"'Yudhishthira said, "Tell me, O grand-sire, what regions are earned by
unreturning heroes by encountering death in battle."
"'Bhishma said, "In this connection, O Yudhishthira, is cited the old
story of the discourse between Amvarisha and Indra. Amvarisha, the son of
Nabhaga, having repaired to heaven that is so difficult of acquisition,
beheld his own generalissimo in those celestial regions in the company of
Indra. The king saw his puissant general blazing with every kind of
energy, endued with celestial form, seated on a very beautiful car, and
journeying (in that vehicle) up and up towards still higher regions.
Beholding the prosperity of his general Sudeva, and observing how he
traversed regions that were still higher, the high-souled Amvarisha,
filled with surprise, addressed Vasava, in the following words.
"'"Amvarisha said, 'Having duly governed the whole earth bounded by the
seas, having from desire of earning religious merit practised all those
duties that are common to the four orders as declared by the scriptures,
having practised with rigid austerity all the duties of the Brahmacharya
mode, having waited with dutiful obedience upon my preceptors and other
reverend seniors, having studied with due observances the Vedas and the
scriptures on kingly duties, having gratified guests with food and drink,
the Pitris with offerings in Sraddhas, the Rishis with attentive study of
the scriptures and with initiation (under proper forms into the mysteries
of religion), and the gods with many excellent and high sacrifices,
having duly observed Kshatriya duties according to the injunctions of the
scriptures, having cast my eyes fearlessly upon hostile troops, I won
many victories in battle, O Vasava! This Sudeva, O chief of the deities,
was formerly the generalissimo of my forces. It is true. He was a warrior
of tranquil soul. For what reason, however, has he succeeded in
transcending me? He never worshipped the gods in high and great
sacrifices. He never gratified the Brahmanas (by frequent and costly
presents) according to the ordinance. For what reason, then, has he
succeeded in transcending me?'
"'"Indra said, 'Regarding this Sudeva, O sire, the great sacrifice of
battle had often been spread out by him. The same becomes the case with
every other man that engages in fight. Every warrior accoutred in armour,
by advancing against foes in battle array, becomes installed in that
sacrifice. Indeed, it is a settled conclusion that such a person, by
acting in this way, comes to be regarded as the performer of the
sacrifice of battle.'
"'"Amvarisha said, 'What constitutes the libations in that sacrifice? What
constitutes its liquid offerings? What is its Dakshina? Who, again, are
regarded its Ritwijas? Tell me all this, O performer of a hundred
sacrifices.'
"'"Indra said, 'Elephants constitute the Ritwijas of that sacrifice, and
steeds are its Audharyus. 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 winning regions of felicity like mine. That
warrior who, resolved upon obtaining victory, penetrates into the midst
of the enemy's ranks without waiting for any assistance, succeeds in
winning regions of felicity like mine. That warrior who in battle, causes
a river of blood to flow, terrible and difficult to cross, having
kettle-drums for its frogs and tortoises, the bones of heroes for its
sands, blood and flesh for its mire, swords and shields for its rafts,
the hair of slain warriors for its floating weeds and moss, the crowds of
steeds and elephants and cars for its bridges, standards and banners for
its bushes of cane, the bodies of slain elephants for its boats and huge
alligators, swords and scimitars for its larger vessels, vultures and
Kankas and ravens for the rafts that float upon it, that warrior who
causes such a river, difficult of being crossed by even those that are
possessed of courage and power and which inspires all timid men with
dread, is said to complete the sacrifice by performing the final
ablutions. That hero whose altar (in such a sacrifice) is strewn over
with the (severed) heads of foes, of steeds, and of elephants, obtains
regions of felicity like mine. The sages have said that that warrior who
regards the van of the hostile army as the chambers of his wives, who
looks upon the van of his own army as the vessel for the keep of
sacrificial offering, who takes the combatants standing to his south for
his Sadasyas and those to his north as his Agnidhras, and who looks upon
the hostile forces as his wedded wife, succeeds in winning all regions of
felicity.[292] The open space lying between two hosts drawn up for fight
constitutes the altar of such a sacrificer, and the three Vedas are his
three sacrificial fires. Upon that altar, aided by the recollection of
the Vedas, he performs his sacrifice. The inglorious warrior who, turning
away from the fight in fear, is slain by foes, sinks into hell. There is
no doubt in this. That warrior, on the other hand, whose blood drenches
the sacrificial altar already strewn with hair and flesh and bones,
certainly succeeds in attaining a high end. That powerful warrior who,
having slain the commander of the hostile army, mounts the vehicle of his
fallen antagonist, comes to be regarded as possessed of the prowess of
Vishnu himself and the intelligence of Vrihaspati, the preceptor of the
celestials. That warrior who can seize alive the commander of the
hostile army or his son or some other respected leader, succeeds in
winning regions of felicity like mine. One should never grieve for a hero
slain in battle. A slain hero, if nobody grieves for him, goes to heaven
and earns the respect of its denizens. Men do not desire to dedicate (for
his salvation) food and drink. Nor do they bathe (after receiving the
intelligence), nor go into mourning for him. Listen to me as I enumerate
the felicity that is in store for such a person. Foremost of Apsaras,
numbering by thousands, go out with great speed (for receiving the spirit
of the slain hero) coveting him for their lord. That Kshatriya who duly
observes his duty in battle, acquires by that act the merit of penances
and of righteousness. Indeed, such conduct on his part conforms with the
eternal path of duty. Such a man obtains the merits of all the four modes
of life. The aged and the children should not be slain; nor one that is a
woman; not one that is flying away; nor one that holds a straw in his
lips[293]; nor one that says, "I am thine." Having slain in battle
Jambha, Vritra, Vala, Paka, Satamaya, Virochana, the irresistible
Namuchi, Samvara of innumerable illusions, Viprachitti,--all these sons
of Diti and Danu, as also Prahlada, I myself have become the chief of the
celestials.'"
"'Bhishma continued, "Hearing these words of Sakra and approving of them,
king Amvarisha comprehended how warriors succeed, (by battle as their
means) in compassing success for themselves (in respect of winning
regions of beatitude in heaven)."'"