Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 4

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

Page 150

ORIGIN OF THE RĀKŞASAVANSA AND VÄNARAVANSA 115 soldiers of the Rakşasa and Indra attacked each other, terrifying with missiles in the air, like clouds with lightning.
In some places chariots felt like mountain-peaks; in other places elephants filed like clouds scattered by the wind. Here soldiers' heads fell, causing fear of Rahu;92 there horses, of whom one foot had been cut off, moved as if they were hobbled. Mālin's army was divided by Indra's army angrily. . What can an elephant do, even though strong, when it has been caught by a lion? Then Mālin, the king of the Rākşasas, followed by Sumālin and others like a forest-elephant by his herd, attacked with violence. He, lord of the wealth of heroism, attacked Indra's army with clubs, hammers, and arrows, like a cloud with hail. Indra with his regents of the quarters, his army, and generals in full force, mounted on Airāvaņa, hastened to action in battle. The soldiers began to fight, but Indra fought with Malin, the regents and others with Sumālin and others. For a long time there was fighting between them, putting each other's life in jeopardy. For generally life is like a straw to those who desire victory. Without any trickery in fighting Indra soon killed Mālin, who was crowned with heroism, with his thunderbolt, like a cloud killing a lizard with lightning. When Mālin was killed, the Rākşasas and Vānaras were terrified and, commanded by Sumālin, went to the Lankā that is in Pātāla. Indra at once granted Lankā to Vaiśramaņa, the son of Viśravas, sprung from Kauśikā's womb, and went to his own city.
A son, Ratnaśravas, was borne by his wife, Prītimati, to Sumalin who remained in the city Pātālalankā. When he had grown up, one day Ratnaśravas went to a charming flower-garden for the purpose of acquiring vidyās. He remained there in a secret place, holding a rosary, muttering prayers, his gaze fixed on the end of his nose, as motionless as if painted. While he was standing thus, a certain
02 122. Rāhu is depicted as a bodiless head.