Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 6

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

Page 364

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CHAPTER TWELVE like a pool, threw the enemy-army here and there, like a collection of lotuses. Cetaka, very angry, with a wealth of courage, knowing that Kūņika was hard to conquer, fitted the divine arrow to the bow. Now Hari made an armor of diamond in front of Kūņika and Indra Camara an armor of iron at his back. The arrow, discharged by the King of Vaiśāli who had drawn his bow to his ear, was stopped on the way by the diamond coat-of-mail. From the sight of the failure of the unerring arrow, Cetaka's soldiers conjectured a decrease in merit. Cetaka, observing his promise, did not discharge a second arrow but retreating, fought in the same way on the next day. On the next day Cetaka's arrow was useless in the same way. Thus day after day there was terrible fighting of the two. The crore and eighty lacs of soldiers on both sides who died were born as animals and hell-inhabitants.
When the vassal-kings had escaped, going to their respective cities, Cetaka fled to his city and Kūņika besieged it. Then the heroes Halla and Vihalla, mounted on Secanaka, attacked the King of Campā's whole army at night. No one could either hit or catch the elephant, like a dream-elephant, when it had come to the King of Campā's camp for a night attack. Kūņika said to his circle of ministers: “ After they have killed and killed at night, Halla and Vihalla go away safely. Almost our whole army has been destroyed by them. So, speak: What device is there for conquering Halla and Vihalla ?”
The ministers said: “They can not be conquered by any one so long as, man-elephants, they are mounted on the elephant. So we must exert ourselves to kill the elephant. Have a ditch made in the road filled with charcoal made from acacia.248 By covering it, it will be made hard to see like a pit for capturing elephants. Secanaka, running along quickly, will fall into it.”
248 296. Acacia wood is extremely hard.