"Vasudeva continued, 'Thus addressed, the son of Suta race replied in
haste unto Pradyumna, that foremost of all endued with strength, in
these sweet words, "O son of Rukmini, I fear not to guide the horses on
the field of battle, and I am acquainted also with the customs of the
Vrishnis in war! It is not otherwise in the least! But, O thou blest
with length of days, those that guide the car are taught that the
warrior on the car is, by all means, to be protected by his charioteer!
Thou wert also much afflicted! Thou wert much wounded by the arrows shot
by Salwa. Thou wert also deprived of thy senses, O hero! Therefore is it
that I retired from the field. But, O chief of the Satwatas, now that
thou hast regained thy senses without much ado, do thou, O son of
Kesava, witness my skill in guiding the horses! I have been begotten by
Daruka, and I have been duly trained! I will now penetrate into the
celebrated array of Salwa without fear!"'
"Vasudeva continued, 'Saying this, O hero, the charioteer, pulling the
reins, began to lead the horses with speed towards the field of battle.
And, O king, struck with the whip and pulled by the reins those
excellent steeds seemed to be flying in the air, performing various
beautiful motions, now circular, now similar, now dissimilar, now to the
right, now to the left. And, O king, those steeds understanding as it
were the intention of Daruka's son endued with such lightness of hand,
burned with energy, and seemed to go without touching the ground with
their feet! That bull among men wheeled round Salwa's host so easily
that they who witnessed it wondered exceedingly. And the lord of Saubha,
unable to bear that manoeuvre of Pradyumna, instantly sent three shafts
at the charioteer of his antagonist! The charioteer, however, without
taking any note of the force of those arrows, continued to go along the
right. Then the lord of Saubha, O hero, again discharged at my son by
Rukmini, a shower of various kinds of weapons! But that slayer of
hostile heroes, the son of Rukmini, showing with a smile his lightness
of hand, cut all those weapons off as they reached him. Finding his
arrows cut by Pradyumna, the lord of Saubha, having recourse to the
dreadful illusion natural to _Asuras_ began to pour a thick shower of
arrows. But cutting into pieces those powerful Daitya weapons shot at
him in mid-career by means of his _Brahma_ weapon, Pradyumna discharged
winged shafts of other kings. And these delighting in blood, warding off
the shafts of Daitya, pierced his head, bosom and face. And at those
wounds Salwa fell down senseless. And on the mean-minded Salwa falling
down, afflicted with Pradyumna's arrows, the son of Rukmini aimed
another arrow at him, capable of destroying every foe. And beholding
that arrow worshipped by all the Dasarhas, and flaming like fire and
fatal as a venomous snake, fixed on the bow-string, the firmament was
filled with exclamations of _Oh!_ and _Alas!_ Then all the celestials
with Indra and the lord of treasures (Kubera) at their head sent Narada
and the god of wind endued with the speed of the mind. And these two
approaching the son of Rukmini delivered unto him the message of the
celestial, saying, O hero, king Salwa is not to be slain by thee! Do
thou draw back the arrow. He is unslayable by thee in fight! There
breatheth not a person who cannot be killed by that arrow! O thou of
mighty arms, the Creator hath ordained his death at the hands of
Krishna, the son of Devaki! Let this be not falsified!--Thereupon with a
glad heart, Pradyumna withdrew that best of arrows from his excellent
bow and deposited it back in his quiver. And then, O foremost of kings,
the mighty Salwa, afflicted with the arrows of Pradyumna, rose
disheartened, and speedily went away. Then O king, the wicked Salwa,
thus afflicted by the Vrishnis, mounted on his car of precious metals,
and leaving Dwaraka scudded through the skies!'"