my
friends rejoiced again even as men rejoice on seeing the sun rise in the
sky, dispersing the clouds. And seeing my horses almost in their last
gasp for breath, afflicted with that load of stones, my charioteer said
unto me in words suitable to the occasion, 'O thou of the Vrishni race,
behold Salwa the owner of the car of precious metals sitting (yonder). Do
not disregard him! Do thou exert thyself! Do thou abandon thy mildness
and consideration for Salwa. Slay Salwa, O thou of mighty arms! O Kesava,
do not let him live! O hero, O thou destroyer of those that are not thy
friends (enemies), an enemy should be slain with every exertion! Even a
weak enemy who is under the feet of a man endued with strength, should
not be disregarded by the latter: that (shall I say) of one that dareth
us to the fight? Therefore, O thou tiger among men, putting forth every
exertion, slay him, O lord, O thou foremost of the Vrishni race! Do thou
not delay again! This one is not capable of being vanquished by milder
measures. And he cannot in my opinion be thy friend who is fighting thee
and who devastated Dwaraka!' O Kaunteya, hearing such words of my
charioteer, and knowing that what he said was true, I directed my
attention to the fight (afresh), with the view of slaying Salwa and
destroying the car of costly metals! And, O hero, saying unto Daruka,
'Stay a moment' I fixed on my bow-string my favourite weapon of fire,
blazing and of celestial origin, of irresistible force, and incapable of
being baffled, bursting with energy, capable of penetrating into
everything, and of great splendour! And saying, 'Destroy the car of
precious metals together with all those enemies that are in it.' I
launched with the might of my arms and in wrath with mantras, the great
powerful discus Sudarsana which reduceth to ashes in battle Yakshas and
Rakshasas and Danavas and kings born in impure tribes, sharp-edged like
the razor, and without stain, like unto Yama the destroyer, and
incomparable, and which killeth enemies. And rising into the sky, it
seemed like a second sun of exceeding effulgence at the end of the Yuga.
And approaching the town of Saubha whose splendour had disappeared, the
discus went right through it, even as a saw divideth a tall tree. And cut
in twain by the energy of the Sudarsana it fell like the city of Tripura
shaken by the shafts of Maheswara. And after the town of Saubha had
fallen, the discus came back into my hands, And taking it