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 Hastinapura, I have come here desirous of seeing ye who have been plunged in distress.’”

SECTION XV

“Yudhishthira said, ’O illustrious Vasudeva of mighty arms, tell thou in detail of the death of the lord of Saubha.  My curiosity hath not been appeased by the narration.’

“Vasudeva said, ’O mighty-armed king, hearing that the son of Srutaslavas (Sisupala) had been slain by me, Salwa, O best of the Bharata race, came to the city of Dwaravati!  And, O son of Pandu, the wicked king, stationing his forces in array, besieged that city around and above.  And stationing himself in the upper regions, the king began his fight with the city.  And that encounter commenced with a thick shower of weapons from all sides.  And, O bull of the Bharata race, the city at that time was well-fortified on all sides, according to the science (of fortification), with pennons, and arches, and combatants, and walls and turrets, and engines, and miners, and streets barricaded with spiked wood-works and towers and edifices with gate-ways well-filled with provisions, and engines for hurling burning brands and fires, and vessels, of deer-skins (for carrying water), and trumpets, tabors, and drums, lances and forks, and Sataghnis, and plough-shares, rockets, balls of stone and battle-axes and other weapons and shield embossed with iron, and engines for hurling balls and bullets and hot liquids!  And the city was also well-defended by numerous cars, and, O tiger among Kurus, by Gada and Shamva and Uddhava and others, and by warriors of prowess tried in battle, all well-born and capable of encountering any foe!  And these