and necklaces of
gold, as these were whirled or moved, reflecting that light, looked
exceedingly beautiful. Illuminated by the light of those lamps and
irradiated by the reflection from weapons and ornaments, that host, O
king, blazed up with splendour. Well-tempered and beautiful weapons, red
with blood, and whirled by heroes, created a blazing effulgence there,
like flashes of lightning in the sky at the end of summer. The faces of
warriors, impetuously pursuing foes for striking them down and themselves
trembling in the ardour of the rush, looked beautiful like masses of
clouds urged on by the wind. As the splendour of the sun becomes fierce
on the occasion of the conflagration of a forest full of trees, even so
on that terrible night became the splendour of that fierce and
illuminated host. Beholding that host of ours illumined, the Parthas
also, with great speed, stirring up the foot-soldiers throughout their
army, acted like ourselves. On each elephant, they placed seven lamps; on
each car, ten; and on the back of each steed they placed two lamps; and
on the flanks and rear (of their cars) and on their standard also, they
placed many lamps. And on the flanks of their host, and on the rear and
the van, and all around and within, many other lamps were lighted. The
Kurus having done the same, both the armies were thus lighted. Throughout
the host, the foot-soldiers became mingled with elephants and cars and
cavalry. And the army of Pandu's son was also illuminated by others (than
foot-soldiers) standing with blazing torches in their hands.[216] With
those lamps that host became fiercely effulgent, like a blazing fire made
doubly resplendent by the dazzling rays of the maker of day. The
splendour of both the armies, over-spreading the earth, the welkin, and
all the points of the compass, seemed to increase. With that light, thy
army as also theirs became distinctly visible. Awakened by that light
which reached the skies, the gods, the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, the
Rishis and other crowned with (ascetic) success, and the Apsaras, all
came there. Crowded then with gods and Gandharvas, and Yakshas, and
Rishis crowned with (ascetic) success, and Apsaras, and the spirits of
slain warriors about to enter the celestial regions, the field of battle
looked like a second heaven. Teeming with cars and steeds and elephants,
brilliantly illumined with lamps, with angry combatants and horses slain
or wandering wildly, that vast force