s understanding as it
were the intention of Daruka's son endued with such lightness of hand,
burned with energy, and seemed to go without touching the ground with
their feet! That bull among men wheeled round Salwa's host so easily
that they who witnessed it wondered exceedingly. And the lord of Saubha,
unable to bear that manoeuvre of Pradyumna, instantly sent three shafts
at the charioteer of his antagonist! The charioteer, however, without
taking any note of the force of those arrows, continued to go along the
right. Then the lord of Saubha, O hero, again discharged at my son by
Rukmini, a shower of various kinds of weapons! But that slayer of
hostile heroes, the son of Rukmini, showing with a smile his lightness
of hand, cut all those weapons off as they reached him. Finding his
arrows cut by Pradyumna, the lord of Saubha, having recourse to the
dreadful illusion natural to _Asuras_ began to pour a thick shower of
arrows. But cutting into pieces those powerful Daitya weapons shot at
him in mid-career by means of his _Brahma_ weapon, Pradyumna discharged
winged shafts of other kings. And these delighting in blood, warding off
the shafts of Daitya, pierced his head, bosom and face. And at those
wounds Salwa fell down senseless. And on the mean-minded Salwa falling
down, afflicted with Pradyumna's arrows, the son of Rukmini aimed
another arrow at him, capable of destroying every foe. And beholding
that arrow worshipped by all the Dasarhas, and flaming like fire and
fatal as a venomous snake, fixed on the bow-string, the firmament was
filled with exclamations of _Oh!_ and _Alas!_ Then all the celestials
with Indra and the lord of treasures (Kubera) at their head sent Narada
and the god of wind endued with the speed of the mind. And these two
approaching the son of Rukmini delivered unto him the message of the
celestial, saying, O hero, king Salwa is not to be slain by thee! Do
thou draw back the arrow. He is unslayable by thee in fight! There
breatheth not a person who cannot be killed by that arrow! O thou of
mighty arms, the Creator hath ordained his death at the hands of
Krishna, the son of Devaki! Let this be not falsified!--Thereupon with a
glad heart, Pradyumna withdrew that best of arrows from his excellent
bow and deposited it back in his quiver. And then, O foremost of kings,
the mighty Salwa, afflicted with the arrows of Pradyumna, rose
disheartened, and speedily went away. Then O king, the wicked Salwa,
thus a