21. SHAALWA KILLS VASUDEVA

SRIMAD MAHABHARATA > AARANYA PARVA > ARJUNAABHIGAMANA PARVA > CHAPTER 21 - SHAALWA KILLS VASUDEVA

“Vaasudeva said, ‘O you tiger among men (Yudhishthira), my great enemy king Shaalwa, thus encountered by me in battle, again ascended the sky. O mighty monarch, inspired with the desire of victory, that wicked one (Manda Buddhi in Sanskrit) hurled at me Shataghnees, mighty maces (Maha Gada in Sanskrit), flaming spears, 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. There was a great noise in the sky. Shaalwa covered (Sri Krishna’s charioteer) Daaruka, my horses, and my chariot also with hundreds of thousands of straight arrows. Then, O hero (Yudhishthira), Daaruka, evidently about to faint, said to me, ‘Pained with the arrows of Shaalwa I stay in the field, because it is my duty to do so. But I am incapable of doing so (any longer). My body has become weak!’

“Hearing these piteous words of my charioteer, I looked at him, and found the driver wounded with arrows. There was no spot on his chest or the crown of his head, or body or his arms which was not, O you foremost of Paadavaa (Yudhishthira), covered with arrows! Blood flowed profusely from his wounds pained by arrows, and he looked like to a mountain of red chalk after a heavy shower. O you of mighty arms (Yudhishthira), seeing the charioteer with the reins in his hands thus pierced and weakened by arrows of Shaalwa in the battlefield, I cheered him up!

“O Bharata (Yudhishthira), about this time, a certain person, having his home in Dwaaraka quickly coming to my chariot, addressed me like a friend, delivering to me, O hero (Yudhishthira), a message from Aahuka (Akrura – Sri Krishna’s uncle)! He seemed to be one of Aahuka’s followers. Sadly and in a voice choked in sorrow, know, O Yudhishthira, he said these words ‘O warrior (Veera in Sanskrit), Aahuka – the lord of Dwaaraka, has said these words to You! O Keshava, hear what Your father’s friend says: ‘O son of the Vrishni race, O You irrepressible one, in Your absence today Shaalwa, coming to Dwaaraka, has by main force killed Vasudeva! Therefore, no need of battle any more. Stop, O Janaardana! You do defend Dwaaraka! This is Your principal duty!’’

“Hearing these words of his, my heart became heavy, and I could not discover what I should do and what I should not. O hero (Yudhishthira), hearing of that great misfortune, I mentally scolded Saatyaki, Baladeva (Balarama), and also that Maharatha Pradyumna. Having put them on the duty of protecting Dwaaraka and Vasudeva, I had gone, O son of the Kuru race, to effect the destruction of Shaalwa’s city. In a sorrowful heart, I asked myself, ‘Does that destroyer of enemies, the mighty-armed Baladeva, Saatyaki, the son of Rukmini, Chaarudeshna possessed of prowess, and Saamba and others alive? For, O you tiger among men (Yudhishthira), these living, the bearer of Vajra Himself could by no means destroy Suta’s son (Vasudeva)! I thought, it is plain that Vasudeva is dead and equally plain that the others with Baladeva (Balarama) at their head have been deprived of life – This was my certain conclusion.

“O mighty king (Yudhishthira), thinking of the destruction of those all, I was overwhelmed with grief! It was in this state of mind that I encountered Shaalwa afresh. Now I saw, O great monarch (Yudhishthira), Vasudeva himself falling from the Saubha! O warrior (Yudhishthira), I fainted away, and, O king of men, my father (Vasudeva) seemed like to Yayaati after the loss of his merit (Punya in Sanskrit), falling towards the earth from heaven (Swarga in Sanskrit)! Like to a luminary whose merit (Punya in Sanskrit) has been lost, I saw my father falling with his head-gear foul, flowing loosely, and his hair and dress disordered. Then the bow Shaaranga dropped from my hand, and, O son of Kunti (Yudhishthira), I fainted away! I sat down on the side of the chariot. O you descendant of the Bharata race, seeing me deprived of consciousness on the chariot, and as if dead, my entire army exclaimed ‘Oh!’ and ‘Alas!’ My face-down father with out-stretched arms and lower bodypart, appeared like a dropping bird. Him thus falling, O you of mighty arms (Yudhishthira), O hero, the hostile warriors bearing in their hands lances (Shoola in Sanskrit) and axes struck grievously! (Seeing this) my heart trembled! Soon regaining my consciousness, O warrior (Yudhishthira), I could not see in that mighty battle either Saubha, or the enemy Shaalwa, or my old father! Then I concluded in my mind that it was certainly illusion (Maayaa in Sanskrit). Recovering my senses, I again began to discharge arrows by hundreds.’”