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Cetaka's men turned out the envoy by the neck, Kupi-. ka got the full report from the envoy and at once sent for his ten brothers Kālakumāra and others. After they had come, he said to them,
"Hurry back to your respective kingdoms and return as early as possible with your full army. I am at war with Cetaka".
The brothers brought each 3000 elephants, 3000 horses, 3000 chariots and 3 crores of infantrymen. Kunika also made ready his own army of a similar size. With such a colossal preparation, he marched against Vaisali.
Cetaka, in his turn, invited his own allies, 9 Mallas and 9 Licchavis, in all 18 kings of Kasi-Kosála and conferred with them. He said to them,
"Kūņika, the son of Sreņika and Celanā, my own grandson, has come to fight. Either we must fight, or we must surrender".
All the kings replied in one voice,
"We shall fight; we shall not surrender".
Having arrived at this decision, the kings returned to their respective kingdoms. They came back each with 3000 elephants, 3000 horses, 3000 chariots and 3 crores of infantrymen. Cetaka himself prepared a fourfold army of a similar size. Altogether, with 57,000 elephant, 57,000 horses, 57,000 chariots and 57 crores of infantrymen, Cetaka took the field.
King Cetaka was a devoted follower of Bhagavān Mahavira. He had courted the 12 vows of the lay foll He was also bound by a promise not to shot an arrow more than once per day. He was the most proficient archer of his time and his shot never missed its target. On the first day of the war, Kalakumaracommanded the army of Ajātasatru. He organised the army in 'Garuda' formation. Cetaka, in contrast, organised his army in 'chariot! formation. It was a terrific battle. King Cetaka shot his
