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CHAPTER ONE
Śataghosa, Sahasraghoșa, Mahāghoșa, Bhimaghoșa, Ghanaghosa, and others; and their sons, Meghaghosa and the rest-all with a complete army left by the gate of Camaracañcă for battle.
Battle-drums of both armies sounded with a very deep noise like an autumn-cloud. The two armies began a great battle which made the sky have a hundred moons from the bobbing umbrellas that had been cut by arrows; which had many Rāhus, as it were, congealed from the cut-off heads flying up; which had falling meteors, as it were, from the falling bright arrows; which had mountains striking together from the rutting elephants striking each other; which seemed to have a twilight-cloud resting on the ground from the bloody mud; which had a throng of demons intoxicated from drinking blood like wine; which seemed to have weapons (hurled) with muttered charms by roaring soldiers; which had a sky starred with pearls rising from the elephants' protuberances 281 struck by arrows; which seemed to have night produced by the dust of the soldiers on all sides.
Some, completely dazed by terrible blows in attacks by clubs, were fanned by relatives who used the ends of their garments as fans. Some who were thirsty were given to drink again and again by their wives carrying jars of water, following them. Some, even while their wives looked on, were chosen by goddesses, saying eagerly, "He shall be my lord." "He shall be mine." One man, longarmed, after taking an enemy's head, dances and the enemy's corpse danced as if in rivalry with him. Another leaped from his first chariot which was broken and went to another chariot, like a monkey from one tree to another. Another strong soldier, who had fought for a long time, whose weapons had fallen from his hand, struck an enemy with his helmet and killed him. Some, all of whose weapons had been lost, fought with their arms, like elephants with their tusks. A little less than a month passed 329. See I, n. 314.
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