Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 1

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

Page 322

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again and again because of his body swelling from joy. With that divine jeweled armor clinging to his body the King shone like the image of a god with a pujā of jewels. The Lord of Bharata wore a golden, jeweled helmet, high in the middle, round like an umbrella, like a second headdress. The King carried on his back two quivers that were like serpent-kings with jagged teeth in the form of very sharp arrows. Then he took in his left hand the bow, Kālaprstha, like Indra taking his straight, red bow. Absorbing the splendor of other splendid people, like the sun; walking with an easy, firm step like the chief of bhadra-elephants; counting his adversaries as straw before him, like a lion; terrifying by his glance, hard to endure like a serpent-king; being praised aloud by eminent bards, like Mahendra, the King mounted a fresh elephant.
Advance to battle (414-435) Giving money to the bards like a wishing-tree ; looking at their own soldiers that had come, like the Thousandeyed One ; 848 each carrying an arrow, like king-geese lotus-fibres; making a profession of battle like lovers a profession of love; very eager, very strong, the two sons of Rşabha set out, each in the midst of his own soldiers. Bharata and Bahubali, in the midst of their armies, had the appearance of Mt. Meru in Jambūdvipa. The ground between their two armies looked like the ground of Videhakşetra between Nişadha and Nila Mountains. As they advanced, the two armies formed into lines were like the east and west oceans at the end of the kalpa. The footsoldiers who had become stragglers as they marched were restrained by the royal door-keepers, like rivers by dams. The soldiers advanced with uniform steps at the King's command, like dancers in one concert to the time of the music. The two armies looked as if each had one body
848 414.
I.e., Indra, but the point, of course, is in the thousand
eyes.'