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Válmiki
Yoga-Vāsistha, Book 3: Utpatti-Prakarana (Evolution of the World). Chapter 37 - Catalogue of the Forces (continued)
Vasistha said: Thus the ravaging war was making a rapid end of men, horse, elephants and all; and the bravos coming foremost in the combat, fell in equal numbers on both sides.
These (as named before), and many others were reduced to dust and ashes; and the bravery of the brave, served but to send them like poor moths to the fire and flame of destruction.
Know now the names of the central districts, not yet mentioned by me, that sent their warriors to the field, in favour of the consort prince of Līlā.
These were the inland forces of Śūrsenā (Muttra), the Gudās (Gandas?), and the Aśvaghanās (?); the Mādhymikās and they that dwell under sunlight (the tropics).
The Sālukas and Kodmals, and Pippalāyanas; the Māndavyas, Pāndyans, Sugrīvas and Gurjars.
The Pāriyātras, Kurāstras, Yamunas and Udumvaras; the Raj-varas, the Ujjainas, the Kālkotas (Calicuts) and the Māthuras (of Muttra).
The Pāñcālas (Pāñjābis), the Northern and Nurthern Dharmaksetras; the Kuruksetras, Pāncālakas and Sārasvatas.
The line of war chariots from Avanti, being opposed by the arms of the warriors of the Kunta and Pañcanada districts, fell in fighting by the sides of the hills.
Those arrayed in silken attire, being dismantled by the enemy, fell upon the ground, and were trodden down by the elephants.
The bravadoes of Dāśapura, being backed in their breasts and shoulders by the hostile weapons, were pursued by the Bānabhuma warriors, and driven to the distant pool.
The Śāntikas being ripped in their bellies, lay dead and motionless in naked field, and wrapped in their mangled entrails, which were torn and devoured by the voracious Piśācas at night.
There the veteran and vociferous warriors of Bhadragiri, who were well skilled in the battle field, drove the margas to the ditch, as they drive the tortoises to their pits.
The Haihayas were driving the Dandakas, who like fleet stags were flying with the swiftness of winds, and all gushing in blood by the pointed and piercing arrows of the enemy.
The Daradas were gored by the tusks of the elephants of their enemies, and were borne away in floods of their blood, like the broken branches of trees.
The Cīnas (Chinese) were mangled in their bodies by darts and arrows, and cast their tortured bodies in the water, as a burden they could no longer support.
The Asuras, pierced in their necks by the flying lances of the Karnatic lancers, fled in all directions like the faggots of fire, or as the flying meteors of heaven.
The Śākas and Dasakas were fighting together, by holding down one another by the hair on their heads, as if the whales and elephants were struggling mutually from their respective elements.
The flying cowards were entrapped in the snares cast by the Daśārna warriors, as dolphins hiding under the reeds, are dragged out by nets on the blood-red shore.
The lifted swords and pikes of the Tongas (Tonguise), destroyed the Gurjara (Guzrati) force by hundreds, and these like razors balded the heads (i.e. made widows) or hundreds of Gurjara women. (It is their custom to remain bald-headed in widowhood).
The lustre of the lifted weapons of the warriors, illumined the land as by flashes of lighting; and the clouds of arrows were raining like showers of rain in the forest.
The flight of the crowbars (bhusundis), which untimely obscured the orb of the sun, affrighted the Ābhīra (cowherd) warriors with the dread of an eclipse, and overtook them by surprise, as when they are pursued by a gang of plunderers of their cattle.
The hand-some gold collared army of the Tāmras or tawny coloured soldiers, were dragged by the Gauda warriors, as captors snatch their fair captives by the hair.
The tanganas were beset by the Kanasas, like cranes by vultures with their blazing weapons, destroying elephants and breaking the discuses in war.
The rumbling noise (gadugadārava), raised by the whirling of cudgels by the Gauda gladiators, frightened the Gāndhāras to a degree, that they were driven like a drove of beasts, or as the dreading Drāvīdas from the field.
The host of the Śāka or Scythian warriors, pouring as a blue torrent from the azure sky, appeared by their sable garb as the mist of night, approaching before their white robed foes of the Persians.
The crowded array of lifted arms in the clear and bright atmosphere, appeared as a thick forest under the milk white ocean of frost, that shrouds the mountainous region of Mandāra.
The flights of arrows which seemed as fragments of clouds in the air from below, appeared as waves of the sea, when viewed by the celestial from above.
The air appeared as a forest thickly beset by the trees of spears of lances, with the arrows flying as birds and bees; and innumerable umbrellas, with their gold and silver mountings, appearing as so many moons and stars in the sky.
The Kekavas made loud shouts, like the war hoops of drunken soldiers, and the Kankas covered the field like a flight of cranes, and the sky was filled with dust over their heads.
The Kirāta army made a purling noise (kulākulā) like the effeminate voice of women; causing the lusty Angas to rush upon them with their furious roar.
The Kāśas (Khasias) covering their bodies with kuśā grass (in their grassy garbs), appeared as birds with feathers, and raised clouds of dust by flapping their feathered arms.
The giddy warriors of Narmada's coasts, came rushing in the field unarmed with their weapons, and began to fleer and flout and move about in their merry mood.
The low statured Sālvas came with the jingling bells of their waist bands, flinging their arrows in the air, and darting showers of their darts around.
The soldiers of Śibi were pierced with the spears hurled by the Kuntas. They fell as dead bodies in the field, but their spirits fled to heaven in the form of Vidyādharas.
The Pāndu-nagaras were laid grovelling on the ground in their quick march, by the mighty and light footed army, who had taken possession of the field.
The big Pāñca-nadas (Punjabis), and the furious warriors of Kāśī (Benares), crushed the bodies of stalwart warriors with their lances and cudgels, as elephants crush the mighty trees under their feet and tusks.
The Burmese and Vatsenis were cut down on the ground by the disks of the Nīpas (Nepalese); and the Sahyas were sawn down with saws as withered trees.
The heads of the white Kākas (Caucasians), were lopped off with sharp axes; and their neighbouring prince of the Bhadras was burnt down by the fiery arrows (fire arms).
The Matangajas (of Elephanta) fell under the hands of Kāsthayodhas (of Kathiavar), as old unchained elephants falling in the miry pit; and others that came to fight, fell as dry fuel into the blazing fire.
The Mitragartas falling into the hands of the Trigartas, were scattered about as straws in the field, and having their heads struck off in their flight, they entered the infernal regions of death.
The weak Vanila force, falling into the hands of the Magadha army, resembling a sea gently shaken by the breeze, went down in the sands, as lean and aged elephants.
The Cedis lost their lines in fighting with the Tanganas, and lay withered in the field of battle, as flowers when scattered in the plains, fade away under the shining sun.
The Kosalas were unable to withstand the war cry of the deadly Pauravas, and were discomfited by showers of their clubs, and missile arrows and darts.
Those that were pierced by pikes and spears, became as coral plants red with blood all over their bodies, and thus besmeared in bloodshed, they fled to the sheltering hills like red hot suns to the setting mountains (astācala).
The flight of arrows and weapons borne away by the rapid winds, moved about in the air as fragments of clouds, with a swarm of black bees hovering under them.
The flying arrows seemed as showering clouds, and their feathers appeared as the woolly breed; their reedy shafts seeming as trees, were roving with the roar of elephants.
The wild elephants and people of the plains, were all torn to pieces like bits of torn linen.
War chariots with their broken wheels, fell into the pits like the broken craigs of mountains, and the enemy stood upon their tops as a thick mist or cloud.
The multitude of stalwart warriors meeting in the field, had given it the appearance of a forest of tāla and tamāla trees; but their hands being lopped off by weapons, they made it appear as a mountainous wood, with its clumps of tapering pine trees.
The youthful damsels of Paradise were filled with joy and glee, to find the groves of their native hill (Meru), full of the brave champions (fallen in the field).
The forest of the army howled in a tremendous roar, until it was burnt down by the all devouring fire of the enemy.
Hacked by the Piśacas (Assamese), and snatched of their weapons by the Bhūtas (Bhoteas), the Daśārnās (at the confluence of the ten streams of Vindhya) threw off their staffs, and fled as a herd of heifers (nikucya karnidhavati- bolted with their broken staves. Pānini).
The Kāsias were eager to despoil the tinsels from the dead bodies of the chiefs by their valour, as the summer heat robs the beauty of lotuses in a drying pool.
The Tusākas were beset by the Mesalas, with their darts, spears and mallets; and the sly Kat akas were defeated and driven away by the Narakas in battle.
The Kauntas were surrounded by Prastha warriors, and were defeated like good people by the treachery of the wily.
The elephants drivers, that struck off the heads of their hosts in a trice, were pursued by the harpooners, and fled with their severed heads, as they do with the lotus-flowers plucked by their hands.
The Sārasvatas fought on both sides with one another until it was evening, and yet no party was the looser or gainer, as in a learned discussion between pandits and among lawyers.
The puny and short statured Deccanese, being driven back by the Rāksas of Lanka, redoubled their attack on them, as the smothering fire is rekindled by fuel.
What more shall I relate Rāma about this war, which baffles the attempt of the serpent Vāsuki even, to give a full description of it with his hundred tongues and mouths.
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