Shrikrishna told Yudhishthira that had he been in Dwaraka and heard about the dice game plan he would have come down to Hastinapura without even an invite and made sure it did not happen. Talking about the ill-effects of Dyuta, he said that he would have tried to convince Dhritarashtra to stop and had he not been convinced he would have used force but made sure that they did not go through the Dyuta game. Hearing about this Yudhishthira asked him about his reason for being away from Dwaraka.

This post is about what kept Shrikrishna away.

On Yudhishthira's enquiry Shrikrishna told Yudhishthira that he was fighting Salva away from the coast of Dwaraka. As soon as Salva heard about Shishupal's death at the hands of Shrikrishna he commandeered his flying city towards Dwaraka and caused havoc there, attacking innocent citizens.

Salva brought a large army and laid siege to the city of Dwaraka in Shrikrishna's absence. Yadava army led by Charudeshna, Samba and Pradyuma came of out the city and started fighting Salva's army. Jambavanti's son Samba fought Salva's commander Kshemavriddhi. Kshemavriddhi started attacking Samba with his magical arrows which were countered by Samba. Tormented by Samba's arrows Kshemavriddhi retreated. Then a daitya named Vegavaan attacked Samba, whom Samba faced with his mace. Vegavaan was no match for Samba and lost his life in the duel.

Rukmini's son Charudeshna faced a danava named Vivindhya. After Vivindhya was brought down by Charudeshna in a fierce exchange of arrows, Salva arrived there in his flying city Saubha.

Pradyumna rallied the Yadava army and rode on his golden Makaradhwaja chariot to face Salva. Pradyuma started killing Salva's army with his arrows. Looking at the destruction caused by Pradyumna, Salva rode on his chariot and came to face Rukmini's son. Pradyumna made Salva unconscious by piercing his armour with his sharp arrows. Salva resumed battle as soon as he gained consciousness and managed to hurt Pradyumna on his neck, making Shrikrishna's brave son unconscious.

Daruka's son who was driving Pradyumna's chariot decided to steer away from the battle. As soon as Pradyumna gained consciousness he asked his charioteer to take him back to the battle and instructed him never ever turn away from the battle. Daruka's son told him that he was just following the Dharma of the Sarathi by acting in his best interest and turned the chariot towards Salva's army with swiftness.

Angry Salva started showering arrows at Pradyumna, injuring his charioteer in the process. However this did not stop his charioteer who kept steering the chariot. Salva fired his magical Daityastra at Pradyumna, who countered it with his Brahmastra causing Salva to lose consciousness. Eventually Salva retreated from that battle, climbed on his flying city and flew away.

Upon his return from Indraprastha Shrikrishna observed the destruction caused by Salva and vowed to find the flying Saubha city of Salva and destroy it along with its ruler. Shrikrishna led the army of Yadava warriors and found Saubha city parked in an island into the ocean.

Salva's army started firing arrows on Shrikrishna and his army from their flying city covering them with their arrows. Shrikrishna shot arrows at the flying city causing Salva's warriors to drop into the ocean. Salva used magic to confuse Shrikrishna. Shrikrishna saw a messenger climbing his chariot telling him that Salva had killed his father Vasudeva and Ugrasena wanted him to return to Dwaraka. Shrikrishna brushed this off thinking that it was not possible for Salva to kill his father, but then he saw his father's dead body falling down from Saubha. This made Shrikrishna pause for a moment but eventually he realised that it was Salva's magic and he resumed battle.

When Salva could not face the arrows shot from the Sharnga bow of Shrikrishna he made his flying city invisible. Shrikrishna started using voice-guided arrows to shoot down Salva's army. At this point Salva magically dropped a mountain on top of Shrikrishna making him disappear under the heaps of stones. Shrikrishna used Indra's Vajra to destroy the mountain and reappear. Daruka requested Shrikrishna to stop playing with Salva and end him then and there. Shrikrishna then called his divine Sudarshana chakra and released it towards Saubha. Sudarshana destroyed the flying city and returned to Shrikrishna. Salva fallen down from the destroyed city charged at Shrikrishna with his mace in hand. Shrikrishna released his Sudarshana again and beheaded Salva. After Salva's fall his army of demons ran away trying to save their lives.

After killing Salva and destroying Saubha city Shrikrishna returned to Dwaraka. After his return he was informed by Satyaki about the calamity befallen on his cousin at Hastinapura.