Vasudeva continued, Thus addressed, the son of Suta race replied in haste
unto Pradyumna, that foremost of all endued with strength, in these sweet
words, 'O son of Rukmini, I fear not to guide the horses on the field of
battle, and I am acquainted also with the customs of the Vrishnis in war!
It is not otherwise in the least! But, O thou blest with length of days,
those that guide the car are taught that the warrior on the car is, by
all means, to be protected by his charioteer! Thou wert also much
afflicted! Thou wert much wounded by the arrows shot by Salwa. Thou wert
also deprived of thy senses, O hero! Therefore is it that I retired from
the field.' But, O chief of the Satwatas, now that thou hast regained thy
senses without much ado, do thou, O son of Kesava, witness my skill in
guiding the horses! I have been begotten by Daruka, and I have been duly
trained! I will now penetrate into the celebrated array of Salwa without
fear!

"Vasudeva continued, 'Saying this, O hero, the charioteer, pulling the
reins, began to lead the horses with speed towards the field of battle.
And, O king, struck with the whip and pulled by the reins those excellent
steeds seemed to be flying in the air, performing various beautiful
motion, now circular, now similar, now dissimilar, now to the right, now
to the left. And, O king, those steeds 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 nor 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 afflicted by the Vrishnis, mounted on his car of
precious metals, and leaving Dwaraka scudded through the skies!'"