Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 3

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

Page 78

ŚREYĀNSANĀTHACARITRA
49 Then the hero thought of the serpent-missile like a brother in time of distress. Fitting the serpent-missile to the bow, he discharged it, and numerous serpents appeared just as if bursting forth from an ant-hill. Running on the ground and giving loud hisses in the air, the serpents turned the Middle World into Pātāla at once. Pendent, cruel, black, flashing, the serpents at once spread terror a thousand times more than that of a comet that has appeared. The Khecara-women fled far away, terrified by the serpents moving in the sky like spies of Death. Very great terror arose in Triprstha's soldiers, also. Such a thing happens from devotion and from ignorance of the master's power.
Then Garudadhvaja (Triprstha) fitted the garuda-missile to his bow and discharged it. Verily the serpents of the missile were like plantain-leaves. Garudas appeared, making the sky seem to be covered with one hundred golden umbrellas from the moving mass of wings. At the sound of their wings, the serpents disappeared completely, like darkness at sunrise. Astonished, when he saw that the serpent-missile was useless also, Hayakandhara thought of the irresistible fire-missile. After fitting the fire-arrow to the bow, he discharged it. It made the sky appear to have a hundred meteors from its flames. Then Triprstha's whole army, submerged in fire, as it were, became confused like sea-monsters terrified by the submarine-fire. Hayagriva's soldiers, excited, rejoiced, laughed, whirled around, jumped up, danced, sang, and clapped their hands.
Then the younger brother of Acala, red-eyed from anger, fitted to the bow the water-missile, which could not be warded off, and discharged it quickly. At once clouds spread, like the wishes of Hari, darkening the sky as well as Hayagriva's face. They rained like clouds in the rainy season, with unceasing streams of water, extinguishing completely the fire of the weapons like a forest-fire. When he saw his missiles destroyed by Sārngin like straw, Prativişņu remembered his unerring cakra, causing death.