Chapter 20

“Sanjaya said, ‘After the (Kuru) army had been rallied, Shalva, the rulerof the Mlecchas, filled with rage, rushed against the large force of thePandavas, riding on a gigantic elephant, with secretions issuing from theusual limbs, looking like a hill, swelling with pride, resemblingAiravata himself, and capable of crushing large bands of foes. Shalva’sanimal sprung from a high and noble breed. It was always worshipped byDhritarashtra’s son. It was properly equipped and properly trained forbattle, O king, by persons well-conversant with elephant-lore. Riding onthat elephant, that foremost of kings looked like the morning sun at theclose of summer. Mounting on that foremost of elephants, O monarch, heproceeded against the Pandavas and began to pierce them on all sides withkeen and terrible shafts that resembled Indra’s thunder in force. Whilehe shot his arrows in that battle and despatched hostile warriors toYama’s abode, neither the Kauravas nor the Pandavas could notice anylapses in him, even as the Daityas, O king, could not notice any inVasava, the wielder of the thunder, in days of yore, while the latter wasemployed in crushing their divisions. The Pandavas, the Somakas, and theSrinjayas, beheld that elephant looking like a 1,000 elephants careeringaround them, even as the foes of the gods had in days of yore beheld theelephant of Indra in battle. Agitated (by that animal), the hostile armylooked on every side as if deprived of life. Unable to stand in battle,they then fled away in great fear, crushing one another as they ran. Thenthe vast host of the Pandavas, broken by king Salwa, suddenly fled on allsides, unable to endure the impetuosity of that elephant. Beholding thePandava host broken and flying away in speed, all the foremost ofwarriors of thy army worshipped king Salwa and blew their conchs white asthe moon. Hearing the shouts of the Kauravas uttered in joy and the blareof their conchs, the commander of the Pandava and the Srinjaya forces,the Pancala prince (Dhrishtadyumna) could not, from wrath, endure it. Theillustrious Dhrishtadyumna then, with great speed, proceeded forvanquishing the elephant, even as the Asura Jambha had proceeded againstAiravata, the prince of elephants that Indra rode in the course of hisencounter with Indra. Beholding the ruler of the Pandavas impetuouslyrushing against him, Salwa, that lion among kings, quickly urged hiselephants, O king, for the destruction of Drupada’s son. The latter,seeing the animal approaching with precipitancy, pierced it with threeforemost of shafts, polished by the hands of the smith, keen, blazing,endued with fierce energy, and resembling fire itself in splendour andforce. Then that illustrious hero struck the animal at the frontal globeswith five other whetted and foremost of shafts. Pierced therewith, thatprince of elephants, turning away from the battle, ran with great speed.Salwa, however, suddenly checking that foremost of elephants which hadbeen exceedingly mangled and forced to retreat, caused it to turn back,and with hooks and keen lances urged it forward against the car of thePancala king, pointing it out to the infuriate animal. Beholding theanimal rushing impetuously at him, the heroic Dhrishtadyumna, taking up amace, quickly jumped down on the Earth from his car, his limbs stupefiedwith fear. That gigantic elephant, meanwhile, suddenly crushing thatgold-decked car with its steeds and driver, raised it up in the air withhis trunk and then dashed it down on the Earth. Beholding the driver ofthe Pancala king thus crushed by that foremost of elephants, Bhima andShikhandi and the grandson of Sini rushed with great speed against thatanimal. With their shafts they speedily checked the impetuosity of theadvancing beast. Thus received by those car-warriors and checked by themin battle, the elephant began to waver. Meanwhile, king Salwa began toshoot his shafts like the sun shedding his rays on all sides. Struck withthose shafts, the (Pandava) car-warriors began to fly away. Beholdingthat feat of Salwa, the Pancalas, the Srinjayas, and the Matsyas, O king,uttered loud cries of “Oh!” and “Alas!” in that battle, all thoseforemost of men, however, encompassed the animal on all sides. The bravePancala king then, taking up his mace which resembled the lofty crest ofa mountain, appeared there. Fearlessly, O king, that hero, that smiter offoes, rushed with speed against the elephant. Endued with great activity,the prince of the Pancalas approached and began to strike with his macethat animal which was huge as a hill and which shed its secretions like amighty mass of pouring clouds. Its frontal globes suddenly split open,and it uttered a loud cry; and vomiting a profuse quantity of blood, theanimal, huge as a hill, suddenly fell down, even as a mountain fallingdown during an earthquake. While that prince of elephants was fallingdown, and while the troops of thy son were uttering wails of woe at thesight, that foremost of warriors among the Sinis cut off the head of kingSalwa with a sharp and broad-headed arrow. His head having been cut offby the Satwata hero, Salwa fell down on the Earth along with his princeof elephants, even like a mountain summit suddenly riven by thethunderbolt hurled by the chief of the celestials.'”