rendered ineffectual, he began the contest with mountain peaks.  And, O Bharata, then there was darkness and light alternately, and the day was now fair, and now gloomy, and now hot, and now cold.  And there was a perfect shower of coals, and ashes, and weapons.  And creating such illusion the enemy fought with me.  And ascertaining it I destroyed his illusion by counter-illusion.  And in the due time I showered arrows all round.  And then, O mighty king, the dome of heaven blazed as with a hundred suns, and, O son of Kunti, with one hundred moons, and thousands and ten thousands of stars!  And then none could ascertain whether it was day or night, or distinguish the points of the horizon.  And, becoming bewildered, I fixed on my bowstring the weapon called Pragnastra.  And, O son of Kunti, the weapon went like unto flakes of pure cotton blown away by the winds!  And a great fight took place, calculated to make the down on one’s body stand on end.  And O best of monarchs, having regained light, I again fought with the enemy!’”

SECTION XXI

“Vasudeva said, ’O thou tiger among men, my great enemy king Salwa, thus encountered by me in battle, again ascended the sky.  And O mighty monarch, inspired with the desire of victory, that wicked one hurled at me Sataghnis, and mighty maces, and flaming lances, and stout clubs, and as the weapons came along the sky, I speedily resisted them with my swift arrows, and cut them in two or three pieces before they came at me.  And there was a great noise in the welkins.  And Salwa covered Daruka, and my steeds, and my car also with hundreds of straight shafts.  Then, O hero, Daruka, evidently about to faint, said unto me, “Afflicted with the shafts of Salwa I stay in the field, because it is my duty to do so.  But I am incapable of doing so (any longer).  My body hath become weak!” Hearing these piteous words of my charioteer, I looked at him, and found the driver wounded with arrows.  Nor was there a spot on his breasts or the crown of his head, or body or his arms which was not, O thou foremost of sons of Pandu, covered with shafts!  And blood flowed profusely from his wounds inflicted by arrows, and he looked like unto a mountain of red chalk after a heavy shower.  And, O thou of mighty arms, seeing the charioteer with the reins in his hands thus pierced and enfeebled by the shafts of Salwa in the field of battle, I cheered him up!

“’And, O Bharata, about this time, a certain person, having his home in Dwaraka quickly coming to my car, addressed me like a friend, delivering to me, O hero, a message from Ahuka!  He seemed to be one of Ahuka’s followers.  And sadly and in a voice choked in sorrow, know, O Yudhishthira, he said words—­“O warrior, Ahuka, the lord of Dwaraka, hath said these words unto thee!  O Kesava, hear what thy father’s friend sayeth:  O son of the Vrishni race, O thou irrepressible one, in thy absence today Salwa, coming to Dwaraka,