CHAPTER XLVI. Onslaught of Vidúratha.
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Valmiki and Mitra, Viharilala
Ráma said:—Relate to me the acts of Vidúratha, after he went out enraged from the camp, and left the ladies and the goddess talking in that manner.
2. Vasishtha said:—Vidúratha left his camp in company with a large body of his companions like the bright moon beset by a host of stars.
3. He was in armour and girt by laces and girdles, and thus attired in his martial habit, he went forth amidst the loud war cry of vae victis, like the god Indra going to battle.
4. He gave orders to the soldiers and was informed of the battle array; and having given directions to his captains, he mounted his chariot.
5. It was adorned with mountings resembling the pinnacles of mountains and beset by five flags fringed with strings of pearls and gems, resembling a celestial car.
6. The iron hoops of its wheels flashed with their golden pegs, and the long and beautiful shaft of the car, rang with the tinkling of pearls which were suspended to it.
7. It was drawn by long necked, swift and slender horses of the best breed and auspicious marks; that seemed to fly in the air by their swiftness and bearing aloft a heavenly car with some god in it.
8. Being impatient of the swiftness of the winds, they spurred them with their hinder heels and left them behind, and sped the forepart of their bodies as if to devour the air, impeding their course.
9. The car was drawn by eight coursers with their manes hanging down their necks like flappers, and white spots or circlets resembling the disks of moon on their foreheads, and filling the eight sides around with their hoarse neighing. 10. At this time there rose a loud noise of the elephants, resounding like drums from the hollows of the distant hills.
11. Loud clamours (kala-kalas) were raised by the infuriate soldiers, and the tinkling of their belted trinkets (kinkini), and clashing of their weapons, rang afar in the open air.
12. The crackling (chatachata) of the bows, and the wheezing (shitkara) of the arrows, joined with the jangle (jhanjhana) of armours, by their clashing against one another, raised a confused hubbub all around.
13. The sparkling (kanatkara) of blazing fire, and the mutual challenge of the champions; the painful shrieks of the wounded and the piteous cry of captives, were seen and heard on all sides.
14. The mingled sounds thickened in the air, and filled its cavity and its sides as with solid stones and capable of being clutched in the hands.
15. Clouds of dust flew as fast and thick into the air, that they seemed to be the crust or strata of the earth, rising upward to block the path of the sun in the sky.
16. The great city was hid in the dark womb of the overspreading dust (rajas), as the ignorant state of man is covered in darkness by the rising passion (rajas) of juvenescence.
17. The burning lights became as dim, as the fading stars of heaven by day light, and the darkness of night became as thick, as the devils of darkness gather their strength at night.
18. The two Lílás saw the great battle with the virgin daughter of the minister from the tent; and they had their eyes enlightened with farsightedness by favour of the goddess.
19. Now there was an end of the flashing and clashing of the hostile arms in the city, as the flash and crash of submarine fires were put to an end by the all-submerging floods of the universal deluge.
20. Vidúratha collected his forces and without considering the superiority of the hostile power pressed himself forward amidst them, as the great Meru rushed into the waters of the great deluge.
21. Now the twanging of the bow strings emitted a clattering (Chatachata) sound; and the forces of the enemy advanced in battle array, like bodies of clouds with rainbows amidst them.
22. Many kinds of missiles flew as falcons in the air; and the black steel waved with a dark glare owing to the massacres they made.
23. The clashing swords flashed with living flames of fire by their striking against one another; and showers of arrows whistled like hissing rainfalls in the air.
24. Two edged saws pierced the bodies of the warriors; and the flinging weapons hurtled in the air by their clashing at and crashing of each other.
25. The darkness of the night was put to flight by the blaze of the weapons; and the whole army was pierced by arrows, sticking as the hairs on their bodies.
26. Headless trunks moved about as players in the horrid solemnity of the god of death (Yama); and the furies fled about at the dint of war, like the raving lasses at Bacchanal revelries.
27. Elephants fighting with their tusks, sent a clattering noise in the air; and the stones flung from the slings, flew as a flowing stream in the sky.
28. Bodies of men were falling dead on the ground, like the dried leaves of forests blown away by blasts; and streams of blood were running in the field of battle, as if the heights of war were pouring down the floods of death below.
29. The dust of the earth was set down by the floods of blood, and the darkness was dispelled by the blaze of weapons; all clamour ceased in intense fighting, and the fear for life, was lost under the stern resolution of death.
30. The fighting was stern without a cry or noise, like the pouring of rain in the breezeless sky, and with the glitter of swords in the darkened air, like the flashes of forky lightnings amidst the murky clouds.
31. The darts were flying about with a hissing noise (khad-khada); and the crow-bars hit one another with a harsh (taktaka) sound; large weapons were struck upon one another with a jarring noise (jhanjhana), and the dreadful war raged direfully in the dim darkness (timitimi) of the night.