SECTION XVI

“Vasudeva continued, ’O king of kings, Salwa, the lord of Saubha, came towards our city with an immense force consisting of infantry, cavalry and elephants!  And the army headed by king Salwa, consisting of four kings of forces, occupied a level ground commanding a copious water-supply.  And forsaking cemeteries and temples dedicated to the gods, and sacred trees, and grounds covered by ant-hills, that host occupied every other place.  And the roads (leading to the city) were blocked up by the divisions of the army, and the secret entrances also were all blocked up by the enemy’s camp.  And, O Kauravya, like unto the lord of birds (Garuda), the ruler of Saubha rushed towards Dwaraka, bringing with him, O bull among men, his host equipped with all kinds of arms, skilled in all weapons, consisting of a dense display of cars and elephants and cavalry abounding in banners, and well-paid and well-fed foot-soldiers possessed of great strength and bearing every mark of heroism and furnished with wonderful chariots and bows.  And beholding the army of Salwa, the youthful princess of the Vrishni race resolved to encounter it sallying out of the city.  And, O king, Charudeshna, Samva, and the mighty warrior Pradyumna, O descendant of the Kuru race, sailed out, ascending on their chariots, and clad in mail, and decked with ornaments, with colours flying, resolved to encounter the mighty and countless host of Salwa!  And Samva taking up his bows eagerly attacked on the field of battle Kshemavriddhi, the commander of Salwa’s forces and his chief counsellor also!  And, O thou foremost of Bharatas, the son of Jambavati then began to shower arrows in a continuous stream even as Indra showereth down rain!  And, O mighty king, then Kshemavriddhi, the commander of Salwa’s forces, bore that shower of arrows, immovable as the Himavat!  And, O foremost of kings, Kshemavriddhi on his part, discharged at Samva mightier volley of shafts, aided by his powers of illusion!  And dispersing by counter illusion that discharge inspired by illusion, Samva showered on his (adversary’s) car a thousand arrows!  Then pierced by the shafts on Samva and overwhelmed there with Kshemavriddhi, the commander of the hostile host, left the field by the help of his fleet-steed!  And when the wicked general of Salwa had left the field, a mighty Daitya called Vegavat rushed at my son!  And, O best of monarchs, thus attacked, the heroic Samva, the perpetuator of the Vrishni race, bore that onset of Vegavat, keeping his ground.  And, O son of Kunti, the heroic Samva, of prowess incapable of being baffled, whirling a quickly-going mace, hurled it speedily at Vegavat!  And, O king, struck with that mace, Vegavat fell down on the ground, like a weather-beaten and faded lord of the forest of decayed roots!  And on that heroic Asura of mighty energy, being slain with the mace, my son entered within that mighty host and began to fight with all.  And,