21/ The Battle Between Salva
and the Members of the Yadu Dynasty

While Sukadeva Gosvami was narrating various activities of Lord Krsna
in playing the role of an ordinary human being, he also narrated the
history of the battle between the dynasty of Yadu and a demon of the
name Salva, who had managed to possess a wonderful airship named
Saubha. King Salva was a great friend of Sisup4la’s. When Sigupala went to
marry Rukmini, Salva was one of the members of the bridegroom’s party.
When there was a fight between the soldiers of the Yadu dynasty and the
kings of the opposite side, Salva was defeated by the soldiers of the Yadu
dynasty. But, despite his defeat, he made a promise before all the kings
that he would in the future rid the whole world of all the members of the
Yadu dynasty. Since his defeat in the fight during the marriage of Rukmini,
he had maintained within himself an unforgettable envy of Lord Krsna, and
he was, in fact, a fool, because he had promised to kill Krsna.

Usually such foolish demons take shelter of a demigod like Lord Siva to
execute their ulterior plans, and so Salva, in order to get strength, took
shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Siva. He underwent a severe type of
austerity during which he would eat no more than a handful of ashes
daily. Lord Siva, the husband of Parvati, is generally very merciful, and he
becomes very quickly satisfied if someone undertakes severe austerities in
order to please him. So after continued austerities by Salva for one year,
Lord Siva became pleased with him and asked him to beg for the fulfillment
of his desire.

Salva begged from Lord Siva the gift of an airplane which would be so
strong that it could not be destroyed by any demigod, demon, human
being, Gandharva, Naga, or even by any Raksasa. Moreover, he desired
that the airplane be able to fly anywhere and everywhere he would like to
pilot it, and be specifically very dangerous and fearful to the dynasty of
the Yadus. Lord Siva immediately agreed to give him the benediction, and

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