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.’”

SECTION XXII

“Vasudeva continued, ’Then O thou foremost of the Bharata race, taking up my beautiful bow, I began to cut off with my arrows the heads of the enemies of the celestials, from off that car of costly metals!  And I began to discharge from the Sharanga many well-looking arrows of the forms of snakes, capable of going at a great height and possessing intense energy.  And, O perpetuator of the Kuru race, I could not then see the car of costly metals, for it