In this poem by Keki N. Daruwalla, the King is anguished after decimating a city and killing a lot of people. He narrates with sadness and atonement instead of pride at the amount of bloodshed he witnessed, even as his chariot-wheels squelched through the bloody mire, and the whole place stank of blood.
He felt pity for the people who remained in the city and recognized that they were filled with anguish at the death of their loved ones. He was greatly humbled that he desired that the people of the city could do with him as they desired. He wanted the scribe Kartikeya to write in simple terms so that his message can be conveyed to and understood by the people.
