Krishna Recounts Killing Shalva and Destroying Soubha
Yudhishthira asks Krishna why he could not attend the Rajasuya sacrifice. Krishna answers by describing his battle with King Shalva and the flying city Soubha — a city that could vanish, reappear, and confound the eyes. He fought it with sound-seeking arrows, shattered mountains with the vajra weapon, and finally destroyed Soubha with the Sudarshana chakra, cutting Shalva in two.
Yudhishthira had asked. Krishna answered.
He told the story of Shalva and Soubha — the battle that had kept him from the Rajasuya sacrifice where, he said, he would have killed Duryodhana.
Krishna grasped his beautiful bow Sharnga and began to slice off the heads of the enemies of the gods who were on Soubha. From Sharnga he unleashed arrows at King Shalva — arrows that had the forms of virulent serpents, infinitely energetic, capable of rising to great heights.
Then Soubha disappeared.
It had vanished because of maya — illusion. Krishna was surprised. The masses of danavas (demons) had deformed faces and dishevelled hair. They let out a great roar as he stood there.
With the intention of destroying them, Krishna affixed a weapon that could kill only by sound. The uproar ceased. All those danavas who had raised the noise were killed by his arrows, which blazed like the sun and could strike only by sound. But when the noise died down in one place, it arose again in another. Krishna shot his arrows at the other place where the noise arose. The asuras (demons) raised an uproar from all ten directions — including the sides and above — but Krishna killed them.
Soubha was capable of going anywhere at will. It went to Pragjyotisha, then suddenly reappeared, confounding Krishna's eyes. A danava in the form of a monkey — a destroyer of the world — covered Krishna with a great shower of rocks. He repeatedly tried to kill him with this shower of mountains. Covered with those mountains, Krishna looked like an anthill. He became completely invisible, with his horses, his charioteer, and his flag.
The heroes from the Vrishni lineage who were part of Krishna's troops became frightened and fled in all directions. Loud wails of lamentation were heard everywhere — in heaven, on the earth, and in the sky. Krishna's well-wishers were miserable; his enemies were delighted.
Then Krishna took up his beloved vajra weapon — capable of destroying all rocks. He shattered all the mountains. His horses had been oppressed by that burden of rocks and stood trembling, weak in breath and effort. When Krishna appeared like a sun in the sky after the net of clouds had dispersed, all his well-wishers repeatedly raised cheers.
His charioteer bowed to him and said: "Look. Shalva, the lord of Soubha, is there. Do not ignore him. Kill Shalva. Do not allow him to live. Forget all gentleness and friendship towards him. An enemy should be killed with all one's valour — even a weak enemy should not be disregarded by those who are strong, not to speak of one who is standing in battle."
Krishna heard these words and knew them to be true. He set his mind on the battle once more, with the intention of killing King Shalva and destroying Soubha.
He asked Daruka to hold steady for an instant. He affixed his beloved agneya weapon to his bow — irresistible, divine, incapable of being cut, extremely energetic, with great radiance, capable of destroying everything in battle: yakshas, rakshasas, danavas, and perverse kings. It could reduce all of them to ashes.
Then Krishna invoked mantras over his chakra — as sharp as a razor, unblemished, like time or Yama himself. He asked it to destroy, with its own valour, Soubha and whatever enemies of his were inside it. He angrily flung it with the valour of his arms.
It arose into the sky in the form of Sudarshana and descended like a second sun when the destruction of an era is near. It approached the city of Soubha, which had now lost its splendour. It sliced through the middle, just as a saw cuts through a piece of wood. Cut into two by the force of Sudarshana, Soubha fell down — like Tripura through Maheshvara's arrow.
When Soubha fell, the chakra returned to Krishna's hand. He took it up once more and hurled it, saying: "Go to Shalva."
Shalva was about to hurl a giant club in that great battle. The chakra suddenly blazed up with its energy and cut him into two.
When that brave one was killed, the danavas were frightened and lost their senses. Chased by Krishna's arrows, they lamented and fled towards the sky. Krishna took his chariot close to Soubha. He blew on his conch shell and brought great delight into the hearts of his well-wishers. The city — as high as Mount Meru — was destroyed, with all its palaces and towers, and was in flames. The women fled.
Thus Krishna killed Shalva in war and destroyed Soubha. Then he returned to Anarta and delighted his well-wishers.
"That," Krishna said, "is why I could not go to Nagasahrya. Had I been there, Suyodhana would not have been alive." Aranyaka Parva, Chapter 320