Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 1

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

Page 315

294
initiation, with the approval of the princes, kings, and vassals. Suşeņa received the Master's instructions like a charm for success and went to his own house, desiring dawn like a cakravāka, When he had summoned the crowned kings and other vassals, the Lord of Bharata gave instructions for battle as follows: "O mighty men, in the battle with my younger brother, you must carefully follow General Susena like myself. O men, many kings, insolent from their strength of arms, were made submissive by you, like vicious elephants by mahouts. After crossing the Vaitāḍhya Mountains, remember! you courageously subdued the Kirātas difficult to subdue, like the gods the demons. Alas! what if they were all conquered since no one among them resembles even the infantry of the Lord of Takṣasilā. Soma, the eldest son of Bahubali, alone is able to scatter soldiers like wind cotton. Sinharatha, a great warrior, the youngest in age but not the least in power, is like a forest-fire against the enemy's army. Moreover, each one of the others, sons, grandsons, etc., of Bahubali, strong as an army of ten divisions, makes even Kṛtānta afraid. His vassal-kings, etc., are their equals in devotion to the master and in power, just like weights put on the scales to balance them." 840 All the soldiers in his army are as strong as the man who, alone powerful, becomes the chief in other armies. To say nothing of Bahubali, very powerful in battle, he has a battle array very hard to break like diamond. Follow Susena approaching him for battle, like winds from the east a cloud of the rainy season." Their bodies increased in size from horripilation all over, as if filled inwardly with nectar-like speech of their lord. Dismissed by the King, they went home, wooing their opponents as well as the Śris of victory.
The best of heroes prepared for the business of battle
840 314. Pratimana is quoted only as weight' in the abstract, but here it must be either the weight put in one scale-pan to balance, or, perhaps, the scale itself.