________________
836
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[NOVEMBER, 1890.
Many a soldier thrust his dagger into his foe, and both plunged their weapons in each other's body till the pair were tied together like one ; and both armies shouted at this display of valour. - (S. 40) In the first polutr (forenoon) the king of Vapdai, the minister of the king of kings, the famous Karunakara, urged his elephant and pressed on the foe. - (S. 41) While both sides were fighting fiercely, the Chola army pressed forward, bearing down the whole line of the seven Kalingas, and eager to gain victory. - (8. 42) Forward the whole army advanced, And the gods rushed to see the fight; broken were the rows of elephants, cut to pieces ; broken were the lines of chariots and steeds. - (S. 45) Unable to face the advancing foe, and losing his courage, the king of the seven Kalingas, who had boastfully brought a thousand caparisoned elephants to the fight, retreated. — (S. 46) Crouching in thickets known to them (only), or hiding in lonely caves, or fleeing into the jungle, they disappeared. - (8.52) Who can count the horses and elephants, which fell into the hands of the conquering heroes, when the Kalingas thus fled ? -(S. 53) Many were the elephants which lay beset by bees and eagles, with blood issuing from wounds, and with flowing rut. — (S. 55) Many were the elephants which were reized, with the princes that rode on them, as if tigers were caught and bound with the rocks on which they were found.-(S. 56) It was hard, even to the victors, to count how many fleet steeds, chariots, camels, wealth of the nine kinds, and noble ladies, fell into their hands. - (S. 57) Having secured these, the prime minister of Abhaya commanded a Search for the king of the Kalingas; being anxious to return with him as a prisoner. - (S.58) No sooner was the order given, than an army of scouts marched out with speed, and scoured the hills and searched the jungles. — (S. 59) “No trace of him have we got, but we suspect he is concealed in the summit of a hill; bring our soldiers thither: - (S. 60) “ Wherever are the hills or seas or jungles, where the Kalingas may retreat, - those hills and those seas will we snr. round;"- 80 the army marched, till the sun reached the western hills.- (S. 61) Till day break did they guard the hill, fencing it round with spears and bows, like those who watch a wild boar in a fold, when the Abhaya comes to the chase with his elephants which have never known defeat. - (S. 62) Rivers of blood ran down the hill, when they began the work of slaughter; and the hill turned red, so that, when the sun arose, he could not distinguish it from the mountain) Udayagiri. — (S. 63) Many were the Kalinga hill-men, who covered their bodies with dirt, and plucked the hairs off their heads, and, loosening the clothes from their waiste, saved their lives, saying that they were Jains. - (S. 64) Many doubled the bow-strings, and wore them as the threefold thread on their breast, and said that they were pilgrims who had come to bathe in the Ganga, and by their fate had been caught on the hill; and so escaped from the pen with their lives. - (S. 65) Many went out, having clothed themselves in the red cloth of the banners, and cropping their hair, and saying, “ Can you not recognise Sakyas (Buddhists) by their dress?"(S. 66) Many of the Kalingas, holding the bells which had been tied to elephants, bowed, and said that they were strolling bards of the Telugu country, and that, having seen the flying army, they had remained rooted to the spot, unable to stir through fear. - (S. 67) None but these escaped ; and of the people of the seven Kalingas, none remained but the men painted on the walls of their houses ; so completely were the rest chased and slaughtered. - (S. 68) Having raided through the sea-girt Kalinga, and having planted a pillar of victory, Tondaimán, the king of Vandai, seizing huge elephants and heaps of wealth, laid them with pleasure at the feet of the Abhaya who owns the sacred shining sabre.
Canto 13 concludes the poem, with a description of the battle-field after the engagement, and an imaginary account of how the evil spirits feasted on the corpses and beld high revel. Having fed full, in great glee they sing the praises of the Chola omperor and his general, as follows:
(S. 60) Sing of the fair feet, at which cluster the jewelled crowns of the bowing Chere, the dindem of the Valuti (Pandya), and swarms of bees! Sing of the sacred feet of the sovereign!-- (S. 61) Sing of the elephants, which come like an ocean, brought in tribute by the lords of the northern countries to Abhays, who wields the shining long sword! Sing of the odour of
