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A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYAN (12. 86; 57. 22; 99.53), and by announcing the words of victory (4. 40). It was the sound of the instruments which indicated the arrival of the army of the enemy (44. 15). The fight commenced with the blowing of warhorns (8. 92) and during the actual fight the soldiers were encouraged by appropriate music (12. 118). In the end the victorious king returned with joy in the midst of the sound of the musical instruments (6. 235).
Banners and Ensigns : --Armies representing the particular kings had their own banners with distinctive emblems marked on them. The Vānara army had its own banner which bore the emblem of the figure of a monkey (59. 16). Besides the state banner, the kings, leaders and soldiers had their individual ensigns which were marked on their respective flags. Thus the flags of Ráma and Lakşmana had the ensigns of a lion and an eagle respectively (99. 68; 60. 1-2). These flags regularly unfurled on the chariots accomodating the respective kings (12. 122; 24. 25: 61. 64). Apart from the kings other leaders (nāyaga 59. 70) of the army had their own individual ensigns. Thus the garland, the banyan tree, a lion and an elephant were the ensigns of Viradhita, Jambūnada, Simhavara and Meghakānta respectively (54. 36). The fighting feudal lords maintained their seperate emblems on their flags (59. 11). Last of all the soldiers of repute also had their own respective signs. The soldiers of Rāvana are mentioned to have various ensigns (nāhācindhā 56. 47). The Mleccha invaders also are said to have been holding the flags marked with the figures of lion, bull elephant (27. 35) etc.
Battle : -Whenever there was an apprehension of some attack, it was the duty of the king to make proper arrangements for the defence of his capital. Thus the Paumacariyan mentions that when Vibhişaņa saw the danger of the probable attack of the army of Rāma, he made Lanka well-fortified. He alerted his country men, called for his feudal lords, installed war-machines on the fort and garrisoned the soldiers to protect the fort (46;96.52.4). The rampart was sometimes equipped with the fire around it (aggipauro pāyāro 12.45). Nalakübara had also made such defensive arrangements when he apprehended an attack from Ravana (12.48) on his capital.
In the actual battle, alike columns of the army faced each other (hatthi hatthinā samar rahavaro ālaggo saha raheṇam, turaenasaha turango paikkasaha payatthenam 12.113). Fighting soldiers sometimes took recourse to wrestling also (bhuyajujjhar 99.59).
There were occasions when kings tried to avoid the vast human massacre by arranging a personal (bout) duel between themselves,
