Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 1

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

Page 329

*308
for requests, you are requested to fight with the best fight, and not with the worst. For if you two, terribly fierce, fight with the worst fight, the destruction of the world would take place at the wrong time, because of the destruction of very many people. Certainly you must fight with the eye-fight, etc. For with these you accomplish your own purpose but not the destruction of the people." When he agreed, the gods remained not far away to see their fight, like townsmen that of two elephants.
The fight between Bharata and Bahubali (519-739).
Then at the command of Bahubali, the door-keeper mounted an elephant and roaring like a mighty elephant, said to his soldiers: "Oh, all you warriors, your master's work, desired like the gain of a son, is now at hand for you thinking about it for a long time. But because of your little merit, this god (Bahubali), powerful, was asked by the gods to fight a duel with Bharata. Desiring a duel himself, and asked moreover by the gods, your master, whose strength is equal to Indra's, restrains you from battle. While he fights, strong (malla in one limb like Hastimalla,$50 you must look on, indifferent as the gods. Turn your chariots, horses, and elephants, O heroes, and go away like retrograde planets. Throw your swords into their scabbards, like serpents into baskets; put your lances raised like comets into their sheaths. Bend down your raised hammers like elephants their trunks. Take the string from the bow like an eye-brow from the brow. Put the arrow in the quiver again, like money in a deposit. Cover your spears, like clouds lightning."
Agitated by the door-keeper's speech which was like the noise of a thunderbolt, Bahubali's soldiers thought to themselves: "Alas! now the battle-festival is prevented by the gods persuading our lord, like merchants
850 523. Indra's elephant. The 'one limb' refers to the eye, voice, and arm with which they fought.