Bhagavata Purana

तं त्वाद्य निशितैर्बाणैः अपराजितमानिनम् । नयाम्यपुनरावृत्तिं यदि तिष्ठेर्ममाग्रतः

'Today, with sharp arrows, I will send you—who think yourself invincible—on a path of no return, if you dare stand before me.'

श्रीभगवानुवाच - वृथा त्वं कत्थसे मन्द न पश्यस्यन्तिकेऽन्तकम् । पौरुषं दर्शयन्ति स्म शूरा न बहुभाषिणः

The Blessed Lord said: 'In vain you boast, dull-witted one; you do not see Death standing near. True heroes show their valor in deeds, not in many words.'

इत्युक्त्वा भगवान् शाल्वं गदया भीमवेगया । तताड जत्रौ संरब्धः स चकम्पे वमन्नसृक्

Having spoken thus, the Lord struck Shalva, in his fury, on the chest with his mace of terrible force; Shalva trembled and vomited blood.

गदायां सन्निवृत्तायां शाल्वस्त्वन्तरधीयत । ततो मुहूर्त आगत्य पुरुषः शिरसाच्युतम् । देवक्या प्रहितोऽस्मीति नत्वा प्राह वचो रुदन्

When the mace was repelled, Shalva vanished; after a moment, a man approached Achyuta, bowed, and, weeping, spoke these words: 'I am sent by Devaki.'

कृष्ण कृष्ण महाबाहो पिता ते पितृवत्सल । बद्ध्वापनीतः शाल्वेन सौनिकेन यथा पशुः

'Krishna, Krishna, mighty-armed one, your father, who loves you dearly, has been bound and carried away by Shalva and his men, like a beast.'

निशम्य विप्रियं कृष्णो मानुषीं प्रकृतिं गतः । विमनस्को घृणी स्नेहाद् बभाषे प्राकृतो यथा

Hearing this grievous news, Krishna, overcome by affection, assumed a human disposition, became dejected and compassionate, and spoke as an ordinary man would.

कथं राममसम्भ्रान्तं जित्वाजेयं सुरासुरैः । शाल्वेनाल्पीयसा नीतः पिता मे बलवान् विधिः

How could my father, mighty and unconcerned Rama—who was unconquered by gods and demons—be carried away by Shalva, a mere lesser man? Such is the power of fate.

इति ब्रुवाणे गोविन्दे सौभराट् प्रत्युपस्थितः । वसुदेवमिवानीय कृष्णं चेदमुवाच सः

As Govinda was thus speaking, the lord of Saubha appeared, and, bringing Krishna as Vasudeva had been brought, he spoke these words.

एष ते जनिता तातो यदर्थमिह जीवसि । वधिष्ये वीक्षतस्तेऽमुं ईशश्चेत् पाहि बालिश

Here is your father, the one for whom you live in this world. I will kill him before your eyes. If you are the Lord, protect him, O foolish one.

एवं निर्भर्त्स्य मायावी खड्गेनानकदुन्दुभेः । उत्कृत्य शिर आदाय खस्थं सौभं समाविशत्

Thus rebuking him, the deceiver drew his sword, seized Anakadundubhi's head, and, taking it, entered the Saubha fortress in the sky.

( मिश्र ) ततो मुहूर्तं प्रकृतावुपप्लुतः स्वबोध आस्ते स्वजनानुषङ्‌गतः । महानुभावस्तदबुध्यदासुरीं मायां स शाल्वप्रसृतां मयोदिताम्

Then, for a moment, the great-souled one was overcome by his natural affection, surrounded by his own people. But he soon realized that this was a demonic illusion, conjured by Shalva at Maya's instruction.

न तत्र दूतं न पितुः कलेवरं प्रबुद्ध आजौ समपश्यदच्युतः । स्वाप्नं यथा चाम्बरचारिणं रिपुं सौभस्थमालोक्य निहन्तुमुद्यतः

Awakened on the battlefield, Achyuta saw neither the messenger nor his father's body there. Like a man waking from a dream, he beheld his enemy in the sky, stationed on Saubha, ready to strike.

( अनुष्टुप् ) एवं वदन्ति राजर्षे ऋषयः के च नान्विताः । यत् स्ववाचो विरुध्येत नूनं ते न स्मरन्त्युत

Thus do some sages, O royal sage, speak—yet if their words contradict themselves, surely they do not truly remember.

क्व शोकमोहौ स्नेहो वा भयं वा येऽज्ञसम्भवाः । क्व चाखण्डितविज्ञान ज्ञानैश्वर्यस्त्वखण्डितः

Where are grief and delusion, affection or fear—born of ignorance—and where is your unbroken wisdom, your undiminished knowledge and lordship?

( मिश्र ) यत्पादसेवोर्जितयाऽऽत्मविद्यया हिन्वन्त्यनाद्यात्मविपर्ययग्रहम् । लभन्त आत्मीयमनन्तमैश्वरं कुतो नु मोहः परमस्य सद्गतेः

By serving his feet and gaining self-knowledge, the wise destroy the beginningless grip of self-delusion. They attain their own infinite lordship—how could confusion touch one who has reached the Supreme?

तं शस्त्रपूगैः प्रहरन्तमोजसा शाल्वं शरैः शौरिरमोघविक्रमः । विद्ध्वाच्छिनद्‌ वर्म धनुः शिरोमणिं सौभं च शत्रोर्गदया रुरोज ह

Then, as Shalva attacked with a multitude of weapons, the mighty Krishna, whose valor never fails, struck him with arrows, shattered his armor, bow, and crown, and smashed the Saubha fortress of his enemy with his mace.

तत्कृष्णहस्तेरितया विचूर्णितं पपात तोये गदया सहस्रधा । विसृज्य तद्‌ भूतलमास्थितो गदां उद्यम्य शाल्वोऽच्युतमभ्यगाद् द्रुतम्

Struck by Krishna's mace, the Saubha, crushed by his hand, fell into the water in a thousand pieces. Abandoning it, Shalva took up his mace, stood on the ground, and swiftly rushed at Achyuta.

आधावतः सगदं तस्य बाहुं भल्लेन छित्त्वाथ रथाङ्‌गमद्‌भुतम् । वधाय शाल्वस्य लयार्कसन्निभं बिभ्रद् बभौ सार्क इवोदयाचलः

As Shalva charged with his mace, Krishna severed his arm with a razor-sharp arrow, then took up his wondrous discus, blazing like the sun at the end of time, to slay Shalva, shining like the sun rising from the eastern mountain.

जहार तेनैव शिरः सकुण्डलं किरीटयुक्तं पुरुमायिनो हरिः । वज्रेण वृत्रस्य यथा पुरन्दरो बभूव हाहेति वचस्तदा नृणाम्

With that very discus, Hari struck off the head of the master of illusions, adorned with earrings and crown, just as Indra slew Vritra with his thunderbolt. Then, among men, there arose cries of 'Alas!'

( अनुष्टुप् ) तस्मिन्निपतिते पापे सौभे च गदया हते । नेदुर्दुन्दुभयो राजन् दिवि देवगणेरिताः । सखीनां अपचितिं कुर्वन् दन्तवक्रो रुषाभ्यगात्

When that wicked one fell and Saubha was destroyed by the mace, the celestial drums resounded in the sky, played by the hosts of gods. Dantavakra, in anger, came forward to avenge his friend.

इति श्रीमद्‍भागवते महापुराणे पारमहंस्यां संहितायां दशमस्कन्धे उत्तरार्धे सौभवधो नाम सप्तसप्ततितमोऽध्यायः

Thus ends the seventy-seventh chapter, called 'The Slaying of Shalva,' in the tenth book, second half, of the great and sacred Bhagavata Purana.

दन्तवक्रविदूरथवधः; बलरामद्‌वारा सूतशिरश्छेदश्च - अथाष्टसप्ततितमोऽध्यायः श्रीशुक उवाच। शिशुपालस्य शाल्वस्य पौण्ड्रकस्यापि दुर्मतिः। परलोकगतानां च कुर्वन्पारोक्ष्यसौहृदम्

The killing of Dantavakra and Viduratha, and the beheading of Suta by Balarama—thus begins the seventy-eighth chapter. Shuka said: The wickedness of Shishupala, Shalva, Paundraka, and others, even after they had departed this world, was met by Krishna with transcendental friendship.

एकः पदातिः सङ्क्रुद्धो गदापाणिः प्रकम्पयन्। पद्भ्यामिमां महाराज महासत्त्वो व्यदृश्यत

Then, a single foot-soldier, furious and wielding a mace, shaking the earth as he came, was seen approaching, O great king, with immense strength.

तं तथायान्तमालोक्य गदामादाय सत्वरः। अवप्लुत्य रथात्कृष्णः सिन्धुं वेलेव प्रत्यधात्

Seeing him advancing in this way, Krishna quickly seized his mace, leapt down from his chariot, and confronted him like the ocean meets the shore.

गदामुद्यम्य कारूषो मुकुन्दं प्राह दुर्मदः। दिष्ट्या दिष्ट्या भवानद्य मम दृष्टिपथं गतः

Raising his mace, the Kārūṣa, arrogant with pride, spoke to Mukunda: 'By fortune, by great fortune, you have today come within my sight.'

त्वं मातुलेयो नः कृष्ण मित्रध्रुङ्मां जिघांससि। अतस्त्वां गदया मन्द हनिष्ये वज्रकल्पया

'You are our maternal uncle, O Kṛṣṇa, yet you seek to kill me, your friend and ally. Therefore, O fool, I shall strike you down with my mace, hard as a thunderbolt.'

तर्ह्यानृण्यमुपैम्यज्ञ मित्राणां मित्रवत्सलः। बन्धुरूपमरिं हत्वा व्याधिं देहचरं यथा

'Then I shall be free of my debt, O friend of friends, by slaying an enemy who appears as a relative—just as one destroys a disease dwelling in the body.'

एवं रूक्षैस्तुदन्वाक्यैः कृष्णं तोत्रैरिव द्विपम्। गदयाताडयन्मूर्ध्नि सिंहवद्व्यनदच्च सः

Thus, with harsh words that stung like goads, he assailed Kṛṣṇa as one would prod an elephant, and struck him on the head with his mace, roaring like a lion.

गदयाभिहतोऽप्याजौ न चचाल यदूद्वहः। कृष्णोऽपि तमहन्गुर्व्या कौमोदक्या स्तनान्तरे

Though struck on the battlefield with the mace, the foremost of the Yadus did not move; and Kṛṣṇa, with his own mace Kaumodakī, struck him in the chest.