Saubhavadha in the Mahābhārata

The Saubhavadha is Kṛshṇa’s own account of how he destroyed Śālva and the Saubha, Śālva’s flying city. After Śiśupāla died at the Rājasūya, Śālva attacked Dvārakā with the Saubha. The account tells of the siege of Dvārakā, the fights of Pradyumna, Sāmba and other Yādava heroes, and the end of Śālva and the Saubha at the hands of Kṛshṇa. In the Mahābhārata, Kṛshṇa tells it to Yudhishṭhira at the forest camp.

Where it is told

After the Pāṇḍavas had settled at Kāmyakavana, Kṛshṇa came to their forest camp. He came to give his support and counsel to Yudhishṭhira and his brothers. During this visit he told the Saubhavadha Upākhyāna, the account of how he destroyed the Saubha vimāna (flying vehicle) and its master Śālva.

Śiśupāla and Śālva

Śiśupāla, king of Cedi, had been an enemy of Kṛshṇa since his birth. At the Rājasūya yajña, in the agra-pūjā (the first honour of worship, told in the Sabhā Parva), Bhīshma chose Kṛshṇa to receive that honour. Śiśupāla objected and poured out a flood of insults and abuse. Kṛshṇa bore a hundred offences, as he had promised Śiśupāla’s mother. At the hundred and first, he released his Sudarśana Cakra and cut off Śiśupāla’s head. A shining light (jyoti) came out of Śiśupāla’s body and entered Kṛshṇa. This showed his liberation (moksha).

Śālva, the king of the Saubha kingdom, was a close friend and ally of Śiśupāla. When he saw Śiśupāla die he was filled with rage, and he swore to take revenge. Śālva had earlier received from Śiva a vara (a boon), the Saubha. It was a great vimāna, a city in the air that could fly, could be invisible, and had immense power to destroy. With this weapon Śālva attacked Dvārakā.

The siege of Dvārakā

The attack came while Kṛshṇa was away. The Saubha appeared in the sky over Dvārakā and rained boulders, trees, fire, serpents and fearful beings on the city. The Yādava warriors armed themselves at once.

Sāmba, Kṛshṇa’s son, fought Kshemavṛddhi, Śālva’s general. Their battle was fierce and long. Pradyumna killed the great dānava Vivindhu, who had been fighting on Śālva’s side. The rākshasa Vegavān also entered the battle against the Yādava forces. He caused great destruction before he was overcome. Ugrasena and Uddhava organised the defence of the city.

The battle was not one-sided. The Saubha could do wonders by māyā, so Śālva could strike from where he could not be seen and then vanish. This made it very hard for the Yādava warriors to press the fight.

Kṛshṇa’s return

Kṛshṇa came back to Dvārakā and saw the damage, and his purpose grew firm. He went after Śālva in the sky. The fight that followed was extraordinary. Śālva sent illusions and māyā to confuse Kṛshṇa. At one point he even made it seem that Vasudeva, Kṛshṇa’s father, was being brought before him as a prisoner and beheaded. Kṛshṇa knew it was an illusion because of his divine sight, and it did not move him.

Kṛshṇa struck the Saubha with his Kaumodakī gadā and with the divine weapons at his command. The great vimāna broke apart and fell from the sky, and its pieces were scattered over the sea. Śālva himself was killed. The danger was over, and Dvārakā was safe.

Dantavakra

After Śālva’s death, Dantavakra, another ally of Śiśupāla and Śālva, came forward to challenge Kṛshṇa. He too was killed. With this the whole party that had stood against Kṛshṇa at the Rājasūya was gone.

The Bhāgavata Purāṇa

The Bhāgavata Purāṇa also tells this episode, in a different form.

Sources

• Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapters 14–16
• Mahābhārata, Sabhā Parva (the Rājasūya and the agra-pūjā, as the background; no chapter given)
• Bhāgavata Purāṇa (tells the episode in a different form; no chapter given)