The flesh of foes constitutes its libations,
and blood is its liquid offering.[290] Jackals and vultures and ravens,
as also winged shafts, constitute its Sadasyas. These drink the remnants
left of the liquid offering in this sacrifice and eat the remnants of its
libations. Heaps of lances and spears, of swords and darts and axes,
blazing, sharp, and well-tempered, constitute the ladles of the
sacrificer. Straight, sharp, and well-tempered arrows, with keen points
and capable of piercing the bodies of foes, impelled from well-stretched
bows, constitute its large double-mouthed ladles. Sheathed in scabbards
made of tiger-skin and equipped with handles made of ivory, and capable
of cutting off the elephant's trunk, the swords form the Sphises of this
sacrifice.[291] The strokes inflicted with blazing and keen lances and
darts and swords and axes, all made of hard iron, constitute its profuse
wealth procured from the respectable people by agreement in respect of
the amount and period. The blood that runs over the field in consequence
of the fury of the attack, constitutes the final libation, fraught with
great merit and capable of granting every wish, in the Homa of this
sacrifice. Cut, Pierce, and such other sounds, that are heard in the
front ranks of the array, constitute the Samans sung by its Vedic
chanters in the abode of Yama. The front ranks of the enemy's array
constitute the vessel for the keep of its libations. The crowd of
elephants and steeds and men equipped with shields are regarded to
constitute the Syenachit fire of that sacrifice. The headless trunks that
rise up after thousands have been slaughtered constitute the octagonal
stake, made of Khadira wood, for the hero who performs that sacrifice.
The shrieks that elephants utter when urged on with hooks, constitute its
Ida mantras. The kettle-drums, with the slaps of palms forming the
Vashats, O king, are its Trisaman Udgatri. When the property of a
Brahmana is being taken away, he who casts off his body that is so dear
for protecting that property, does, by that act of self-devotion, acquire
the merit of a sacrifice with infinite presents. That hero who, for the
sake of his master, displays prowess at the van of the array and shows
not his back through fear, earns those regions of felicity that are mine.
He who strews the altar of the sacrifice constituted by battle, with
swords cased in blue scabbards and severed arms resembling heavy
bludgeons, succeeds in