King Salva (Shalva)
Enemy of Krishna who attacked Dwaraka from the flying city Saubha
- Known from
- Mahabharata, Vana Parva (sections 14–22); Bhagavata Purana
- Ruled
- Saubha, a flying city
- Ally
- Shishupala
- Attacked
- Dwaraka, Krishna's city
- Killed by
- Krishna, with the Sudarshana discus
The king who besieged Krishna's city of Dwaraka from Saubha, a flying city that could vanish and reappear, until Krishna cut it in two.
What is King Salva known for?
Salva (also spelled Shalva or Salwa) is a king who appears in the Mahabharata as an enemy of Krishna. In the Vana Parva, Krishna tells the exiled Yudhishthira why he missed the fateful dice game: he was away fighting Salva, who had attacked Dwaraka to avenge the death of his ally Shishupala.
Salva fights from Saubha, a city that moves through the sky, appears and disappears, and rains weapons on Dwaraka. The text describes the city's defenses being organized against the siege. Krishna eventually splits Saubha with his discus, the Sudarshana chakra, and kills Salva. The Bhagavata Purana retells the story and adds that Salva won the craft by worshipping Shiva and that the demon architect Maya built it.
The Saubha episode is often quoted in modern ancient-astronaut books as a description of an aircraft. Scholars read it as epic poetry about magical weapons and divine battle, composed over centuries.
He is the owner of Saubha, the flying city in the site's Mahabharata section.
Mentioned on these pages
- Rabbit holeSaubha, the flying city
- PassageSaubha, the flying city (Mahabharata, Vana Parva)
- PersonYudhishthira
- PlaceDwaraka
Sources
- The Mahabharata, Vana Parva, Section XV, trans. Kisari Mohan Ganguli, sacred-texts.comPrimary text
- The Mahabharata, Book 3: Vana Parva (index), sacred-texts.comPrimary text
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, 'Mahabharata'Reference
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