Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 1

Author(s): Hemchandracharya, Helen M Johnson
Publisher: Oriental Research Institute Vadodra

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flowing from the King's nail-jewels, as if surrounded by brothers. The shining arrow at the end of the drawn bow had the appearance of a tongue swaying from the wideopen mouth of Vama. The King of the Middle World, being within the circle of the bow, shone like a harsh sun within a halo. Then the Lavana Ocean shuddered all over as if thinking, "Will he make me go from this place, or will he punish me?" Then the King shot the arrow, attended outside, inside, on the tip, on the feathered end, everywhere by Naga-, Asura-, Suparna-, etc., gods, like a messenger executing a command, terrifying from its threatening words, at the Lord of Magadhatirtha. Instantly the arrow departed swiftly like the king of birds (Garuda), the firmament being filled with the loud noise of its feathers. Flying from the King's bow, the arrow shone like a fire-brand from a fire, like a hot flash from an ascetic, like lightning from a cloud, like a fiery meteor from the sky, like fire from the sunstone, like a thunderbolt from Indra's arm.
After traversing twelve yoianas the arrow fell suddenly in the Lord of Magadha's council, like an arrow in the heart. At this unexpected fall of the arrow, the King of Magadhatirtha was extremely angry, like a serpent at a blow with a stick. Bending both his eyebrows like cruel bows, making his eyes red like lighted arrows of fire, opening wide his nostrils like bellows, twitching his lower lip-petal like the younger brother of the Naga Takṣaka, making on his forehead lines like comets in the sky, grasping a weapon in his right hand like a snake-charmer a snake, striking with his left hand his seat like an enemy's cheek, the Lord of Magadha spoke a speech equal to fire and poison: "Who wishes to make ear-ornaments, first cutting the tusks of Airāvaṇa? Who wishes to make earrings from the wings of Suparṇeya ? Who wishes to seize the string of head-jewels of the lord of serpents? Who wishes to steal the horses of the sun? Who, seeker of death, considering himself a hero,