Volume 2 / Book 8 — Chapter XLVII.

Early the next morning, Súryaprabha set out from the hermitage of Sumeru with his forces to conquer Śrutaśarman. And arriving near the mountain of Trikúṭa his dwelling place, he encamped, driving away the enemies’ army with his own force, which was established there. And while he was encamped there with Sumeru, Maya, and others, and was in the hall of council, an ambassador came from the lord of Trikúṭa. And when he came, he said to Sumeru the Vidyádhara prince; “The king, the father of Śrutaśarman, sends you this message. ‘We have never entertained you, as you were far off; now you have arrived in our territory with guests, so now we will shew you appropriate hospitality.’” When Sumeru heard this scoffingly ambiguous message, he said in answer: “Bravo! you will not get another guest such a fit object of hospitality as we are. Hospitality will not bear its fruit in the next world, its fruit is in this. So here we are, entertain us.” When Sumeru said this, the ambassador returned to his master as he came.

While the Asura Maya was saying this to Sunítha, another ambassador came from the father of Śrutaśarman, and said thus to him; “The king of Trikúṭa sends this message to you; ‘This is a great feast for heroes—the feast, which goes by the name of battle. This ground is narrow for it, therefore let us leave it, and go to a place named Kalápagráma, where there is a wide space.’” When Sunítha and the other chiefs with their soldiers heard this, they agreed, and all of them went with Súryaprabha to Kalápagráma. And Śrutaśarman and his partizans also, eager for battle, went to that same place, surrounded with the hosts of the Vidyádharas. When Súryaprabha and his chiefs saw elephants in the army of Śrutaśarman, they summoned their contingent of elephants, which was conveyed in the chariot that flew through the air. Then Dámodara, that excellent Vidyádhara, drew up his army in the form of a large needle; Śrutaśarman himself took up his position on the flank with his ministers, and Dámodara was in front, and other great warriors in other places. And Prabhása, the leader of Súryaprabha’s army, arranged it in the form of a crescent; he himself was in the centre, and Kunjarakumára and Prahasta at the two horns; and Súryaprabha, and Sunítha and the other chiefs, all remained in the rear. And Sumeru with Suvásakumára stood near him. Thereupon the war-drums were beaten in both armies.

When the confused mêlée, in which countless soldiers fell, had abated, Súryaprabha, and the other chiefs, gradually began to perceive the distinction between their own army and that of the enemy, and heard in order from Sumeru the names and lineage of the chiefs fighting in front of the enemies’ host. Then first took place a single combat between king Subáhu and a chief of the Vidyádharas, named Aṭṭahása. Subáhu fought a long time, until Aṭṭahása, after riddling him with arrows, cut off his head with a crescent-headed shaft. When Mushṭika saw that Subáhu was slain, he rushed forward in wrath; he too fell smitten by Aṭṭahása with an arrow in the heart. When Mushṭika was slain, a king named Pralamba in wrath rushed on, and attacked Aṭṭahása with showers of arrows, but Aṭṭahása slew his retainers, and striking the hero Pralamba with an arrow in a mortal place, laid him low on the seat of his chariot. A king named Mohana, when he saw Pralamba dead, engaged with Aṭṭahása and smote him with arrows. Then Aṭṭahása cut his bow and slew his charioteer, and laid him low, slain with a terrific blow. When the host of Śrutaśarman saw that the dexterous Aṭṭahása had slain those four warriors, expecting the victory, they shouted for joy. When Harsha, the companion of Súryaprabha, saw that, he was wroth, and with his followers attacked Aṭṭahása and his followers; and with shafts he repelled his shafts, and he slew his followers, and killed his charioteer, and two or three times cut his bow and his banner, and at last he cleft asunder his head with his arrows, so that he fell from his chariot on the earth, pouring forth a stream of blood. When Aṭṭahása was slain, there was such a panic in the battle, that in a moment only half the two armies remained. Horses, elephants and footmen fell down there slain, and only the trunks of slaughtered men remained standing in the van of battle.