SB 10.76.9 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

निरुध्य सेनया शाल्वो महत्या भरतर्षभ । पुरीं बभञ्जोपवनानुद्यानानि च सर्वश: ॥ ९ ॥ सगोपुराणि द्वाराणि प्रासादाट्टालतोलिका: । विहारान् स विमानाग्र्‍यान्निपेतु: शस्‍त्रवृष्टय: ॥ १० ॥ शिला द्रुमाश्चाशनय: सर्पा आसारशर्करा: । प्रचण्डश्चक्रवातोऽभूद् रजसाच्छादिता दिश: ॥ ११ ॥

Verse text

nirudhya senayā śālvo mahatyā bharatarṣabha purīṁ babhaṣjopavanān udyānāni ca sarvaśaḥ sa-gopurāṇi dvārāṇi prāsādāṭṭāla-tolikāḥ vihārān sa vimānāgryān nipetuḥ śastra-vṛṣṭayaḥ śilā-drumāś cāśanayaḥ sarpā āsāra-śarkarāḥ pracaṇḍaś cakravāto ’bhūd rajasācchāditā diśaḥ

Synonyms

nirudhya — besieging ; senayā — with an army ; śālvaḥ — Śālva ; mahatyā — large ; bharata — ṛṣabha — O best of the Bharatas ; purīm — the city ; babhaṣja — he broke up ; upavanān — the parks ; udyanāni — gardens ; ca — and ; sarvaśaḥ — all around ; sa — gopurāṇi — with towers ; dvārāṇi — and gateways ; prāsāda — mansions ; aṭṭāla — observatories ; tolikāḥ — and surrounding walls ; vihārān — recreational areas ; saḥ — he, Śālva ; vimāna — of airships ; agryāt — from the best ; nipetuḥ — there fell ; śastra — of weapons ; vṛṣṭayaḥ — torrents ; śilā — stones ; drumāḥ — and trees ; ca — also ; aśanayaḥ — thunderbolts ; sarpāḥ — snakes ; āsāra — śarkarāḥ — and hailstones ; pracaṇḍaḥ — fierce ; cakravātaḥ — a whirlwind ; abhūt — arose ; rajasā — with dust ; ācchādditāḥ — covered ; diśaḥ — all the directions .

Translation

Śālva besieged the city with a large army, O best of the Bharatas, decimating the outlying parks and gardens, the mansions along with their observatories, towering gateways and surrounding walls, and also the public recreational areas. From his excellent airship he threw down a torrent of weapons, including stones, tree trunks, thunderbolts, snakes and hailstones. A fierce whirlwind arose and blanketed all directions with dust.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Śālva besieged the city with a large army, O best of the Bharatas, decimating the outlying parks and gardens, the mansions along with their observatories, towering gateways and surrounding walls, and also the public recreational areas. From his excellent airship he threw down a torrent of weapons, including stones, tree trunks, thunderbolts, snakes and hailstones. A fierce whirlwind arose and blanketed all directions with dust. KB 10.76.9-11 Śālva thus attacked the city of Dvārakā from the sky, and he also surrounded the city by a large number of infantry. The soldiers on the surface attacked the beautiful spots of the city. They began to destroy the nice parks, the city gates, the palaces and skyscraper houses, the high walls around the city, and the beautiful spots where people would gather for recreation. While the soldiers attacked on the surface, the airplane began to drop big slabs of stone, tree trunks, thunderbolts, poisonous snakes and many other dangerous things. Śālva also managed to create such a strong whirlwind within the city that all of Dvārakā became dark because of the dust that covered the sky.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Salva with troops destroyed walls (tolika) and amusement areas (viharan). From the excellent Saubha aircraft he threw various weapons on the city.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

Three verses describe his attack. He covered the city completely with troops. Śukadeva calls out to Parīkṣit in amazement. O best of the Bharatas! Or he comforts him as he worries about those dear to him. As the best of your dynasty you know the power of the Lord. You should not worry at all. Śālva was intent on destroying the city (babhañja). The word is used to indicate destruction that was supposed to happen in the near future. (However he could not destroy the city.) In order to destroy the outer gates and other gates he constantly showered (ni—petuḥ) weapons. Fierce whirlwinds blew in front of the vehicle. Dust arose because of the whirlwind’s strong, quick revolutions.