हम्मीर महाकाव्यम् (रणथम्भौर चौहान वीरगाथा एवं इतिहास)

36

possessed with an evil spirit, muttering incoherently all the
while. 'Alâu'd-dîn was not a little annoyed at this strange
conduct, and inquired the reason of it. Bhoja replied that it
would be difficult for him ever to forget the misfortune that
had overtaken him that day; for Mahimâsâhi having paid a
visit to Jagarâ, had carried it by assault and dragged his
brother Pîtama into captivity before Hammîra. Well
might people now, said Bhoja, point the finger of scorn at him,
and say, Here is the man who has lost his all in the hope of
getting more. Helpless and forlorn, he could not now trust
himself to lie on the earth, as it all belonged now to Hammîra;
and he had therefore spread his garment, on which to roll in
grief which had deprived him of the power of standing.
Already the fire of anger was kindled in the breast of 'Alâu'd-
dîn at the tale of the defeat his brother had sustained, and
Bhoja's speech added fuel to the fire. Throwing to the ground,
in the vehemence of his feelings, the turban he had on, he said
Hammîra's folly was like that of one who thought he could
tread upon the lion's mane with impunity, and vowed he would
exterminate the whole race of the Chohâns. Then at once he
despatched letters to the kings of various countries, calling upon
them to join him in a war against Hammîra. The kings of
Aṅga, Telaṅga, Magadha, Maisûr, Kaliṅga, Baṅga,
Bhot, Medapât, Pañchâl, Bâṅgâl,¹⁷ Thamim, Bhilla,
Nepâl, Dâhal, and some Himâlayan chiefs, who also obeyed
the summons, brought their respective quotas to swell the invad-
ing army. Amongst this miscellaneous host there were some
who came on account of the love they bore to the goddess of war,
while others were there who had been drawn into the ranks of
the invaders by the love of plunder. Others, again, only came
to be spectators of the desperate fighting that was expected to

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¹⁷ I spell these names as they are in the original.