भारतीय इतिहास के ६ स्वर्णिम पृष्ठ (वीर सावरकर - विदेशी आक्रान्ताओं पर विजय गाथा)

the one that preached, “Anger should be conquered by the negation of anger” and was trying to succeed in the application of the Buddhistic doctrine by keeping indoors! Wave of Nationwide rage among the vedic hindus: the Valiant Kharvela, the king of Kalinga, Marches on the Greeks 179. Although the Buddhists were neither enraged nor disturbed, nor for that matter, even ashamed of the fact that the Greek aggression was undermining the national honour of India or that it endangered the nation’s liberty, the Vedic Hindus, at least, were highly enraged at this national insult and the imminent national calamity. Unfortunately, they had no political power left in the north of India, which could immediately resist this national calamity. But within a decade of Ashoka’s death, the provinces of Kalinga and Andhra in south India had renounced the paramountcy of the Buddhist Mauryas, and established their independent kingdom. The kings of both these provinces were staunch followers of the Vedic religion and so equally staunch Indian patriots. Both of them had built up mighty armies, well- equipped with arms. The news that the Greeks had conquered northern India, and that the Magadha king, a weak Buddhist, could not at all resist it, caused a great furore amongst the Vedic population in South India. At last, the king of the independent state of Kalinga, the valiant Kharvela, decided to march himself at the head of an army against the Greek army of Demetreos. The Yavanas Routed: their Hasty Retreat! 180. First of all, with a mighty army, he conquered Magadha and joined battle with the Greek forces somewhere near Ayodhya. The strong Indian army of Kalinga dealt such a crushing defeat upon the Greeks, that Demetreos immediately turned his face backwards, and marched off with all his army back to his home beyond Panchnad. 181. After driving the Greeks beyond the frontiers of India, Kharvela did not find much time either to pursue the fleeing enemy or to organize the administration of the whole of that region. Political emergency drove him back to Kalinga almost immediately. He did not dethrone the Maurya emperor of Magadha, King Brihadrath. As soon as he returned to Kalinga, Kharvela celebrated, according to the Vedic tradition, the horse ceremony to commemorate the brilliant victory he had gained against the Greeks in defence of the honour and liberty of India. This horse-sacrifice was particularly known to have a national and political significance. Besides