द्वितीय राजतरङ्गिणी (जोनराज - कल्हणोत्तर मध्यकालीन कश्मीर का प्रामाणिक इतिहास)

KINGS OF KASHMÍRA. 291
the river and robbed the wayfarers, the town roads
came to be frequented. Two or three of the men who
had crossed the river in order to rob, were daily arres-
ted, and in anger impaled.
Once the councillors of the Kashmīrians sent the
following message to the Saida army :—"If you are
strong, come and engage in a pitched battle with us, or fix
a time within which we shall expect an encounter. For
the people are being daily killed by arrows and are in
a state of fright. Let him whom Fortune favours
obtain the supreme power." When the Saida soldiers
heard this, they cut the rope which the men on the
left had placed on the river side in the outskirts of
the city, to demarcate their limit. The Saidas under-
stood that the enemy wished to cross the river from the
place called Kāṣhṭīla, and became anxious ; and they
placed Hasanarājānaka and others at Sthāma. After the
Saidas had cut the tie of the bridge of boats, they made
the city as inaccessible as a fort through fear of the
enemy. The people of Kashmīra then spoke to the
Saidas who were on the banks of the river :—"Since you
have, through fear of us, cut the rope which we had
placed, and which held together the bridge of boats, and
since you have only the town under your power, come
forward now to battle. How long will you consume
the plentiful grains and what will you effect in the
town ?" When the Saidas heard this, they thus re-
plied in a loud voice through their servants :—"We will