9. The smoke rising as heaving hills, have overspread the skies like diluvian clouds; and the flame of fire, ascending on high, resembles the phœnix flying in the sky.
10. Vasishtha said:—As the royal marshal was delivering with trepidation this unpleasant intelligence, there arose a loud cry without, filling the sky with its uproar (hallahalloo-kolá halam).
11. The twanging (tankára) of bow strings drawn to the ears, the rustling (sarsara) of flying arrows flung with full force; the loud roaring (bringhana) of furious elephants, and the shrieks (chitkára) of frightened ones.
12. The gorgeous elephants bursting in the city with a clattering (chatchata) sound; and the high halloos (halahala) of citizens, whose houses have been burnt down on the ground:—(Here dagdhadára Arabic daghdaghad-dár, means both a burnt house and also a burnt wife).
13. The falling and flying of burnt embers with a crackling noise (tankára); and the burning of raging fire with a hoarse sound (dhaghdhaga Arabic daghdagha, Bengali dhakdhak):—
14. All these were heard and seen by the goddesses and the prince and his minister, from an opening of the tent; and the city was found to be in a blaze in the darkness of the night.
15. It was as the conflagration or fiery ocean of the last day, and the city was covered by clouds of the hostile army, with their flashing weapons, waving on all sides.
16. The flame rose as high as the sky, melted down big edifices like hills by the all dissolving fire of destruction.
17. Bodies of thick clouds roared on high, and threatened the people, like the clamour (kala-kala) of the gangs of stout robbers, that were gathered on the ground for plunder and booty.
18. The heavens were hidden under clouds of smoke, rolling as the shades of Pushkara and Ávarta, and the flames of fire, were flashing, like the golden peaks of Meru.