"Vasudeva said, 'O thou tiger among men, my great enemy king Salwa, thus
encountered by me in battle, again ascended the sky. And O mighty
monarch, inspired with the desire of victory, that wicked one hurled at
me _Sataghnis_, and mighty maces, and flaming lances, and stout clubs,
and as the weapons came along the sky, I speedily resisted them with my
swift arrows, and cut them in two or three pieces before they came at
me. And there was a great noise in the welkins. And Salwa covered
Daruka, and my steeds, and my car also with hundreds of straight shafts.
Then, O hero, Daruka, evidently about to faint, said unto me, "Afflicted
with the shafts of Salwa I stay in the field, because it is my duty to
do so. But I am incapable of doing so (any longer). My body hath become
weak!" Hearing these piteous words of my charioteer, I looked at him,
and found the driver wounded with arrows. Nor was there a spot on his
breasts or the crown of his head, or body or his arms which was not, O
thou foremost of sons of Pandu, covered with shafts! And blood flowed
profusely from his wounds inflicted by arrows, and he looked like unto a
mountain of red chalk after a heavy shower. And, O thou of mighty arms,
seeing the charioteer with the reins in his hands thus pierced and
enfeebled by the shafts of Salwa in the field of battle, I cheered him
up!
"'And, O Bharata, about this time, a certain person, having his home in
Dwaraka quickly coming to my car, addressed me like a friend, delivering
to me, O hero, a message from Ahuka! He seemed to be one of Ahuka's
followers. And sadly and in a voice choked in sorrow, know, O
Yudhishthira, he said words--"O warrior, Ahuka, the lord of Dwaraka,
hath said these words unto thee! O Kesava, hear what thy father's friend
sayeth: _O son of the Vrishni race, O thou irrepressible one, in thy
absence today Salwa, coming to Dwaraka, hath by main force killed
Vasudeva! Therefore, no need of battle any more. Cease, O Janardana! Do
thou defend Dwaraka! This is thy principal duty!_"--Hearing these words
of his, my heart became heavy, and I could not ascertain what I should
do and what I should not. And, O hero, hearing of that great misfortune,
I mentally censured Satyaki, and _Baladeva_, and also that mighty
Pradyumna. Having reposed on them the duty of protecting Dwaraka and
Vasudeva, I had gone, O son of the Kuru race, to effect the destruction
of Salwa's city. And in a sorrowful heart, I asked myself,--Doth that
destroyer of foes, the mighty-armed _Baladeva_, live, and Satyaki, and
the son of Rukmini and Charudeshna possessed of prowess, and Shamva and
others? For, O thou tiger among men, these living, even the bearer
himself of the thunderbolt could by no means destroy Suta's son
(Vasudeva)! And, thought I, _It is plain that Vasudeva is dead and
equally plain that the others with Baladeva at their head have been
deprived of life_--This was my certain conclusion. And, O mighty king,
thinking of the destruction of those all, I was overwhelmed with grief!
And it was in this state of mind that I encountered Salwa afresh. And
now I saw, O great monarch, Vasudeva himself falling from the car of
precious metals! And, O warrior I swooned away, and, O king of men, my
sire seemed like unto Yayati after the loss of his merit, falling
towards the earth from heaven! And like unto a luminary whose merit hath
been lost saw my father falling, his head-gear foul and flowing loosely,
and his hair and dress disordered. And then the bow _Sharanga_ dropped
from my hand, and, O son of Kunti I swooned away! I sat down on the side
of the car. And, O thou descendant of the Bharata race, seeing me
deprived of consciousness on the car, and as if dead, my entire host
exclaimed _Oh_! and _Alas_! And my prone father with out-stretched arms
and lower limbs, appeared like a dropping bird. And him thus falling, O
thou of mighty arms, O hero, the hostile warriors bearing in their hands
lances and axes struck grievously! And (beholding this) my heart
trembled! and soon regaining my consciousness, O warrior, I could not
see in that mighty contest either the car of costly metals, or the enemy
Salwa, or my old father! Then I concluded in my mind that it was
certainly illusion. And recovering my senses, I again began to discharge
arrows by hundreds.'"