was alone and single-handed, yet so quickly did he move on the field of battle with the sword in his arm that the Asuras thought there were a thousand similar Rudras battling with them.  Tearing and piercing and afflicting and cutting and lopping off and grinding down, the great god moved with celerity among the thick masses of his foes like forest conflagration amid heaps of dry grass spread around.  The mighty Asuras, broken by the god with the whirls of his sword, with arms and thighs and chests cut off and pierced, and with heads severed from their trunks, began to fall down on the earth.  Others among the Danavas, afflicted with strokes of the sword, broke and fled in all directions, cheering one another as they fled.  Some penetrated into the bowels of the earth; others got under the cover of mountains, Some went upwards; others entered the depths of the sea.  During the progress of that dreadful and fierce battle, the earth became miry with flesh and blood and horrible sights presented themselves on every side.  Strewn with the fallen bodies of Danavas covered with blood, the earth looked as if overspread with mountain summits overgrown with Kinsukas.  Drenched with gore, the earth looked exceedingly beautiful, like a fair-complexioned lady intoxicated with alcohol and attired in crimson robes.  Having slain the Danavas and re-established Righteousness on earth, the auspicious Rudra cast off his awful form and assumed his own beneficent shape.  Then all the Rishis and all the celestials adored that god of gods with loud acclamations wishing him victory.  The divine Rudra, after this, gave the sword, that protector of religion, dyed with the blood of Danavas, unto Vishnu with due adorations.  Vishnu gave it unto Marichi.  The divine Marichi gave it unto all the great Rishis.  The latter gave it to Vasava.  Vasava gave it to the Regents of the world.  The Regents, O son, gave that large sword to Manu the son of Surya.  At the time, of giving it unto Manu, they said, ’Thou art the lord of all men.  Protect all creatures with this sword containing religion within its womb.  Duly meting out chastisement unto those that have transgressed the barriers of virtue for the sake of the body or the mind, they should be protected conformably to the ordinances but never according to caprice.  Some should be punished with wordy rebukes, and with fines and forfeitures.  Loss of limb or death should never be inflicted for slight reasons.  These punishments, consisting of wordy rebukes as their first, are regarded as so many forms of the sword.  These are the shapes that the sword assumes in consequence of the transgressions of persons under the protection (of the king).[481] In time Manu installed his own son Kshupa in the sovereignty of all creatures, and gave him the sword for their protection.  From Kshupa it was taken by Ikshvaku, and from Ikshvaku by Pururavas.  From Pururavas it was taken by Ayus, and from Ayus by Nahusha.  From Nahusha it was taken by Yayati, and from Yayati by Puru.