Krishna Battles Shalva over the Sea

Verse 1 (3.20.1)

आनर्तनगरं मुक्तं ततोऽहमगमं तदा । महाक्रतौ राजसूये निवृत्ते नृपते तव ॥

ānartanagaraṃ muktaṃ tato'hamagamaṃ tadā | mahākratau rājasūye nivṛtte nṛpate tava

Then, O king, when your great sacrifice, the Rajasuya, was finished, I went to the city of the Anartas, which had just been freed.

Verse 2 (3.20.2)

अपश्यं द्वारकां चाहं महाराज हतत्विषम् । निःस्वाध्यायवषट्कारां निर्भूषणवरस्त्रियम् ॥

apaśyaṃ dvārakāṃ cāhaṃ mahārāja hatatviṣam | niḥsvādhyāyavaṣaṭkārāṃ nirbhūṣaṇavarastriyam

And I saw Dvaraka robbed of its splendour, great king, without the sound of Vedic recitation or the cry of vashat, its fine women without ornaments.

Verse 3 (3.20.3)

अनभिज्ञेयरूपाणि द्वारकोपवनानि च । दृष्ट्वा शङ्कोपपन्नोऽहमपृच्छं हृदिकात्मजम् ॥

anabhijñeyarūpāṇi dvārakopavanāni ca | dṛṣṭvā śaṅkopapanno'hamapṛcchaṃ hṛdikātmajam

Seeing the gardens of Dvaraka unrecognizable, I was filled with misgiving and asked Hridika's son:

Verse 4 (3.20.4)

अस्वस्थनरनारीकमिदं वृष्णिकुलं भृशम् । किमिदं नरशार्दूल श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः ॥

asvasthanaranārīkamidaṃ vṛṣṇikulaṃ bhṛśam | kimidaṃ naraśārdūla śrotumicchāmi tattvataḥ

'The men and women of the Vrishni clan are deeply troubled. What is this, tiger among men? I wish to hear the truth of it.'

Verse 5 (3.20.5)

एवमुक्तः स तु मया विस्तरेणेदमब्रवीत् । रोधं मोक्षं च साल्वेन हार्दिक्यो राजसत्तम ॥

evamuktaḥ sa tu mayā vistareṇedamabravīt | rodhaṃ mokṣaṃ ca sālvena hārdikyo rājasattama

Asked this by me, Hardikya told me in detail, best of kings, of the siege by Shalva and the city's release.

Verse 6 (3.20.6)

ततोऽहं भरतश्रेष्ठ श्रुत्वा सर्वमशेषतः । विनाशे साल्वराजस्य तदैवाकरवं मतिम् ॥

tato'haṃ bharataśreṣṭha śrutvā sarvamaśeṣataḥ | vināśe sālvarājasya tadaivākaravaṃ matim

Having heard it all to the end, best of the Bharatas, I made up my mind there and then to destroy King Shalva.

Verse 7 (3.20.7)

ततोऽहं भरतश्रेष्ठ समाश्वास्य पुरे जनम् । राजानमाहुकं चैव तथैवानकदुन्दुभिम् ॥

tato'haṃ bharataśreṣṭha samāśvāsya pure janam | rājānamāhukaṃ caiva tathaivānakadundubhim

Then, best of the Bharatas, I reassured the people in the city, and King Ahuka, and likewise Anakadundubhi,

Note on the text: Corrected आकनदुन्दुभिम् → आनकदुन्दुभिम् (misprint in Wikisource; transposed aksharas in Vasudeva's epithet Anakadundubhi). Wikisource divides 3.21.7–9 of the critical edition (two three-line verses and a two-line verse) into four two-line verses: this verse = 3.21.7ab–cd.

Verse 8 (3.20.8)

सर्वान्वृष्णिप्रवीरांश्च हर्षयन्नब्रुवं तदा । अप्रमादः सदा कार्यो नगरे यादवर्षभाः ॥

sarvānvṛṣṇipravīrāṃśca harṣayannabruvaṃ tadā | apramādaḥ sadā kāryo nagare yādavarṣabhāḥ

and, cheering all the Vrishni heroes, I said then: 'Bulls of the Yadavas, keep constant watch in the city.

Note on the text: Wikisource's division differs from the critical edition here: the first line = 3.21.7ef, the second = 3.21.8ab.

Verse 9 (3.20.9)

साल्वराजविनाशाय प्रयातं मां निबोधत । नाहत्वा तं निवर्तिष्ये पुरीं द्वारवतीं प्रति ॥

sālvarājavināśāya prayātaṃ māṃ nibodhata | nāhatvā taṃ nivartiṣye purīṃ dvāravatīṃ prati

Know that I have set out to destroy King Shalva. I will not return to the city of Dvaravati without killing him.

Note on the text: Wikisource's division differs from the critical edition here: the first line = 3.21.8cd, the second = 3.21.9ab.

Verse 10 (3.20.10)

ससाल्वं सौभनगरं हत्वा द्रष्टास्मि वः पुनः । त्रिःसामा हन्यतामेषा दुन्दुभिः शत्रुभीषणा ॥

sasālvaṃ saubhanagaraṃ hatvā draṣṭāsmi vaḥ punaḥ | triḥsāmā hanyatāmeṣā dundubhiḥ śatrubhīṣaṇā

Only when I have destroyed the city of Saubha together with Shalva will I see you again. Let this drum, which terrifies enemies, be beaten on three notes.'

Note on the text: This verse = 3.21.9cd–ef of the critical edition.

Verse 11 (3.20.11)

ते मयाऽऽश्वासिता वीरा यथावद्भरतर्षभ । सर्वे मामब्रुवन्हृष्टाः प्रयाहि जहि शात्रवान् ॥

te mayā''śvāsitā vīrā yathāvadbharatarṣabha | sarve māmabruvanhṛṣṭāḥ prayāhi jahi śātravān

Duly reassured by me, bull of the Bharatas, those heroes all said to me joyfully, 'Go, and kill the enemies!'

Note on the text: Corrected जहिशात्रवान् → जहि शात्रवान् (word division; two words run together in Wikisource).

Verse 12 (3.20.12)

तैः प्रहृष्टात्मभिर्वीरैराशीर्भिरभिनन्दितः । वाचयित्वा द्विजश्रेष्ठान्प्रणम्य शिरसा भवम् ॥

taiḥ prahṛṣṭātmabhirvīrairāśīrbhirabhinanditaḥ | vācayitvā dvijaśreṣṭhānpraṇamya śirasā bhavam

Hailed with blessings by those heroes in high spirits, I had the best of the Brahmins recite benedictions, bowed my head to Bhava,

Verse 13 (3.20.13)

शैब्यसुग्रीवयुक्तेन रथेनानादयन्दिशः । प्रध्माय शङ्खप्रवरं पाञ्चजन्यमहं नृप ॥

śaibyasugrīvayuktena rathenānādayandiśaḥ | pradhmāya śaṅkhapravaraṃ pāñcajanyamahaṃ nṛpa

and, blowing Panchajanya, the finest of conches, O king, filling the directions with sound from my chariot yoked with Shaibya and Sugriva,

Verse 14 (3.20.14)

प्रयातोऽस्मि नरव्याघ्र बलेन महता वृतः । क्लृप्तेन चतुरङ्गेण यत्तेन जितकाशिना ॥

prayāto'smi naravyāghra balena mahatā vṛtaḥ | klṛptena caturaṅgeṇa yattena jitakāśinā

I set out, tiger among men, surrounded by a great army of four divisions, well ordered, alert and flushed with victory.

Note on the text: Corrected प्रयातोस्मि → प्रयातोऽस्मि (misprint in Wikisource; missing avagraha).

Verse 15 (3.20.15)

समतीत्य बहून्देशान्गिरींश्च बहुपादपान् । सरांसि सरितश्चैव मार्तिकावतमासदम् ॥

samatītya bahūndeśāngirīṃśca bahupādapān | sarāṃsi saritaścaiva mārtikāvatamāsadam

Passing through many lands, over mountains thick with trees, and past lakes and rivers, I reached Martikavata.

Verse 16 (3.20.16)

तत्राश्रौषं नरव्याघ्र साल्वं सागरमन्तिकात् । प्रयान्तं सौभमास्थाय तमहं पृष्ठतोऽन्वगाम् ॥

tatrāśrauṣaṃ naravyāghra sālvaṃ sāgaramantikāt | prayāntaṃ saubhamāsthāya tamahaṃ pṛṣṭhato'nvagām

There I heard, tiger among men, that Shalva was moving near the ocean, riding in Saubha, and I followed close behind him.

Verse 17 (3.20.17)

दृष्टवानस्मि राजेन्द्र साल्वराजमथान्तिके । ततः सागरमासाद्य कुक्षौ तस्य महोर्मिणः । समुद्रनाभ्यां साल्वोऽभूत्सौभमास्थाय शत्रुहन् ॥

dṛṣṭavānasmi rājendra sālvarājamathāntike | tataḥ sāgaramāsādya kukṣau tasya mahormiṇaḥ | samudranābhyāṃ sālvo'bhūtsaubhamāsthāya śatruhan

Then, O king of kings, I caught sight of King Shalva close at hand. Having reached the ocean, slayer of foes, Shalva stayed in Saubha over the navel of the sea, in the hollow of its great waves.

Note on the text: Removed the wiki quote marks (` … ') around the first line. That line is not in the critical edition's text; it appears in its apparatus as passage *80 after 3.21.15 (found in the vulgate recension). The other two lines = 3.21.16.

Verse 18 (3.20.18)

स मामालोक्य सहसा सेनां स्वां प्राहिणोन्मृधे । मद्बाहुना च सेनायां शिष्टायां किंचिदेव च ॥

sa māmālokya sahasā senāṃ svāṃ prāhiṇonmṛdhe | madbāhunā ca senāyāṃ śiṣṭāyāṃ kiṃcideva ca

Catching sight of me, he at once sent his army into battle; and when, by the strength of my arm, only a little of that army was left,

Note on the text: Removed the wiki quote marks (` … ') around the verse. Not in the critical edition's text (found in the vulgate recension); it appears in its apparatus as passage *81 after 3.21.16.

Verse 19 (3.20.19)

स समालोक्य सहसा स्मयन्निव युधिष्ठिर । आह्वयामास दुष्टात्मा युद्धायैव मुहुर्मुहुः ॥

sa samālokya sahasā smayanniva yudhiṣṭhira | āhvayāmāsa duṣṭātmā yuddhāyaiva muhurmuhuḥ

he looked at me suddenly, Yudhishthira, and, as if smiling, the wicked one challenged me to battle again and again.

Verse 20 (3.20.20)

तस्य शार्ङ्गविनिर्मुक्तैर्बहुभिर्मर्मभेदिभिः । पुरं नासाद्यत शरैस्ततो मां रोष आविशत् ॥

tasya śārṅgavinirmuktairbahubhirmarmabhedibhiḥ | puraṃ nāsādyata śaraistato māṃ roṣa āviśat

The many arrows that pierce the vitals, loosed from my Sharnga bow, did not reach his city; and at that anger seized me.

Verse 21 (3.20.21)

स चापि पापप्रकृतिर्दैतेयापशदो नृप । मय्यवर्षत दुर्धर्षः शरधाराः सहस्रशः ॥

sa cāpi pāpaprakṛtirdaiteyāpaśado nṛpa | mayyavarṣata durdharṣaḥ śaradhārāḥ sahasraśaḥ

And that evil-natured outcast of the Daityas, O king, hard to overcome, rained thousands of streams of arrows on me.

Verse 22 (3.20.22)

सैनिकान्मम सूतं च हयांश्च स समाकिरत् । अचिन्तयन्तस्तु शरान्वयं युध्याम भारत ॥

sainikānmama sūtaṃ ca hayāṃśca sa samākirat | acintayantastu śarānvayaṃ yudhyāma bhārata

He covered my soldiers, my charioteer and my horses with them; but we fought on, Bharata, paying no heed to the arrows.

Verse 23 (3.20.23)

ततः शतसहस्राणि शराणां नतपर्वणाम् । चिक्षिपुः समरे वीरा मयि साल्वपदानुगाः ॥

tataḥ śatasahasrāṇi śarāṇāṃ nataparvaṇām | cikṣipuḥ samare vīrā mayi sālvapadānugāḥ

Then the warriors who followed in Shalva's footsteps hurled hundreds of thousands of smooth-jointed arrows at me in the battle.

Verse 24 (3.20.24)

ते हयांश्च रथं चैव ध्वजं दारुकमेव च । छादयामासुरसुरास्तैर्बाणैर्मर्मभेदिभिः ॥

te hayāṃśca rathaṃ caiva dhvajaṃ dārukameva ca | chādayāmāsurasurāstairbāṇairmarmabhedibhiḥ

With those arrows that pierce the vitals the Asuras covered my horses, my chariot, my banner and Daruka.

Verse 25 (3.20.25)

न हया न रथो वीर न ध्वजो न च दारुकः । अदृश्यन्त शरैश्छन्नास्तथाऽहं सैनिकाश्च मे ॥

na hayā na ratho vīra na dhvajo na ca dārukaḥ | adṛśyanta śaraiśchannāstathā'haṃ sainikāśca me

Neither horses nor chariot, O hero, nor banner nor Daruka could be seen, covered by the arrows; nor could I or my soldiers.

Verse 26 (3.20.26)

ततोऽहमपि कौन्तेय शराणामयुतान्बहून् । आमन्त्रितानां धनुषा दिव्येन विधिनाऽक्षिपम् ॥

tato'hamapi kaunteya śarāṇāmayutānbahūn | āmantritānāṃ dhanuṣā divyena vidhinā'kṣipam

Then I too, son of Kunti, loosed many tens of thousands of arrows charged with mantras from my bow by a divine method.

Verse 27 (3.20.27)

न तत्र विषयस्त्वासीन्मम सैन्यस्य भारत । खे विषक्तं हि तत्सौभं क्रोशमात्र इवाभवत् ॥

na tatra viṣayastvāsīnmama sainyasya bhārata | khe viṣaktaṃ hi tatsaubhaṃ krośamātra ivābhavat

But there was no target there for my soldiers, Bharata, for Saubha hung in the sky, as if a krosha away.

Note on the text: Corrected तत्रविषयस्त्वासीत् → तत्र विषयस्त्वासीत् (word division; two words run together in Wikisource).

Verse 28 (3.20.28)

ततस्ते प्रेक्षकाः सर्वे देवा वै दिवमास्थिताः । हर्षयामासुरुच्चैर्मां सिंहनादतलस्वनैः ॥

tataste prekṣakāḥ sarve devā vai divamāsthitāḥ | harṣayāmāsuruccairmāṃ siṃhanādatalasvanaiḥ

Then all the gods watching from their stations in heaven cheered me loudly with lion-roars and the clapping of hands.

Verse 29 (3.20.29)

मत्कार्मुकविनिर्मुक्ता दानवानां महारणे । अङ्गेषु रुधिराक्तास्ते विविशुः शलभा इव ॥

matkārmukavinirmuktā dānavānāṃ mahāraṇe | aṅgeṣu rudhirāktāste viviśuḥ śalabhā iva

Loosed from my bow in that great battle, the arrows entered the bodies of the Danavas like moths, smeared with blood.

Verse 30 (3.20.30)

ततो हलहलाशब्दः सौभमध्ये व्यवर्धत । वध्यतां विशिखैस्तीक्ष्णैः पततां च महार्णवे ॥

tato halahalāśabdaḥ saubhamadhye vyavardhata | vadhyatāṃ viśikhaistīkṣṇaiḥ patatāṃ ca mahārṇave

Then a great uproar rose in the middle of Saubha from those who were being slain by the sharp arrows and were falling into the great ocean.

Verse 31 (3.20.31)

ते निकृत्तभुजस्कन्धाः कबन्धाकृतिदर्शनाः । नदन्तो भैरवान्नादान्निपतन्ति स्म दानवाः । पतितास्तेऽपि भक्ष्यन्ते समुद्रांभोनिवासिभिः ॥

te nikṛttabhujaskandhāḥ kabandhākṛtidarśanāḥ | nadanto bhairavānnādānnipatanti sma dānavāḥ | patitāste'pi bhakṣyante samudrāṃbhonivāsibhiḥ

With arms and shoulders cut off, looking like headless trunks, the Danavas fell, roaring terrible roars; and even as they fell they were devoured by the creatures that live in the waters of the sea.

Note on the text: The third line is not in the critical edition's text; it appears in its apparatus as passage *82 after 3.21.29 (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 32 (3.20.32)

ततो गोक्षीरकुन्देन्दुमृणालरजतप्रभम् । जलजं पाञ्चजन्यं वै प्राणेनाहमपूरयम् ॥

tato gokṣīrakundendumṛṇālarajataprabham | jalajaṃ pāñcajanyaṃ vai prāṇenāhamapūrayam

Then I filled with my breath Panchajanya, the water-born conch, which shines like cow's milk, the kunda flower, the moon, lotus fibre and silver.

Verse 33 (3.20.33)

तान्दृष्ट्वा पतितांस्तत्र साल्वः सौभपतिस्ततः । मायायुद्धेन महता योधयामास मां युधि ॥

tāndṛṣṭvā patitāṃstatra sālvaḥ saubhapatistataḥ | māyāyuddhena mahatā yodhayāmāsa māṃ yudhi

Seeing them fallen there, Shalva, lord of Saubha, then fought me in battle with a great war of illusion.

Verse 34 (3.20.34)

ततो गदा हलाः प्रासाः शूलशक्तिपरश्वधाः । असयः शक्तिकुलिशपाशर्ष्टिकनपाः शराः । पट्टसाश्च भुशुण्ड्यश्च प्रपतन्त्यनिशं मयि ॥

tato gadā halāḥ prāsāḥ śūlaśaktiparaśvadhāḥ | asayaḥ śaktikuliśapāśarṣṭikanapāḥ śarāḥ | paṭṭasāśca bhuśuṇḍyaśca prapatantyaniśaṃ mayi

Then maces, ploughshares, darts, pikes, spears and battle-axes; swords, spears, thunderbolts, nooses, javelins, kanapas and arrows; and pattisha blades and bhushundis fell on me without pause.

Note on the text: Corrected परश्चथाः → परश्वधाः (misprint in Wikisource; परश्वध 'battle-axe', as in the critical edition's paraśvadhāḥ). The middle line is not in the critical edition's text; a variant of it appears in its apparatus as passage *83 after 3.21.32ab (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 35 (3.20.35)

तामहं माययैवाशु प्रतिगृह्य व्यनाशयम् । तस्यां हतायां मायायां गिरिशृङ्गैरयोधयत् ॥

tāmahaṃ māyayaivāśu pratigṛhya vyanāśayam | tasyāṃ hatāyāṃ māyāyāṃ giriśṛṅgairayodhayat

I quickly caught that illusion with an illusion of my own and destroyed it. When that illusion was destroyed, he fought with mountain peaks.

Verse 36 (3.20.36)

ततोऽभवत्तम इव प्रकाश इव चाभवत् । दुर्दिनं सुदिनं चैव शीतमुष्णं च भारत ॥

tato'bhavattama iva prakāśa iva cābhavat | durdinaṃ sudinaṃ caiva śītamuṣṇaṃ ca bhārata

Then there was something like darkness, and something like light; foul weather and fair, cold and heat, Bharata.

Verse 37 (3.20.37)

अङ्गारपांसुवर्षं च शस्त्रवर्षं च भारत । एवं मायां प्रकुर्वाणो योधयामास मां रिपुः ॥

aṅgārapāṃsuvarṣaṃ ca śastravarṣaṃ ca bhārata | evaṃ māyāṃ prakurvāṇo yodhayāmāsa māṃ ripuḥ

There were rains of burning coals and dust, and rains of weapons, Bharata. Working illusions in this way, the enemy fought me.

Note on the text: The first line is not in the critical edition's text; it appears in its apparatus as passage *84 after 3.21.34 (found in the vulgate recension). The second line = 3.21.35ab.

Verse 38 (3.20.38)

विज्ञाय तदहं सर्वं माययैव व्यनाशयम् । यथाकालं तु युद्धेन व्यधमं सर्वतः शरैः ॥

vijñāya tadahaṃ sarvaṃ māyayaiva vyanāśayam | yathākālaṃ tu yuddhena vyadhamaṃ sarvataḥ śaraiḥ

Recognizing it all, I destroyed it with illusion itself, and at the right moments in the fight I struck him down on every side with arrows.

Note on the text: This verse = 3.21.35cd–ef of the critical edition.

Verse 39 (3.20.39)

ततो हतायां च मया मायायां युधि दानवः । मायामन्यां महाराज चकार मतिमोहिनीम् ॥

tato hatāyāṃ ca mayā māyāyāṃ yudhi dānavaḥ | māyāmanyāṃ mahārāja cakāra matimohinīm

Then, when I had destroyed that illusion in the battle, great king, the Danava produced another illusion that bewilders the mind.

Note on the text: Removed the wiki quote marks (` … ') and a doubled danda. Not in the critical edition's text (found in the vulgate recension); the first line appears in its apparatus as passage *85 (line 2) after 3.21.35, the second line not at all.

Verse 40 (3.20.40)

ततो व्योम महाराज शतसूर्यमिवाभवत् । शतचन्द्रं च कौन्तेय सहस्रायुततारकम् ॥

tato vyoma mahārāja śatasūryamivābhavat | śatacandraṃ ca kaunteya sahasrāyutatārakam

Then the sky, great king, seemed to hold a hundred suns, son of Kunti, a hundred moons, and stars by the ten million.

Verse 41 (3.20.41)

ततो नाज्ञायत तदा दिवारात्रं तथा दिशः । ततोऽहं मोहमापन्नः प्रज्ञास्त्रं समयोजयम् ॥

tato nājñāyata tadā divārātraṃ tathā diśaḥ | tato'haṃ mohamāpannaḥ prajñāstraṃ samayojayam

Then neither day nor night could be told apart, nor the directions. Bewildered, I then brought into play the weapon of wisdom.

Note on the text: Matched by hand: this verse = 3.21.37ab–cd of the critical edition.

Verse 42 (3.20.42)

तदस्त्रमस्तमस्त्रेण विधूतं शरतूलवत् । तथा तदभवद्युद्धं तुमुलं रोमहर्षणम् । लब्धालोकस्तु राजेन्द्र पुनः शत्रुमयोधयम् ॥

tadastramastamastreṇa vidhūtaṃ śaratūlavat | tathā tadabhavadyuddhaṃ tumulaṃ romaharṣaṇam | labdhālokastu rājendra punaḥ śatrumayodhayam

That weapon cast off his illusion and blew it away like tufts of reed-cotton. And so the battle went on, tumultuous and hair-raising; having regained the light, O king of kings, I fought the enemy once more.

Note on the text: Matched by hand: the first line = 3.21.37ef, the other two = 3.21.38 of the critical edition.