The Social and Military Position of the Ruling Caste in Ancient India, as Represented by the Sanskrit Epic c2.s5.65

c2.s5.65

The troops having started with a blare of drums, trumpets, and conch shells, the hosts stream out ‘like flamingos crossing a great lake,’ each chief making for his particular adversary, against whom he has been pitted by the commander before the fight began.* The crowd follows the leaders. Each hero plunges into the fray, scattering the base herd with a commotion ‘like that caused by a huge sea fish leaping into the sea,’† and is soon at arrow’s point with his chosen adversary, or is doubling and twisting about for position, or rushing any whither at need of a friend. His base-born adherents and his high-born following keep close to his heels.‡ The proceedings at the end of the day (for with sunset the armies generally stop fighting) depend on whether the commander-in-chief has been slain or not. If not, the forces are simply drawn off the field, the men going to bed as soon as they can—sometimes eating and going at once without conversation,§ although stopping to salute each other, care for their wounds, see to the sentinels, or even, in the case of the knights, taking a bath and listening to some music (gītavāditra) while eating before sleeping.‖ The singers and praisers always welcome them back, however, if merely as a sign of good luck, as they also open the day with their music; since not to have glad music in the morning shows fear, and is a sign of ill-luck.¶