Paumacariya 56

English (machine translation) 56

Language: English

56.1

The lord of Magadha, having bowed with devotion, asked the chief of the gaṇas: / "O Blessed One, tell me the measure of one akṣauhiṇī."

56.2

Then Indrabhūti spoke: "Divided into eight divisions in enumeration, / by the combination of four [limbs of the army], one akṣauhiṇī is formed.

56.3

The division here is: first the patti, then the senā, senāmukha, and the gulma; / then the vāhinī, pṛtanā, camū, and anīkinī in sequence.

56.4

One elephant, one excellent chariot, three excellent horses, / and five foot-soldiers—this is declared to be a patti.

56.5

A senā is three times a patti; one [senā]mukha is three times a senā; / three senāmukhas are declared to be a gulma from this.

56.6

Three gulmas make one vāhinī; tripled, that is a pṛtanā; / three pṛtanās are a camū, and three camūs are called an anīkinī.

56.7

Ten of those named anīkinī form what is declared an akṣauhiṇī. / Then I shall relate the number of each separate limb:

56.8

Twenty-one thousand, eight hundred, / and seventy—this is the number of chariots, and just as many elephants.

56.9

One hundred thousand, nine thousand, / three hundred, and fifty—such is the number of warriors [foot-soldiers].

56.10

Sixty-five thousand, / six hundred, / and ten excellent horses: that is the number in an akṣauhiṇī.

56.11

Two hundred and eighteen thousand, / seven hundred [and twenty]— / this is the total number, O Śreṇika, in one akṣauhiṇī.

56.12

Now, seeing Padma's army arrived close by, / the Rākṣasa warriors swiftly prepared, completely equipped with mounts.

56.13

Some warriors suddenly, covered in armor and taking up weapons, / were held back by their beloved women, [though] the heroes yearned for the taste of battle.

56.14

Grasping the neck-fastening cord of his armor, a beloved woman said to her darling: / "My lord! When engaged in battle, strike the champion face-to-face!"

56.15

Another looked at her husband: "Do not turn your back on the face of battle! / My lord, do not cause me to veil [my face in shame] before my female companions!"

56.16

A certain woman, intensely jealous, said to her lover hastening to battle:
"Leaving me, lord, has fame become dearer to you?"

56.17

"This lotus-face of yours, marked with fresh wounds, O lord!
To you who are greedy for fame, I shall kiss it intensely, smiling broadly."

56.18

Another heroic woman kissed the very lotus-face of her beloved;
though being set aside, she did not let go, clinging like a bee to a flower.

56.19

Another warrior's wife shone there, hanging from the neck
of her beloved who held his weapon, like a lotus stalk on a great lord of elephants.

56.20

Thus those excellent warriors, entangled in various actions,
then began to speak words to comfort their beloveds:

56.21

"Do not hold me back, fair lady! Let go; battle-glory has been seized by others!
What is the use of our livelihood, O lovely-bodied one, if we only look on?

56.22

Blessed are those bulls among men, auspicious one, who went first to the forefront of battle,
and fight face-to-face, causing trembling to the enemy army!

56.23

Pierced by the tusks of lordly elephants, swaying playfully in battle,
warriors do not attain the applause given by foes without merit.

56.24

Passion for battle is one thing, and attachment to love for a fair woman is another;
by love and by indignation, the warrior has been divided into both parts.

56.25

By the birth of those heroic men the three worlds are adorned, fair woman,
before whose master sword-blows fall in battle!"

56.26

Having consoled their wives with these and other sweet utterances,
the warriors set out straightaway.

56.27

First to march out of the city with their troops were Hasta and Prahasta,
Mārīca, Siṃhakaṭi, Svayambhū, and Atibala;

56.28

then Śuka and Sāraṇa, Śūra and Śaśaṅka, Gayāri, Vīhasta,
Vajrākṣa, Vajradhara, Gambhīranāda, and Nakra;

56.29

Makara, Kuliśanināda, Sunda, Nisunda, and Ugranāda,
Krūra, Mālyavat, Sahasrākṣa, and Vibhrama;

56.30

Kharaniḥsvana, Jambu, Mālin, Śikhin, Durdhara, and Mahābāhu—
these warriors marched out in chariots yoked with lions.

56.31

Vajrodara, Kṛtānta, Indrābha, Aśaniratha, Candranābha,
Vikaṭodara, Mṛtyu, Subhīṣaṇa, and Kuliśodara;

56.32

Dhūmrākṣa, Mudita, and Taḍinnibha, as well as Mahāmālin,
Kanaka, Krodhanidhana, Dhūmroddāma, and Kṣobha;

56.33

Hiṇḍī, Marusvara, Pracaṇḍaḍamara, and Caṇḍakuṇḍa,
Hālāhala, and others, in chariots yoked with fierce tigers;

56.34

Vidyāsukośika, Bhujaṅgabāhu, Mahādyuti,
Śaṅkha, Praśaṅkha, Rāva, and Bhinnāñjanābha;

56.35

he named Puṣpacūla, Raktavara, Puṣpaśekhara,
the warrior Anaṅgakusuma, Ghaṇṭāstha, Kāmawarṇa;

56.36

Madanaśara, Kāmāgni, Anaṅgarāśi, Śilīmukha,
Kanaka, Soma, Suvadana, Mahākāma, and Hemābha—

56.37

these warriors also set out in excellent chariots yoked with monkeys,
their passion roused for battle, roaring fiercely.

56.38

Bhīma, Kadambaviṭapa, Gagana, Bhīmanāda,
Śārdūlakrīḍana, Siṃhabalāṅga, Vilaṅga,

56.39

Prahlādana, Capala, Cala, Cañcala, and others—these warriors
rushed out of Laṅkā in chariots yoked with elephants.

56.40

These and many other warriors—how many can I recount?
Then there were four and a half crores of noble princes.

56.41

Surrounded by these and other lion-like princes, then
Indrajit quickly went forth together with Ghanavāhana.

56.42

Having mounted the Jyotiḥprabha aerial car, trident in hand,
accompanied by the pomp of many warriors, Bhānukarṇa also set forth.

56.43

Mounted on the Puṣpaka aerial car, Rāvaṇa set forth with his army,
filling the earth and the skyway with the dust that arose.

56.44

Mounted on chariots, elephants, and horses, on buffaloes, boars, tigers, and lions,
and on donkeys, camels, and lion-beasts, the warriors went forth.

56.45

Then, suddenly for Rāvaṇa, dreadful portents arose,
and various other omens cried out, presaging defeat.

56.46

Though deluded by pride and anger, even while knowing the bad omens,
all those night-roamers nevertheless marched out for battle.

Thus, all bearing weapons, their bodies clad in armor, with various crests, fluttering banners, and cheeks adorned with earrings,
mounted on vehicles, exhilarated, with minds intent solely on combat, those heroic warriors set forth, obscuring the clear sky.

56.48

Thus ends the fifty-sixth chapter, named "The Departure of Rāvaṇa's Army," in the Paümacariya.

Linked texts (1)

Paümacariya — Vimalasūri, Māhārāṣṭrī Prakrit