As the grand Rajasuya sacrifice drew to its close, the officiants of great virtue, the sages, and learned brahmins gathered together, joined by kings and noble representatives from all four classes—brahmin, kshatriya, vaishya, and shudra. The gods, sages, ancestors, spirits, and guardians of the worlds, along with their attendants, having been honored, gave their blessings and departed for their own celestial abodes. The royal sages could not cease praising Haridasa’s magnificent Rajasuya; their adulation was as endless as a mortal’s thirst for nectar. With heartfelt affection, King Yudhishthira bade farewell to his friends, relatives, and kinsmen, and, though reluctant to part, he also said his goodbyes to Krishna. The Blessed Lord Krishna, who always brings joy to his beloved devotees, lingered there for a while, but soon sent the heroic Yadus—Samba and others—back to Kusasthali. Thus, Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, crossed the vast ocean of his cherished desires, so difficult to traverse, and, with Krishna’s aid, became free from distress. Within the palace, Duryodhana beheld the splendor of the Rajasuya and was tormented by its grandeur and the glory of Lord Achyuta. In that place, where the wealth of kings, demons, and gods—arranged in wondrous ways by the Creator—shone forth, Krishna stood beside Draupadi, the daughter of Drupada, and the heart of Kururaja, Duryodhana, was ensnared and troubled. At that moment, a thousand queens of Madhupati, Krishna, with their shapely forms and softly tinkling anklets, surrounded his radiant face adorned with crimson necklaces, beautiful earrings, and flowing locks. In the assembly hall built by Maya, Yudhishthira, the emperor and son of Dharma, sat surrounded by followers, kinsmen, and Krishna, who watched with his own eyes. Seated upon a golden throne, endowed with supreme prosperity like Indra himself, Yudhishthira was praised by bards. Duryodhana, proud and surrounded by his brothers, sat with sword in hand, wearing a crown and garland, but cast his sword down in anger. Confused by Maya’s illusion, Duryodhana grasped the edge of a garment on the floor, thinking it was water, though it was dry; and in the water, he mistook it for solid ground. Bhima laughed at him, as did the women and other kings; though Yudhishthira tried to restrain them, Krishna approved their laughter. Ashamed, with his face downcast and burning with anger, Duryodhana left silently for Gajaha. A great cry of “Alas!” arose among the virtuous, and Ajatasatru, Yudhishthira, was troubled in mind. The Blessed Lord remained silent, wishing to relieve the earth’s burden, and watched with wandering eyes. O King, thus have I told you what you asked about—the wickedness of Suyodhana, Duryodhana, at the great Rajasuya sacrifice. Thus ends the seventy-fifth chapter, called “The Humbling of Duryodhana’s Pride,” in the tenth canto, second half, of the glorious Bhagavata Purana, the scripture of the supreme swans. Now, O King, listen as Shri Shuka begins to recount another wondrous deed of Krishna—the battle between Shalva and the Yadus, and how the playful, bodyless Lord slew the lord of Saubha. Shalva, a friend of Shishupala, had come to the wedding of Rukmini and was defeated in battle by the Yadus, as were Jarasandha and others. In his anger, Shalva made a vow before all the assembled kings: “I will make the earth free of the Yadavas—witness my valor.” Having made such a rash vow, Shalva worshipped the Lord, master of creatures, by swallowing a handful of dust just once. At the end of a year, the gracious Lord Shiva, the husband of Uma, who is easily pleased, offered Shalva a boon, for he had come seeking refuge. Shalva chose a vehicle, terrifying to the Vrishnis, which could go anywhere at will and could not be broken by gods, demons, humans, Gandharvas, serpents, or Rakshasas. “So be it,” said Lord Shiva. As instructed by him, Maya, the conqueror of enemy cities, constructed an iron city called Saubha and gave it to Shalva. With this formidable, wish-fulfilling, and impenetrable vehicle, Shalva set out for Dvaravati, remembering his enmity with the Vrishnis. O best of the Bharatas, Shalva besieged the city with his great army and destroyed all the suburbs and gardens. He struck the gates with their towers, the palaces, balconies, pleasure grounds, and lofty mansions with showers of weapons. Stones, trees, thunderbolts, serpents, and gravel rained down, and a fierce whirlwind arose, shrouding the directions in dust. Thus, as Krishna’s city was severely harassed by Saubha, O King, it found no peace, just as the earth did when attacked by Tripura. Seeing his people afflicted, the glorious and heroic Pradyumna mounted his chariot and assured them, “Do not fear!” Satyaki, Charudeshna, Samba, Akrura with his younger brother, Hardikya, Bhanuvinda, Gada, Shuka, Sarana, and other great archers and commanders of chariot divisions, armed and protected, went out with chariots, elephants, horses, and infantry. A tumultuous and hair-raising battle then began between the Shalvas and the Yadus, fierce as the battle between gods and demons. Pradyumna, the son of Rukmini, wielding divine weapons, destroyed in a moment all the magical illusions of Shalva, just as the sun dispels the darkness of night. He pierced the commander of Shalva’s army with twenty-five arrows, their shafts golden and tips of iron, well-crafted at the joints. With a hundred arrows he struck Shalva himself, with single arrows his soldiers, with ten arrows each their leaders, and with three arrows each their vehicles. Witnessing this wondrous and mighty feat of the great-souled Pradyumna, all the soldiers, friend and foe alike, honored him. That creation of Maya, made of illusion, appeared in many forms and in one form, was seen and not seen, impossible for the enemy to comprehend. At times it was on the ground, at times in the sky, sometimes on mountain peaks, and sometimes in water; Saubha, in its dire condition, spun about like a wheel of firebrands. Wherever Shalva, with his Saubha and his army, was perceived, there the chiefs of the Sātvatas would release their arrows. Thus unfolds the tale of Duryodhana’s humbling and the fierce battle between Shalva and the Yadus, as told in the glorious Bhagavata Purana.