्थितः ॥

tataḥ pradhmāpya jalajaṃ pāñcajanyamahaṃ nṛpa | āhūya sālvaṃ samare yuddhāya samavasthitaḥ

Then, blowing my water-born conch Panchajanya, O king, I challenged Shalva to battle and stood ready to fight.

Note on the text: Corrected पाञ्चजन्यमहे → पाञ्चजन्यमहं (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads pāñcajanyam ahaṃ).

Verse 21 (3.14.21)

तन्मुहूर्तमभूद्युद्धं तत्र मे दानवैः सह । शवीभूताश्च मे सर्वे भूतले च निपातिताः ॥

tanmuhūrtamabhūdyuddhaṃ tatra me dānavaiḥ saha | śavībhūtāśca me sarve bhūtale ca nipātitāḥ

Then for a moment there was battle between me and the Danavas, and all of them were turned to corpses and felled to the ground.

Note on the text: शवीभूताश्च ("turned to corpses") for the critical edition's vaśībhūtāś ca ("brought under my power") is a valid reading and is kept, as is तन्मुहूर्तम् for sumuhūrtam.

Verse 22 (3.14.22)

एतत्कार्यं महाबाहो येनाहं नागमं तदा । श्रुत्वैव हास्तिनपुरे द्यूतं चाविनयोत्थितम् । द्रुतमागतवान्युष्मान्द्रष्टुकामः सुदुःखितान् ॥

etatkāryaṃ mahābāho yenāhaṃ nāgamaṃ tadā | śrutvaiva hāstinapure dyūtaṃ cāvinayotthitam | drutamāgatavānyuṣmāndraṣṭukāmaḥ suduḥkhitān

This was the task, O mighty-armed one, that kept me from coming then. As soon as I heard of the dice game in Hastinapura, born of misconduct, I came in haste to see you in your great sorrow.

Note on the text: The first two lines match CE 3.15.22 (हास्तिनपुरे for hāstinapuraṃ is a recension variant); the third line is not in the critical edition's text (its apparatus has it as 3.15.22d*0076_01).