Chapter 42

“Uttara said, ‘To what warrior of fame doth this excellent bow belong, onwhich are a hundred golden bosses and which hath such radiant ends? Whoseis this excellent bow of good sides and easy hold, on the staff of whichshine golden elephants of such brightness? Whose is this excellent bow,adorned with three scores of Indragoapkas [43] of pure gold, placed onthe back of the staff at proper intervals? Whose is this excellent bow,furnished with three golden suns of great effulgence, blazing forth withsuch brilliancy? Whose is this beautiful bow which is variegated withgold and gems, and on which are golden insects set with beautiful stones?Whose are these arrows furnished with wing around, numbering a thousand,having golden heads, and cased in golden quivers? Who owneth these largeshafts, so thick, furnished with vulturine wings whetted on stone,yellowish in hue, sharp-pointed, well-tempered, and entirely made ofiron? Whose is this sable quiver, [44] bearing five images of tigers,which holdeth shafts intermixed with boar-eared arrows altogethernumbering ten? Whose are these seven hundred arrows, long and thick,capable of drinking (the enemy’s) blood, and looking like thecrescent-shaped moon? [45] Whose are these gold-crested arrows whetted onstones, the lower halves of which are well-furnished with wings of thehue of parrots’ feather and the upper halves, of well-tempered steels?[46] Whose is this excellent sword irresistible, and terrible toadversaries, with the mark of a toad on it, and pointed like a toad’shead? [47] Cased in variegated sheath of tiger-skin, whose is this largesword of excellent blade and variegated with gold and furnished withtinkling bells? Whose is this handsome scimitar of polished blade andgolden hilt? Manufactured in the country of the Nishadas, irresistible,incapable of being broken, whose is this sword of polished blade in ascabbard of cow-skin? Whose is this beautiful and long sword, sable inhue as the sky, mounted with gold, well-tempered, and cased in a sheathof goat-skin? Who owneth this heavy, well-tempered, and broad sword, justlonger than the breadth of thirty fingers, polished by constant clashwith other’s weapons and kept in a case of gold, bright as fire? Whose isthis beautiful scimitar of sable blade covered with golden bosses,capable of cutting through the bodies of adversaries, whose touch is asfatal as that of a venomous snake which is irresistible and exciteth theterror of foes? Asked by me, O Vrihannala, do thou answer me truly. Greatis my wonder at the sight of all these excellent objects.'”