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277
TENTH INCARNATION AS MEGHARATHA
For rivers fill caves, root up trees, and dig up high dry places, but do not abandon the road. We shall go by the same straight road. Let your master, not straight, show his power, indeed !"
The messenger went at once and reported all that Megharatha had said to King Surendradatta. When Surendradatta had heard it, he had the war-drum beaten, his face red as heated copper, like an elephant that had heard the elephant-call. His many armies-elephantdrivers, cavalry, foot-soldiers, and charioteers-came seeking battle. King Surendradatta, instantly deafening the world by the vehement slaps of the soldiers," 328 the loud noise of twanging bows, neighings, creakings, and trumpetings of the horses, chariots, and elephants, by the grunts of the camels, the harsh cries of the mules, the brays of the donkeys, and the sounds of battle-drums, approached Megharatha at once with the desire to make him a guest in battle by an attack with a complete army. Megharatha, and also Drdharatha, mounted the chariot Jaitra for battle, like the sun for the destruction of darkness. The soldiers of the two armies, like missile-clouds, lifted up and rained darts, spears, discs, javelins, staves, clubs, and arrowsarrows (of reed and iron), mouse-tail arrows, iron arrows,
et cetera, balls of stone and balls of iron with their hands and machines. Then a continuous fight with swords on the part of the two armies took place, hindering the Khecara-women from seeing the fight. Missiles were broken by missiles, chariots were divided by chariots in that battle, like sea-monsters by sea-monsters in the ocean. The princes' army was broken instantly by the enemy with unstumbling advances, like a forest by winds.
Then the princes, angered, having unique strength of arm, plunged into the enemy's army, like elephants into a pool. The soldiers of the enemy stood in the front for contact with them who were like agitated oceans dark
828 39. See I, p. 125.
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