The car upon which Krishna rode had been obtained by
- king Vasu from Vasava, and
- from Vasu by Vrihadratha, and
- from Vrihadratha by king Jarasandha.
- from Jarasandha by Krishna making the brothers (Bhima and Arjuna) ride in it,went in and released his (imprisoned) relatives. And those kings rescued from terrible fate, rich in the possession of jewels, approaching Krishna made presents unto him of jewels and gems.
Indeed, it was upon that car that Indra had slain ninety-nine Asuras of old. and Vishnu had fought of old in the battle (with the Asuras) in which Taraka (the wife of Vrihaspati) had become the immediate cause of much slaughter. And riding upon that car Krishna now came out of the hill-fort.
Possessed of the
- splendour of heated gold, and
- decked with rows of jingling bells and
- furnished with wheels whose clatter was
- like the roar of clouds, and
- ever victorious in battle, and
- always slaughtering the foe against whom it was driven,
O Bharata, that car, where unto were
- yoked celestial horses and which
- possessed the speed of the wind,
- looked exceedingly beautiful. And
Upon that best of cars was a flag-staff without being visibly attached
thereto, and which was the product of celestial skill. And the handsome
flag-staff, possessed of the splendour of the rainbow, could be seen
from the distance of a yojana.
And Krishna while, coming out, thought of Garuda. And Garuda, thought of by his master, came thither in no time, like a tree of vast proportions standing in a village worshipped by all. Garuda of immense weight of body and living upon snakes sat upon that excellent car along with the numberless open-mouthed and frightfully-roaring creatures on its flag-staff. And thereupon that best of cars became still more dazzling with its splendour and was as incapable of being looked at by created being as the midday sun surrounded by a thousand rays.
And, O king, such was that best of flag-staffs of celestial make that it never struck against any tree nor could any weapon injure it at all even though visible to men's eyes.
And Achyuta, that tiger among men, riding with the two sons of Pandu upon that celestial car, the clatter of whose wheels was like the roar of the clouds, came out of Girivraja.
