Argument:—Description of the Discomfiture of the Royal army, and their use of pneumatic arms.
Vasishtha continued:—Thus the war waged with the fury of the four elements, in their mutual conflict on the last doomsday of the world; and the forces on all sides, were falling and flying in numbers in and about the battle field.
2. The sky was filled with the stridor of the fourfold noise of drums and conch-shells; and the rattling of arrows and clattering of arms on all sides.
3. The furious warriors were violently dashing on one another, and their steel armours were clashing against each other, and splitting in twain with clattering noise.
4. The files of the royal forces, were broken in the warfare; they fell fainting in the field, and were lopped off as leaves and plants, and mown down as straws and grass.
5. At this time the trumpets announced the advance of king, with a peal that filled the quarters of the sky; and the cannons thundered with a treble roar, resounding with uproar of the kapa or doomsday clouds.
6. They rent asunder at the same time, the sides of the highest hill and mountains; and split in twain, the rocky shores and banks every where.
7. The king then issued forth to all the four sides, in the four fold or four parted form of himself; like the four regents of the four quarters of the sky, or like the four arms of Náráyana, stretching to so many sides of heaven.
8. Being then followed by his fourfold forces (composed of horse, elephants, war-cars and foot soldiers); he then rushed out of the confines of his city of palaces, and marched to the open fields lying out of the town.
9. He saw the thinness of his own army, and the strong armament of his enemies all around; and heard their loud clamour all about, like the wild roar of the surrounding sea.