Philosophy and Religion / Yoga Vāsistha / Yoga-Vāsistha (3): Utpatti-Prakarana

Válmiki

Yoga-Vāsistha, Book 3: Utpatti-Prakarana (Evolution of the World). Chapter 33 - Commingled Fighting

Rāma said: Sir, relate to me in short and promptly, about this warfare, as my ears are delighted with narratives of this king.

Vasistha said: These ladies then, in order to have a better view of the battle below, ascended in their imaginary aerial cars vimanas, to a more retired spot in the higher regions of the sky.

At this interval, there began a mingled fight of the forces face to face, with a commingled shout of the two armies, as the dashing of the waves against one another in the raging sea.

At this instant, Vidūratha the lord of the realm, (formerly Padma- the husband of Līlā), seeing a daring warrior of the hostile force attack one of his soldiers, struck him impatiently on the breast, with the blow of a ponderous mallet.

Then the battle raged with the impetuosity of the rolling waves of the stormy main, and the arms on both sides, flamed with living fire and flash of fiery lightning.

Now the edges of waving swords (tarattarala), glittered in the sky, and cracking and clashing noise (Kanakana), filled the air with a hedious crackling (kadkada).

Then flew the winged arrows, overshadowing the beams of the sun, and emitting a booming noise (hunkāra), which hushed the rattling clamour (gharghara) of summer clouds.

Armours clashed against armours (Kankata) with a clanking noise (tankāra), and shot forth the sparks of glistening fire (Kanatkana); and arms, hashing (ch'hina- bhinna) and slashing (Khanda-khanda) against arms, filled the air with their fragments flying like birds in the air.

The shaking (dodulya) shanks and arms of the army, appeared as a moving forest (dordruma) on the land, and the twangings of their bows (tankāra), and rumbling of the disks (krenkāra), drove away the birds of the air, and crackled like the rattling drive of wheels (dravat) in heaven.

The hissing of their loosened strings (halhala), resembled the (ghunghuna) buzzing of bees, heard in the samadhi Yoga (by shutting the ears).

Iron shafts like sleets of hailstones, pierced the heads of the soldiers, and the (ranat) crashing of armours (sanghatta), broke the arms of the warriors in mail (kankata sankata).

Weapons struck on brazen armours with a howling noise (hunkāra), made a clanking sound by the stroke (tānkāra), and flying like drifts of rain water (tartara), pierced the face of the air on all sides: (lit. denticulated-dantura dinmukha).

The striking of steel on one another (sanghatta), made the hands ring with a jingling sound (jhanjhanat); and the continued rapping on the arms, (āsphota), and clapping of hands, (karasphota), raised a patterning and chattering sound (cat cat and pat pat).

The whizzing noise of unsheathing the sword (sītkāra), and the hissing of the sparks of fire (sansana); the flinging of arrows in all ways (sadatkāra), and the flying of darts, likened the rustling of falling leaves (Kharkhara) in autumn.

The spouting of life blood (dhakdhak), from the throats separated from the bodies, the mangled limbs and heads, and the broken swords filled the whole space.

The flame of fire flaring (sphurat) from the armours; emblazoned the hairs of the warriors, and the fighting and falling (ranatpatat) of swordsmen, raised a giddy and loud jingling of their weapons (jhanjhana).

The lofty elephants pierced by the spears of the Kunta lancers, poured out torrents of red-hot blood; while the tusky tribe was going whole bodies of them with their shrill cries (chitkāra).

Others crushed by the ponderous maces of their antagonists, creaked grievously under the blows; while the heads of- the slain soldiers, swam in the rivers of blood over the plain.

Here the hungry vultures were pouncing from above, and there the sky was covered by a cloud of dust; and the weaponless combatants, were engaged in Keśākeśī fighting, by holding each other down by the hairs.

Having broken their weapons, the great warriors were engaged in scratching each other's eyes, noses, lips and shoulders with each other's nails for winning the battle.

The earth got trembled with the fall of mast elephants and the rivers of blood began to flow like chariots speeding with roars.

The angry army's loud uproar appeared like that of the uproar of ocean. Fogs of dust were visible everywhere and the shining weapons were used.

Death like that of mad-laughter took the lives of many warriors. The great elephants were defeating the great heights of mountains and thunder of clouds.

The trees, ditches and waters streams covered with the arrows, wheels, missiles, rstis and maces shot in war appeared like girdles of the mountains made of woolen cloth leaving no hole to be visible.

The lightning that rests in the clouds, torn the clothes used in the flags or flappers and the stones and wheels shot by machines rendered the sky birdless.

The wailing of warriors of imputed limbs who were at the door-steps of death were heard all around and the hoards of heads were seen falling at the strokes of daggers.

With the shining pieces of the broken swords and daggers that had fallen apart, the sky became star-lit and the earth covered with the pieces of elephants pierced by the sharp weapons.

Having distempered by army, the wife of goblins are shooting maces. The exalted javelins or crowbars of war-men were replacing the arched gateway.

The broken pieces of guns, canons and swords were acting as the heirlooms of sky and in the forst of bamboo-harpoons, the light of the day appeared like that of forest conflagration.

The soldiers were honoured by kings on account of their best display in the use of swords and daggers and the damsels were enterprising to get betrothed with the war-men who excelled in the operation of tridents.

Having hit by the maces the heads of warriors were falling as if bit by frost. The blow of weapons was creating a very horrendous scene.

The blow of discs was making the elephants, horses, and men fall, the mast elephants were down with the blows of axes.

Shielding themselves from the blows of big clubs, the great warriors were running off. The stones shot out of the canons destroyed the trees, flags and chariots.

Lotus like saffron hued parasols were cut down by swords and the soldiers were busy shooting missiles and other weapons without counting any fear of army.

Due to the arrest of beheaded men and due to falling down of the leaders the chariots got derailed and as such they crushed the soldiers standing close by.

The mast elephants fell down with the blows of axes. The gamblers were staking their lives in the gamble of war.

When the knives or offensive weapons were derived into the bellies of the warriors, their lotus like hearts cut open and fell down on the ground. Lot many fighters were dancing while shooting trident upon their enemies.

The running bowmen were producing wailing sounds and the missile operators named as Bhindipāla were making the other fighters dance at the reproofing of their locks.

The battle-fieled was full of warriors who were expert in destroying foes with the blows of their fists like that of the Vajra or thunderbolt, the Pattiśa named weapon was working like a hawk flying in the sky.

Hooks pulled up the warriors, chariots, masters, elephants, horses and flags. Some of the fighters remained unmoved like that of mountain even on seeing the others being killed and wounded by the weapon known as Hala.

The forest land was undermined by the sharp weapons called sutāla, uttāla and kuddāla. The rocks were thrown away at a distance measured by two arrows.

The fighters on both the sides were dispersed like Krakaca by wanton elephants. The people were crushed by war in the battle-field like paddy by pestle in the mortar.

Where many warriors have got stuck in the dazzling flashes of missiles like birds in the net and the soldiers are reaching the house of Yama on being killed by sharpened swords of great warriors like birds in the courtyard of hunter.

The soldiers that have died in the battle-field are being carried by vultures which are pulling out the bows from their heads with the help of their sharp-nailed bows.

The sound produced by the soldiers being killed in the fire of petrol bombs dropped in the battle-field made the other sounds more tasteful like chillies when added to meals.

Due to the fire of bombs, the soldiers dropped their weapons, the eyes of warriors got hurt due to the poisonous gases released by bombs.

Shooting of arrows by great warriors caused the headless soldiers to dance like the showers of rain from clouds caused the peacock to dance.

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