Page:The Katha Sarit Sagara.djvu/501

 And then the single combat between Śrutaśarman, who was puffed up by being a son of Indra, and Súryaprabha, became exceedingly fierce. Whatever weapon Śrutaśarman vigorously employed, Súryaprabha immediately repelled with opposing weapons. And whatever delusion Śrutaśarman employed, wa3 overmastered by Súryaprabha with opposing delusion. Then Śrutaśarman in fierce wrath sent forth the weapon of Brahma, and the mighty Súryaprabha let loose the weapon of Śiva. That mighty weapon of Śiva repelled the weapon of Brahmá, and being irresistible, was overpowering Śrutaśarman, when Indra and the other Lokapálas, being indignant, sent forth, their tremendous weapons beginning with thunderbolts. But the weapon of Śiva conquered all those weapons, and blazed exceedingly, eager to slay Śrutaśarman. Then Súryaprabha praised that great weapon, and entreated it not to kill Śrutaśarman, but to take him prisoner and hand him over to himself. Then all the gods speedily prepared for fight, and the other Asuras also, who had come to look on, did the same, being eager to conquer the gods. Then a Gana named Vírabhadra, sent by Śiva, came and delivered this order of his to Indra and the other gods: " You came to look on, so what right have you to fight here? Moreover, your over-stepping the bounds of propriety will produce other bad results." When the gods heard that, they said— " All of us have sons here that have been slain, or are being slain, so how can we help fighting?* Love for one's offspring is a feeling hard to lay aside, so we must certainly revenge ourselves on their slayers to the utmost of our power; what impropriety is there in this ?" When the gods said this, Vírabhadra departed, and a great fight took place between the gods and the Asuras: Sunítha fought with the two Aśvins, and Prajnadhya fought with the Moon, and Sthirabuddhi with the Vasus, and Kálachakra with Váyu, and Prakampana with Agni, and Sinhadanshtra with Nirriti, and Pramathana with Varuna, and Dhúmraketu with Yama, and then Mahámáya fought with the god of wealth, and other Asuras † at the same time fought with other gods, with missiles and opposing missiles. And finally, whatever mighty weapon any god sent forth, Śiva immediately destroyed with an angry roar. But the god of wealth, when his club was uplifted, was restrained by Śiva in a conciliatory manner, while various other gods, their weapons having been broken, fled from the field of battle. Then Indra himself, in wrath, attacked Súryaprabha, and let fly a storm of arrows at him and various other weapons. And Súryaprabha repelled those weapons with ease, and kept striking Indra with hundreds of arrows drawn back to the ear. Then the king of the gods, enraged, seized his thunderbolt, and Śiva made an angry noise and destroyed that thunderbolt. Then Indra turned his back and lied,