"Never mind, Darmawati, go to sleep, tomorrow you will see, it is impossible for the death to pick me up. On the other hand, it is Sumantri's death that will lead me to pick up and take Dewi Citrawati home and make her my empress in the Widarba kingdom," says Prabu Darmawasesa, turning his fears away. And he also boasts that in the middle of the night he was crushing it into the darkness: “Behold, all the troops of Widarba, tomorrow I will destroy the army of Maespati, and I will level the kingdom of Magada to the ground. They will all die because of Rajapralaya's ultimate rajah magical power that is in my palm. Even the mountains will collapse, and the oceans will dry up, the earth will swell up to its seventh layer, if I put this Rajapralaya rajah on it, let alone a commander like Sumantri."
Everyone hopes that the moon will be merciful to give light, even if only a little, so that the darkness will not be too gripping. But the moon does not come out, as though it does not want to offer the slightest bit of light to those who are willing to give themselves to death. Prabu Darmawasesa also enters into his shrine, lighting giant incense sticks. He pours his heirloom and palms into the flames to enable him to become more powerful for tomorrow's battle. Prabu Darmawasesa continues to mumble his magic spell, but the giant incense smoke that soars high even brings back his memory of Dewi Citrawati. The smell of incense makes him touch Dewi Citrawati's body which is full of fragrance. And when he stretches out his palms with the Rajapralaya rajah magical power over the flame of the censer, he feels as though he is rubbing his hand on Magada Princess’ breasts that he dreams of. Even though the incense smoke has disappeared, he does not realize that it is dawn and the crowing of roosters is calling him to go to the battlefield.
The loud sound of the trumpet awakens Prabu Darmawasesa from his dream. He is shocked, and feels like being dumped by Dewi Citrawati from his bed. The King of Widarba is angry because he feels humiliated, as though he has not realized that everything is just a dream. The war drums of Widarba's troops are beaten non-stop. Prabu Darmawasesa prepares himself, wearing his war clothes. With his heart being pierced with thorns because of being insulted by Dewi Citrawati, he rises to his feet, and is determined that today he must be able to kill Sumantri.
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> The Bajang Child Swinging the Moon (79)
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Outside, Widarba's troops are already waiting for him. He is surprised, because the number of his troops becomes more abundant. Is this really all his troops? Before he finishes asking, a giant king emerges from the sidelines of the war lines. He does not think, the king of the gallant giant turns out to be Prabu Sri Jonggirupaksa, his younger brother of another mother, the king of the Jonggarba kingdom.
"My older brother, I will help you take over the Princess of Magada, and destroy the Maespati troops," says Prabu Jonggirupaksa while hugging Prabu Darmawasesa. It turns out that the news that his older brother has lost his commanders quickly reaches Prabu Jonggirupaksa's ears. So without further ado, the King of Jonggarba dispatches his troops to strengthen his older brother's troops who are fighting in Magada. He brings with him his courageous warlords, all of whom are bloodthirsty mighty giants. Of course the arrival of these warlords and Jonggarba troops makes Prabu Darmawasesa relieved and proud.
"On my own, I can destroy Sumantri and Maespati's troops, let alone now that you are helping me, my younger brother, the whole kingdom of Magada will be crushed and that bastard warlord of Maespati will be destroyed," says Prabu Darmawasesa arrogantly and proudly. But he can no longer linger. In the distance the march of Maespati's soldiers can be heard. So he gets into his chariot, speeding it up, approaching the battlefield.
It is no longer possible for him to use the gajendra-byuha strategy on the Magada battlefield. The four commanders, Darmapati, Sinduloba, Kodrabanu and Rodrapaksa, as well as Patih Dendawasesa have surrendered in the hands of the opponent. If he uses the gajendra-byuha strategy, he will be fighting like an elephant that has lost its legs, tusks and trunk. Therefore, after talking with his younger brother for a while, he mobilizes his troops with a new strategy, the wukir-saga rabyuha, the mountain-ocean strategy.
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> The Bajang Child Swinging the Moon (76)
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Therefore the forces of Widarba and Jonggarba unite, moving forward like ocean waves, attacking Maespati's troops. Each of his units float one after another, like layers of competing waves, about to devastate Maespati's troops. Meanwhile, the commanders lead troops with the strength of the unshakable rocky hills in the middle of the ocean. Their warlords, Kalapragangsa, Kalaranu, Mamangmurka, Amongmurka, Bajobarang and Lindhusrenggi, shout the war cries one after the other. And layer by layer, their troops become a ferocious wave that engulfs its opponents. Prabu Widarba and Prabu Jonggirupaksa turn into high mountains, and launch their heirlooms, accompanying the waves of attacks by their soldiers.
Sumantri is startled to see the opponent's powerful attack. He is also surprised, the strength of Widarba's troops seem to have doubled. He does not want to ask where Widarba's strength comes from. He has to stay alert quickly so as to prevent his troops from being rolled away by the waves of Widarba's soldiers. After reading the opponent's tactics, he immediately realizes that Maespati's troops will be crushed if he uses the garuda-byuha strategy. So the ferocity of the ocean waves must be faced with war tactics that can deceive the opponent with gentleness. Because of that Sumantri carries out the lotus-byuha strategy, the lotus flower strategy.
In that tactic, the battlefield which is filled with blood is like a mud lake, which makes lotus flowers grow beautifully. The arrows that fly in the sky are the rays of the sun that warm the leaves. And the swords and spears that cut and stab each other are the branches of the maja and nagapuspa trees that are broken and fall on the lake which is full of lotus flowers. The troops that march in the colors of their dress are strands of lotus leaves, which are white, blue, yellow and red. And the peak of the buds of lotus flowers is warlord Sumantri who leads the war like a hermit who is immersed in peacefulness and calmness of his meditation.
This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo.
