“Yudhishthira said, ‘O Krishna, why wert thou absent (from the Anartta
country)? And, O descendant of the Vrishni race, while thou wert away,
where didst thou dwell? And what didst thou do while out of thy kingdom?’
“Krishna said, ‘O bull of the Bharata race, I had gone for the purpose of
destroying the (arranging) city Salwa. And, O foremost of the Kauravas,
listen to the reasons I had for so doing! The heroic son of Damaghosha,
the well-known king Sisupala of mighty arms and great energy, was slain
by me, O best of Bharatas, at thy Rajasuya sacrifice, because that wicked
one could not from anger bear to see the first worship offered to me!
Hearing that he had been slain, Salwa, burning with fierce anger, came to
Dwaraka, while, O Bharata, it was empty, myself being away, residing with
you here. And having arrived there on a car made of precious metals and
hence called the Souva, he had an encounter with the youthful princes of
the Vrishni race--those bulls of that line--and fought With them
mercilessly. And slaughtering many youthful Vrishnis of heroic valour,
the wicked one devastated all the gardens of the city. And, O thou of
mighty arms, he said, ‘Where is that wretch of the Vrishni race,
Vasudeva, the evil-souled son of Vasudeva? I will humble in battle the
pride of that person so eager for fight! Tell me truly, O Anarttas! I
will go there where he is. And after killing that slayer of Kansa and
Kesi, will I return! By my weapon I swear that I will not return with out
slaying him!’ And exclaiming repeatedly--Where is he? Where is he? the
lord of Saubha rusheth to this place and that, desirous of encountering
me in battle? And Salwa also said, ‘Impelled by wrath for the destruction
of Sisupala I shall today send to the mansion of Yama that treacherous
miscreant of mean mind?’ And, O king, he further said, ‘That Janardana
shall I slay, who, wretch that he is, hath killed my brother who was but
a boy of tender years, and who was slain not on the field of battle,
unprepared as he was!’ Having, O great king, wailed thus, and having, O
son of the Kuru race, abused me thus, he rose into the sky on his car of
precious metals capable of going anywhere at will! On returning (to my
kingdom) I heard what, O Kaurava, the evil-minded and wicked king of
Maticka had said regarding myself! And, O descendant of the Kuru race, I
was agitated with wrath, and, O king, having reflected upon everything, I
set my heart upon slaying him! And, learning, O Kauravya, of his
oppression of the Anarttas, of his abuse of myself, and of his excessive
arrogance, I resolved upon the destruction of that wretch! And, O lord of
earth, I accordingly set out (from my city), for slaying the (lord of)
the Saubha. And searching him here and there, I found him in an island in
the midst of the ocean! Then, O king, blowing my conch called the
Panchajanya obtained from the sea, and challenging Salwa to combat, I
stood for the fight! At that instant, I had an encounter with numerous
Danavas, all of whom, however, I subdued and prostrated on the ground. O
mighty-armed one, it was owing to this affair that I could not then come
(unto thee)! As soon as I heard of the unfair game of dice at Hastinapur,
I have come here desirous of seeing ye who have been plunged in
distress.’”