s 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 Hastinapur,
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 Srutasravas
(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