33. The hero dying, goes to heaven, is the common saying; and the sástras call the lawful warrior only a hero, and not otherwise. 34. They who suffer wounds on their bodies, for the protection of the righteous and good, are said to be heroes, or else they are insurgents (_dimbhavas_). 35. It was in expectation of seeing such heroes that the damsels of the gods, were standing in the air, and talking to themselves of becoming the spouses of such warriors. 36. The air was as decorated as by an illumination on high, and by rows of the beautiful heavenly cars of gods and Siddhas, and presence of celestial maidens, who sang in sweet notes, and decorated their locks with _mandára_ flowers. CHAPTER XXXII. ONSET OF THE WAR. Vasishtha said:—Lílá standing with the goddess of wisdom in air, saw the Apsarás dancing there, at the eagerness of the combatants for war below. 2. She beheld the assemblage of the forces in her own territory once governed by her lord; and saw the field of the air not less formidable by the assembled ghosts (and its encircling belt composed of the lion, scorpion, crab and the archer). 3. The meeting of the two forces made the ground appear as a billowy sea; like the meeting of two clouds in the sky, giving it the appearance of two hostile forces. 4. The battle array of armoured warriors, flashing as the fire of heaven, was succeeded by their commingled blows, resembling the rattling of thunders above, deafening the ears and dazzling the sight. 5. Then darts and javelins, spears and lances, and many other missiles (_prásas_) began to fall on both sides, like showers of raindrops, hailstones and meteorolites from the skies. 6. Showers of shafts fell with a force, that would pierce the pinions of _garuda_, and struck out the glare of sunbeams, by hitting at the armours of the warriors. 7. The combatants standing face to face with their lifted arms, and staring at each other with steadfast looks, seemed as they were pictures in a painting. 8. The armies drawn in long regiments, standing in lines opposite to each other, were heard to answer one another by their repeated shouts. 9. The battalia of both armies, and the drums on both sides, were put to a stop by the warnings of their leaders, against striking the first blow. 10. The intermediate space of the breadth of two bows, that separated the hostile forces like a bridge from one another, appeared as the gap, caused by the winds in the midst of the ocean at the universal deluge. (Or more like the partition of the waters of the Red sea by the rod of Moses). 11. The leaders were drowned in thoughts for fear of bloodshed and massacre; and the cowardly soldiers groaned in their hearts, with the hoarse noise of croaking frogs.