Thirteenth canto.  Kumara is consecrated general.—­Kumara takes an affectionate farewell of his parents, and sets out with the gods.  When they come to Indra’s paradise, the gods are afraid to enter, lest they find their enemy there.  There is an amusing scene in which each courteously invites the others to precede him, until Kumara ends their embarrassment by leading the way.  Here for the first time Kumara sees with deep respect the heavenly Ganges, Indra’s garden and palace, and the heavenly city.  But he becomes red-eyed with anger on beholding the devastation wrought by Taraka.

  He saw departed glory, saw the state
    Neglected, ruined, sad, of Indra’s city,
  As of a woman with a cowardly mate: 
    And all his inmost heart dissolved in pity.

  He saw how crystal floors were gashed and torn
    By wanton tusks of elephants, were strewed
  With skins that sloughing cobras once had worn: 
    And sadness overcame him as he viewed.

  He saw beside the bathing-pools the bowers
    Defiled by elephants grown overbold,
  Strewn with uprooted golden lotus-flowers,
    No longer bright with plumage of pure gold,

  Rough with great, jewelled columns overthrown,
    Rank with invasion of the untrimmed grass: 
  Shame strove with sorrow at the ruin shown,
    For heaven’s foe had brought these things to pass.

Amid these sorrowful surroundings the gods gather and anoint Kumara, thus consecrating him as their general.

Fourteenth canto.  The march.—­Kumara prepares for battle, and marshals his army.  He is followed by Indra riding on an elephant, Agni on a ram, Yama on a buffalo, a giant on a ghost, Varuna on a dolphin, and many other lesser gods.  When all is ready, the army sets out on its dusty march.

Fifteenth canto.  The two armies clash.—­The demon Taraka is informed that the hostile army is approaching, but scorns the often-conquered Indra and the boy Kumara.  Nevertheless, he prepares for battle, marshals his army, and sets forth to meet the gods.  But he is beset by dreadful omens of evil.

  For foul birds came, a horrid flock to see,
    Above the army of the foes of heaven,
  And dimmed the sun, awaiting ravenously
    The feast of demon corpses to be given.

  And monstrous snakes, as black as powdered soot,
    Spitting hot poison high into the air,
  Brought terror to the army underfoot,
    And crept and coiled and crawled before them there.

  The sun a sickly halo round him had;
    Coiling within it frightened eyes could see
  Great, writhing serpents, enviously glad
    Because the demon’s death so soon should be.

  And in the very circle of the sun
    Were phantom jackals, snarling to be fed;
  And with impatient haste they seemed to run
    To drink the demon’s blood in battle shed.