I swear that I will not return without slaying him!" And exclaiming
repeatedly--_Where is he? Where is he?_ the lord of Saubha rusheth to
this place and that, desirous of encountering me in battle. And Salwa
also said, "Impelled by wrath for the destruction of Sisupala I shall
today send to the mansion of Yama that treacherous miscreant of mean
mind." And, O king, he further said, "That Janardana shall I slay, who,
wretch that he is, hath 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 al