मत्तैर्मातङ्गयूथैः सकुलगिरिकुलेनैव भूमण्डलेन श्वेतच्छत्रध्वजौघैरपि शशिसुकराभातखेनैव सार्द्धम्
With intoxicated elephant troops, with the earth itself as his family and mountain-clan, and with masses of white parasols and banners shining like the moon and its rays, he set forth.
प्रत्येकं चतुरङ्गसैन्यनिकरप्रक्षोदसंभूतभूरेणुप्रावृतिरुत्स्थली समभवद्भूमिस्तु तत्रानिशम्
Everywhere, the ground was constantly covered by clouds of dust raised by the advancing fourfold army divisions.
दूरादेवाभिशंसन्नरिनगरनिरोधेषु कर्माभिषङ्गे तेषां शीघ्रापयानक्षणमभिदिशति प्राणिधैर्यं विधत्ते
From afar, he would predict the enemy’s city blockades and military actions; at the moment of swift attack, he would direct his spies and display his courage.
विजिगीषुर्दिशो राजा राज्ञो यस्याभियास्यति
The king, desiring victory, advanced toward the realms of those kings whom he intended to subdue.
विजित्य नृपतीन्सर्वान्कृत्वा च स्वपदानुगान्
Having conquered all the kings, he made them his followers.
एवं स विसरन्दिक्षु दक्षिणाभिमुखो नृपः
Thus, as he moved through the regions, the king proceeded southward.
ततस्तस्य नृपैः सार्द्धं समग्ररथकुञ्जरैः
Then, together with those kings, with all their chariots and elephants—
राज्ञां यत्र सहस्राणि स बलानि महाहवे
Where thousands of kings and their armies gathered for the great battle.
जित्वा हैहयभूपालान्भङ्क्त्वा दग्ध्वा च तत्पुरीम्
Having conquered the Haihaya kings and having destroyed and burned their city,
समग्रबलसंमर्द्दप्रमृष्टाशेषभूतलः
the entire earth was trampled and crushed by the force of his army.
राज्यं पुरीं चापहाय भ्रष्टैश्वर्या हतत्विषः
Abandoning their kingdom and city, deprived of power and bereft of splendor,
अभिद्रुत्य नृपांस्तांस्तु द्रवमाणान्महीपतिः
the king pursued those fleeing rulers as they ran away.
ततस्तान्प्रति सक्रोधः सगरः समरे ऽरिहा
Then Sagara, destroyer of enemies, angrily confronted them in battle.
वाय्वस्त्रावृत्तधूमोद्गमपटलतमोमुष्टदृष्टिप्रसारा भ्रेमुर्भूपृष्टलोठद्बहुलतमरजोगूढमात्रा मुहूर्त्तम्
Clouded by the dense smoke rising from the wind-weapon, their vision was obscured; for a moment, the earth was enveloped in a thick mass of swirling dust.
भीताः संत्युक्तवस्त्रायुधकवचविभूषादिका मुक्तकेशा विस्पष्टोन्मत्तभावान्भृश तरमनुकुर्वन्त्यग्रतः शात्रवाणाम्
Terrified, having cast off their garments, weapons, armor, and ornaments, with disheveled hair and clearly maddened in appearance, they hurriedly imitated the enemies before them.
संक्षुब्धसागराकारः कांबोजानभ्यवर्त्तत
With the appearance of an agitated ocean, he advanced upon the Kambojas.
कांबोजास्तालजङ्घाः शकयवनकिरातादयः साकमेते भ्रेमुर्भूर्यस्त्रभीत्या दिशि दिशि रिपवो यस्य पूर्वापराधाः
The Kambojas, Tālas, Śakas, Yavanas, Kirātas, and others, together with their women, fled in all directions out of fear of him, whose past offenses they remembered.
द्विट्सैन्यैः समभिद्रुता वनभुवं संप्राप्य तत्रापि ते ऽस्तैमित्यं समुपागता गिरिगुहासुप्तोत्थितेन द्विषः
Pursued by the armies of their enemies, they reached the forest, but even there they found no safety, as their foes, awakened from the caves of the mountains, overtook them.
क्रमेण नाशयामास तद्राज्यमरिकर्षणः
Gradually, the subduer of enemies destroyed their kingdom.
निजघान रुषाविष्टः पल्हवान्पारदानपि
Overcome with wrath, he struck down the Pahlavas and the Pāradas as well.
दुद्रुवुः संघशो भीता हतशिष्टाः समन्ततः
The remaining survivors, terrified, fled in groups on all sides.
इत्युच्चैः श्रावयाणो युधि निजचरितं वैरिभिर्नागवीर्यः क्षत्रैर्विध्वंसितेजाः सगरनरपतिः स्मारयामास भूपः
Thus, proclaiming his own deeds loudly in battle to his enemies, the king Sagara, whose valor was like that of an elephant and whose adversaries among the kṣatriyas had been destroyed, reminded the assembled kings.
इक्ष्वाकूणां वसिष्ठं कुलगुरुमभितः सप्त राज्ञां कलेषु प्रख्याताः संप्रसूता नृपवररिपवः पारदाः पल्हवाद्याः
The Pāradas, Pahlavas, and others—renowned enemies of the best of kings—were born in the lineages of seven kings around Vasiṣṭha, the family priest of the Ikṣvākus.
उपगम्याब्रुवन्सर्वे कृताञ्जलिपुटा नृपाः
All those kings approached with joined palms and spoke.
सगरास्त्राग्निनिर्दग्धशरीराणां मुमूर्षताम्
Their bodies burned by the weapons of Sagara, and on the verge of death,
तस्माद्भयाद्धि निष्क्रान्ता वयं जीवितकाङ्क्षिणः
out of fear of him, we departed, desiring to preserve our lives.
केवलं प्राणरक्षार्थं त्वां त्वयं शरणं गतः
I have come to you solely for the sake of preserving life.
यस्तं निवर्त्तयित्वास्मान्पालयेन्महतो भयात्
Whoever turns him away and protects us from great danger—
तद्वंशपूर्वजैर्भूपैस्त्वतप्रभावश्च तादृशः
Such is your power, as was that of the kings of your lineage in former times.
भवन्निदेशं नात्येति वेलामिव महोदधिः
He does not transgress your command, like the great ocean does not cross its boundary.