In a war, there is no victor except death.

शिलीमुखोत्कृत्तशिरैः फलाड्या च्युतैः शिरस्त्रैः चषकोत्तरेव।

रणक्षितिः शोणितमद्यकुल्या रराज मृत्योरिव पानभूमिः॥

॥महाकविकाळिदासविरचिते रघुवंशमहाकाव्ये॥

śilīmukhotkṛttaśiraiḥ phalāḍyā cyutaiḥ śirastraiḥ caṣakottareva|

raṇakṣitiḥ śonitamadyakulyā rarāja mṛtyoriva pānabhūmiḥ||

|ṁahākavikāḻidāsaviracite raghuvaṁśamahākāvye||

A macabre scene of war described graphically by the great Kalidas in his Raghuvamsamahaakaavyam.

The scene is after the swayamvaram of Indumathi with Aja.

The lovely princess Indumathi chose Aja the scion of the glorious race of Raghu as her life partner.

Indeed, there were many kings assembled seeking the hand of the fair lady, and they were all irritated and jealous over the good fortune that visited the beautiful prince.

While he was on his way back to Ayodhya with his newly wedded princess, the group of kings confronted him and a fierce battle followed.

The valorous prince won the battle so naturally..

But Kalidasa describes the piteous scene of destruction that the battle presented at the end of the day.

Kalidasa sees the battlefield as the drinking yard of the God of death.

The heads of soldiers severed from their respective heads and stuck to the tips of arrows looked like ripe fruits to be swallowed by the drunkard, being stuck to the end of a chopstick..

The upturned caps of the dead soldiers seemed to substitute for goblets used for drinking liquor

The dark red blood of the soldiers collected in the shape of a pool provided the big container for drinks.

The field was just the drinking area for that terrible drunkard

And the drunkard was none other than Mruthyu, the God of death himself..

The vivid description of black death by the great poet should be an eye opener to war-mongers of all times.

In a war, there is no victor except death.