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weeping, rolling on ground. While attacked on one side by the sons of Arnorāja making the king (Sinhana) came out like Kālakū-a poison from the battle-ocean churned by the powerful Śrībhata alone, the dreadful Sankha repulsed the army of the Yadava king. Think in your heart, who will stand before Sankha, at the blow of whose sword even the thunderbolt breaks. Fly, therefore, before you come in his eye, as no one will be ashamed by the flight of a Bania. You must be firm now, as Sankha comes transgressing the boundaries like the ocean.” Vastupāla, whose forehead became dreadful on account of his frowns, replied with a smile :- "I am ready to meet Sankha in the same way in which he wants to see me. If he is come when kings of Marwar have made appearance like clouds, let him come. My sword is ready. There is nothing improper in your saying that the Chāhamāna king will give me a country. I have here tied the knot of the omen. It is good that his foot has got a golden chain with the images of feudatory princes tied to it, but it pains me that his foot bore fetters in the prison of the Yādava king. You say that Sankha removed the pride on the army of the Yādavas on the bank of the Nurbadā, but you do not tell me about his imprisonment. It is only an illusion that the Kshatriyas know the secret of fighting and not Banias. Did not Ambada, though a Bania, kill Mallikārjuna, king of Konkana in the battle ? I am a Bania well-renowned in the battle-field shop. I take the commodities in the form of heads on enemies by the sword-scales and give the price in the form of heaven. If he be the same great son of Sindhurāja, let him come here at once, and select for battle any place he likes."1 Vastupāla made his army ready and a battle ensued between both the armies. Vastupāla's
१. अद्य वीरधवलः सबलोऽपि त्वत्प्रभुः सुबहुभिर्मरुभूपैः ।
वेष्टितः खरमरीचिरिवाब्दैदृश्यतेऽपि न जयः क्व नु तस्य ॥२४|| चाहमाननृपतिस्तु दिनेऽस्मिन् क्वागतः क्वचन लभ्यत एषः । तं प्रवेश्य कुरु राज्यममन्दानन्द ! नन्दति चिरं समयज्ञः ।।२५।। तेन वीरधवलेन विहस्यादेश एव पुररक्षणहेतोः । दीयते स्म तव दास्यति देशं पुंविशेषविदुरः पुनरेषः ॥२६॥ स्वर्णदामयमिता यममूर्तेर्यस्य वामचरणे विलुठन्तः । मण्डलाधिपतयो विरुवन्ति द्वादशापि विदितं भुवनेऽदः ॥२८।। एकतस्त्रिदशमूर्तिभिरणोराजसूनुभिरुपेत्य विलग्नैः । मालवक्षितिधरं बत मध्येकृत्य कृत्यविदुषाऽन्यत एव ॥२९।।
bsnta-t.pm53rd proof
