Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 29
The Slaying of Śālva and the Destruction of Saubha
न तत्र दूतं न पितु: कलेवरं प्रबुद्ध आजौ समपश्यदच्युत: । स्वाप्नं यथा चाम्बरचारिणं रिपुं सौभस्थमालोक्य निहन्तुमुद्यत: ॥ २९ ॥
na tatra dūtaṁ na pituḥ kalevaraṁ prabuddha ājau samapaśyad acyutaḥ svāpnaṁ yathā cāmbara-cāriṇaṁ ripuṁ saubha-stham ālokya nihantum udyataḥ
Now alert to the actual situation, Lord Acyuta saw before Him on the battlefield neither the messenger nor His father’s body. It was as if He had awakened from a dream. Seeing His enemy flying above Him in his Saubha plane, the Lord then prepared to kill him.
FAQs
This verse shows deception appearing “like a dream”: Kṛṣṇa awakens and finds the staged messenger and Vasudeva’s ‘body’ gone, recognizing the enemy’s illusory tactics and moving to end them.
Because Śālva’s trickery was meant to confuse and weaken Him; seeing Śālva in the Saubha craft, Kṛṣṇa refocused on protecting dharma and Dvārakā by destroying the aggressor.
Treat panic and rumors as potentially illusory, verify reality calmly, and then act decisively for what is right—like Kṛṣṇa, who doesn’t remain trapped in confusion but moves toward clear, dharmic action.