Doha 87

Meanwhile, arrived the vast demon host with its overcrowded ranks. The moment the monkey warriors saw the army, they advanced to meet it like the masses of clouds that gather at the time of universal destruction (Pralaya). (1) Innumerable swords and claymores flashed like gleams of lightning from every direction. The shrill cries of the elephants and horses and the rattling sound of the chariots resembled the terrible thundering of clouds. (2) Myriads of monkeys’ tails stretched across the heavens like an array of magnificent rainbows appearing in the sky. The dust rose in thick columns like streams of water in the air and the arrows shot forth in an endless shower like rain-drops. (3) Mountains hurled from either side crashed like repeated strokes of lightning. Śrī Raghunātha in His fury let fly arrows in showers, which straightway wounded the demon crew. (4) The demon warriors shrieked with pain as the arrows struck them, and swinging round and round they fell to the ground here, there and everywhere. Streaming with blood, the wounded demons looked like mountains with their large cascades; and the blood ran in the form of a stream, the terror of cowards. (5)

A most unholy river of blood, that smote recreants with terror, ran across the battle-field. With the two armies for its banks, the chariots for its intervening sands and their wheels for its whirlpools, it was a frightful flood indeed. The foot-soldiers, and, even so, elephants, horses, donkeys and other mounts of all kinds, more than one could count, (that floated on the river) represented the various aquatic creatures; the arrows, lances and iron clubs (swept by it) stood for its serpents: the bows borne along the current represented its waves and the shields stood for its many tortoises.

Warriors fell here and there like the trees on its banks and the abundant marrow of their bones represented its scum. Dastards shuddered at its very sight, while heroes were delighted at heart to see it. (87)