After a year of intense austerities, the gracious Lord Shiva, the beloved husband of Uma, was moved by Shalva’s devotion and easily pleased by his efforts. Out of compassion, Shiva offered Shalva a boon of his choosing, for the king had come to him seeking refuge. Shalva, harboring deep enmity toward the Vrishnis, asked for a boon that would grant him a vehicle—one that would strike terror into the hearts of the Vrishnis, could travel anywhere at will, and could not be destroyed by gods, demons, humans, Gandharvas, serpents, or Rakshasas. “So be it,” said Lord Girisha. Following Shiva’s instructions, Maya, the renowned architect and conqueror of hostile cities, constructed for Shalva a wondrous iron city, known as Saubha. This flying fortress was formidable, impenetrable, and capable of fulfilling Shalva’s every wish. Armed with this magical and dreadful vehicle, Shalva set his sights on Dvaravati, the glorious city of Krishna, driven by his old hatred for the Vrishnis. O best of the Bharatas, Shalva arrived at Dvaraka and laid siege to it with his vast army, laying waste to the suburbs and gardens surrounding the city. The city’s gates and towers, its palaces, balconies, pleasure grounds, and lofty mansions—all were battered by a relentless shower of weapons. Stones, trees, thunderbolts, serpents, and torrents of gravel rained down upon Dvaraka, while a fierce whirlwind arose, cloaking every direction in choking dust. In this way, Krishna’s city suffered grievously under the onslaught of Saubha, finding no peace—just as the earth had once been tormented by the attack of Tripura. Witnessing the suffering of his people, the glorious and heroic Pradyumna, Krishna’s own son, mounted his chariot and called out to reassure them, “Do not fear!” Satyaki, Charudeshna, Samba, Akrura and his younger brother, Hardikya, Bhanuvinda, Gada, Shuka, Sarana, and other mighty archers and commanders of chariot divisions joined him. Well-armed and protected, they rode out at the head of chariots, elephants, horses, and infantry to face the enemy. A tumultuous and hair-raising battle erupted between the forces of Shalva and the Yadus, resembling the ancient wars between gods and demons. Rukmini’s son, Pradyumna, wielding divine weapons, swiftly shattered all the magical illusions conjured by the lord of Saubha, just as the sun dispels the darkness of night. With twenty-five arrows tipped in iron and shafted with gold, Pradyumna pierced the commander of Shalva’s army. He struck Shalva himself with a hundred arrows, his soldiers each with a single arrow, their leaders with ten arrows apiece, and each of their vehicles with three arrows. So astonishing and mighty was this feat that all the assembled warriors—both friend and foe—stood in awe and honored Pradyumna. Yet the creation of Maya, wrought from illusion, was bewildering: Saubha appeared in many forms and sometimes as one, sometimes visible and sometimes vanishing, impossible for the enemy to comprehend. At times, it was seen on the ground, then soaring in the sky, perched on mountain peaks, or floating upon the waters, spinning about like a wheel of firebrands in its fury. Wherever Shalva, his Saubha, and his army appeared, there the chiefs of the Sātvatas unleashed volleys of arrows. Struck by these missiles—blazing like fire and the sun, and as deadly as venomous serpents—Shalva’s forces became confused and demoralized. Yet, despite being battered by torrents of weapons from Shalva’s army, the heroic Vrishnis stood firm, determined to prevail in battle and win glory in both worlds. Amidst the chaos, Dyuman, a minister of Shalva who had previously bested Pradyumna, advanced with a massive mace. He struck Pradyumna with a mighty blow, shattering his chest and letting out a thunderous roar. Pradyumna, the subduer of enemies, fell unconscious, and his charioteer—the righteous son of Daruka—carried him from the field. After a brief interval, Pradyumna regained consciousness and rebuked his charioteer: “How improper it is, O charioteer, that you have withdrawn me from the battle! Never has it been heard that one born in the Yadu dynasty has left the battlefield—except for a charioteer whose mind is unmanly and who has incurred sin. What shall I say when I approach my fathers, Balarama and Krishna, having retreated from battle? What answer will I give them? Surely, the wives of my brothers will mock me, saying, ‘How, how did your cowardice, O hero, become known to others in battle?’” The charioteer replied with humility and wisdom: “O lord, knowing righteousness, I did this. A charioteer should protect a warrior in distress, and a warrior his charioteer. That is the code. Knowing this, I withdrew you from the battle, for you had been struck down by the enemy and had fallen unconscious.” Thus concludes the seventy-sixth chapter, “The Battle with Shalva,” in the tenth book, second half, of the Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana, the scripture for the paramahamsas. The tale continues. Śuka said: Pradyumna, having purified himself with water and bow in hand, commanded his charioteer, “Take me to the side of Dyuman, the hero.” Smiling, Rukmini’s son struck down Dyuman, who was attacking his own troops, with eight iron arrows. With four more arrows, he felled Dyuman’s four horses; with one, he struck the charioteer; with two, he shattered the bow and the banner; and with another, he cut off Dyuman’s head. Meanwhile, Gada, Satyaki, Samba, and others slew the warriors of Saubha. The forces of Shalva, their necks severed, fell into the sea. Thus, as the Yadus and Shalvas slaughtered each other, the fierce and tumultuous battle raged on for twenty-seven days and nights. At this time, Krishna had been away, having accepted the invitation of Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, to attend the Rajasuya sacrifice at Indraprastha. There, after the sacrifice was completed and Shishupala was slain, Krishna took leave of the elders of the Kuru dynasty, the sages, Pritha, and her sons. Sensing dreadful omens, he then hurried back to Dvaraka. Upon his return, Krishna said, “I have come here, joined by noble friends; the kings allied with the Chedi are surely about to attack my city.” Witnessing the slaughter of his people and arranging for the defense of Dvaraka, Keshava spoke to his charioteer Daruka about Saubha and King Shalva. “Charioteer, bring my chariot quickly to Shalva’s presence; do not be alarmed, for this king of Saubha is a master of illusion.” Thus, the Lord prepared to confront Shalva and bring an end to his reign of terror.