Kusa, swelling with princely pride at seeing as it were a handmaid of Sakka, king of heaven, in attendance upon him, thought, "While I am still alive, shall others come and carry off my bride?" and rousing himself, lion-like, in the palace yard, he said, "Let all who dwell in this city hear of my coming," and dancing about, shouting and clapping his hands, he cried, "Now will I take them alive, go bid them put horses to my chariots," and he repeated the following stanza:

Go, quickly yoke my well-trained steeds to many a painted car,
And watch me boldly sally forth, to scatter foes afar.

He now bade good-bye to Pabhavati, saying, "The capture of thy enemies is my charge. Go thou and bathe and adorn thyself and climb up to thy palace." And the king of Madda sent his councillors to act as a guard of honour to him. And they drew a screen round about him at the door of the kitchen and provided barbers for him. And when his beard had been trimmed and his head shampooed and he was arrayed in all his splendour and surrounded by his escort, he said, "I will ascend to the palace," and looking about him thence in every direction he clapped his hands, and wheresoever he looked the earth trembled, and he cried out, "Now mark how great is my power."

The Master, to make the matter clear, uttered the following stanza:

The ladies of king Madda's court beheld him standing there,
Like rampant lion, as he smites with both his arms the air.

[310] Then the Madda king sent him an elephant that had been trained to stand impassive under attack , richly caparisoned. Kusa mounted on the back of the elephant with a white umbrella held over him and ordered Pabhavati to be conducted there, and seating her behind him he left the city by the east gate, escorted by a complete host of the four arms , and as

soon as he saw the forces of the enemy, he cried, "I am king Kusa: let all who value their lives lie down on their bellies," and he roared thrice with the roar of a lion and utterly crushed his foes.

The Master, explaining the matter, said:

Mounted on back of elephant, the queen behind her lord,
Kusa descending to the fray with voice of lion roared.

All beasts, when Kusa's lion-voice thus roaring loud they hear,
And warrior kings flee from the field, smitten with panic fear.

Life-guardsmen, soldiers, horse and foot, with many a charioteer,
At Kusa's voice break up and flee, all paralysed with fear.

Sakka right glad at heart looked on in forefront of the fight,
And to king Kusa gave a gem, Verocana 'twas hight.

The battle won, king Kusa took the magic gem and then
Mounted on back of elephant sought Madda's town again.

The kings he takes alive and bound in chains with them he goes,
And to his royal father cries, "Behold, my lord, thy foes.