SECTION XXXII

“Vaisampayana said, ’Marching out of the city, those heroic smiters the Matsyas, arrayed in order of battle, overtook the Trigartas when the sun had passed the meridian.  And both excited to fury and both desirous of having the king, the mighty Trigartas and the Matsyas, irrepressible in battle, sent up loud roars.  And then the terrible and infuriate elephants ridden over by the skilful combatants of both sides were urged on with spiked clubs and hooks.  And the encounter, O king, that took place when the sun was low in the horizon, between the infantry and cavalry and chariots and elephants of both parties, was like unto that of old between the gods and the Asuras, terrible and fierce and sufficient for making one’s hair stand on end and calculated to increase the population of Yama’s kingdom.  And as the combatants rushed against one another, smiting and slashing, thick clouds of dust began to rise, so that nothing could be discovered.  And covered with the dust raised by the contending armies, birds began to drop down on the earth.  And the sun himself disappeared behind the thick cloud of arrows shot, and the firmament looked bright as if with myriads of the fireflies.  And shifting their bows, the staves of which were decked with gold, from one hand to another, those heroes began to strike each other down, discharging their arrows right and left.  And cars encountered cars, and foot-soldiers fought with foot-soldiers, and horse-men with horsemen, and elephants with mighty elephants.  And they furiously encountered one another with swords and axes, bearded darts and javelins, and iron clubs.  And although, O king, those mighty-armed warriors furiously assailed one another in that conflict, yet neither party succeeded in prevailing over the other.  And severed heads, some with beautiful noses, some with upper lips deeply gashed, some decked with ear-rings, and some divided with wounds about the well-trimmed hair were seen rolling on the ground covered with dust.  And soon the field of battle was overspread with the limbs of Kshatriya warriors, cut off by means of arrows and lying like trunks of Sala trees.  And scattered over with heads decked in ear-rings, and sandal-besmeared arms looking like the bodies of snakes, the field of battle became exceedingly beautiful.  And as cars encountered cars, and horsemen encountered horsemen, and foot-soldiers fought with foot-soldiers, and elephants met with elephants, the frightful dust soon became drenched with torrents of blood.  And some amongst the combatants began to swoon away, and the warriors began to fight reckless of consideration of humanity, friendship and relationship.  And both their course and sight obstructed by the arrowy shower, vultures began to alight on the ground.  But although those strong-armed combatants furiously fought with one another, yet the heroes of neither party succeeded in routing their antagonists.  And Satanika having slain