winning regions of felicity like mine. That
warrior who, resolved upon obtaining victory, penetrates into the midst
of the enemy's ranks without waiting for any assistance, succeeds in
winning regions of felicity like mine. That warrior who in battle, causes
a river of blood to flow, terrible and difficult to cross, having
kettle-drums for its frogs and tortoises, the bones of heroes for its
sands, blood and flesh for its mire, swords and shields for its rafts,
the hair of slain warriors for its floating weeds and moss, the crowds of
steeds and elephants and cars for its bridges, standards and banners for
its bushes of cane, the bodies of slain elephants for its boats and huge
alligators, swords and scimitars for its larger vessels, vultures and
Kankas and ravens for the rafts that float upon it, that warrior who
causes such a river, difficult of being crossed by even those that are
possessed of courage and power and which inspires all timid men with
dread, is said to complete the sacrifice by performing the final
ablutions. That hero whose altar (in such a sacrifice) is strewn over
with the (severed) heads of foes, of steeds, and of elephants, obtains
regions of felicity like mine. The sages have said that that warrior who
regards the van of the hostile army as the chambers of his wives, who
looks upon the van of his own army as the vessel for the keep of
sacrificial offering, who takes the combatants standing to his south for
his Sadasyas and those to his north as his Agnidhras, and who looks upon
the hostile forces as his wedded wife, succeeds in winning all regions of
felicity.[292] The open space lying between two hosts drawn up for fight
constitutes the altar of such a sacrificer, and the three Vedas are his
three sacrificial fires. Upon that altar, aided by the recollection of
the Vedas, he performs his sacrifice. The inglorious warrior who, turning
away from the fight in fear, is slain by foes, sinks into hell. There is
no doubt in this. That warrior, on the other hand, whose blood drenches
the sacrificial altar already strewn with hair and flesh and bones,
certainly succeeds in attaining a high end. That powerful warrior who,
having slain the commander of the hostile army, mounts the vehicle of his
fallen antagonist, comes to be regarded as possessed of the prowess of
Vishnu himself and the intelligence of Vrihaspati, the preceptor of the
celestials. That warrior who can seize alive the commander of the
hostile