And well-conversant with the art of whirling the mace, the king of
immeasurable prowess fearlessly wandered over the forest. And the king
roamed about, killing the denizens of the wilderness sometimes with his
sword and sometimes by fast-descending blows of his mace and heavy club.
"And when the forest was so disturbed by the king possessed of wonderful
energy and by the warriors in his train delighting in warlike sports, the
lions began to desert it in numbers. And herds of animals deprived of
their leaders, from fear and anxiety began to utter loud cries as they
fled in all directions. And fatigued with running, they began to fall down
on all sides, unable to slake their thirst, having reached river-beds that
were perfectly dry. And many so falling were eaten up by the hungry
warriors. While others were eaten up after having been duly quartered and
roasted in fires lit up by them. And many strong elephants, maddened with
the wounds they received and alarmed beyond measure, fled with trunks
raised on high. And those wild elephants, betraying the usual symptoms of
alarm by urinating and ejecting the contents of their stomachs and
vomiting blood in large quantities, trampled, as they ran, many warriors
to death. And that forest which had been full of animals, was by the king
with his bands of followers and with sharp weapons soon made bereft of
lions and tigers and other monarchs of the wilderness.'"
SECTION LXX
(Sambhava Parva continued)
"Vaisampayana said, 'Then the king with his followers, having killed
thousands of animals, entered another forest with a view to hunting.
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