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Canto: IV
 
Slökās 1 to 16: Preparations for the march on the Sam-
buvaraya territory.
 
1 & 2. When the divine sun, the sustainer of
lotuses, and the unequalled lamp of universe, rose the
next day, the prince woke up from his sleep, and after
duly performing the morning rites of worship, ordered
his generals to get the army ready for marching.
 
3. Then, like the noise of the ocean, churned with
the mountain of Mandhara, the sound of war-drums
beaten by drum-sticks arose at the beginning of the
march.
 
4. The sound grew louder and louder, and filled
the skies as if it emanated from Candisa's damaru
(drum) beaten at the time of the Great Deluge.
 
5. It raised echoes from the caverns in the moun-
tains as if to scare the fear-ridden enemies who might
otherwise take shelter in them.
 
6. As the uproar entered the bowels of earth,
Sēşa closed his eyes (which were also his ears), and he
became both blind and deaf by a single act.
 
7. The army at once got ready with each of its
units, viz., elephants, horses and foot soldiers, suitably
covered and dressed; elephants with carpets on their
backs, horses fully caparisoned and men protected
in their mailed coats.
 
8. There mustered hundreds of formidable war-
elephants with ichor streaming forth from their exten-
sive temples.