Pandava Pravesha Parva — The destruction of Jimuta

Janamejaya said O twice-born one, living thus disguised in the city of the Matsyas what did the Kuru's sons of exceeding might do.

Vaishampayana said Hear, what the descendants of Kuru did living thus disguised in the city of the Matsyas and serving the king thereof.

By the grace of the ascetic Trinabindu and of the high-souled Dharma they began to live incognito in the city of Virata.

Yudhishthira as a courtier made himself a favorite to Virata and his son, as well as to all the Matsyas, O lord of people.

Well versed in the mysteries of the dice he caused him to play at dice in the dice-hall in accordance with his pleasure like the birds bound by the string.

That best of men, the king of justice (Yudhishthira) having won the wealth of Virata duly distributed it without the knowledge of the monarch among his brothers.

Bhimsena also sold to Yudhishthira, the meat and the viands of various sorts which were given by the king of the Matsyas.

Arjuna parted with the worn out clothes by sale, which he obtained from women's quarters, to the other sons of Pandu.

Sahadeva also, who had assumed the dress of a cow-herd, distributed to them curds, milk and clarified butter.

Nakula also gave the wealth to his brothers which he acquired from the king who was satisfied with him for his tending the horses.

In the form of ascetic and very charmful draupadi served their husband, so nobody can identify their reality.

They, the mighty warriors, then looking after the interest of one another, lived in the city of Virata in such a manner, as if they were once more in the house of their mother.

Then the sons of Pandu, the lords of men, appending evil from the sons of Dhritarashtra, continued to live there in disguise keeping vigilant eyes upon their wife Krishna.

Then in the fourth month there happened a great festival, in honor of the divine Brahma, slender in form and highly valued by people, in the city of the Matsya's.

0 king, there came, by thousands, wrestlers from all quarters in that field of festivity in honour of the divine Brahma, as also on the occasion of a festival held in honor of Shiva.

They were of colossal forms and of exceeding might, like the demons named Kalakhanjas; they were maddened with their latent power; furious with their prowess and highly honored by the king.

Their shoulders, waists and necks were like those of lions, their bodies were free from dirt, and their hearts were large. Many times before they achieved success in the lists in the very august presence of the king.

Amongst them there was one who was the greatest of all and challenged all other combatants to a wrestle; there was none that ventured to encounter him as he strided over in the arena.

When all the wrestlers stood stupefied and dejected in spirit then the king of the Matsyas made him fight with his cook.

Impelled by the king, Bhima made up his mind with reluctance, for it was not in his power to openly disobey the royal mandate.

Then that the best of men, having worshipped the king Virata, entered the spacious arena with listless steps like those of a lion.

Then Bhima, the son of Kunti, girded up his lions and caused the delight of the spectators. There he summoned the wrestler of distinguished prowess named Jimuta resembling Vritra himself. were

Both of them were of exceeding energy and of terrible prowess, and they both were like a couple of infuriated elephants of gigantic form each being sixty years old. Then those two best of men became engaged in hand-tohand fight.

Those two heroic combatants exceedingly cheerful, each being desirous of gaining victory over the other; exceedingly terrible was the encounter between them, just like the clash of the thunderbolt against the mountain.

Both of them were exceedingly powerful and were highly pleased with each other's strength; each of them was desirous of winning the victory over the other and was vigilant to take advantage of his rival's lapse.

Both of them were exceedingly delighted and resembled a couple of infuriated elephants of huge forms; and various were the manners of their attack and defence shown by means of their clenched fists.

They fought in a manner that each dashed against the other, threw his rival far off his stand, each crushed the other down, and pressed him hard on the ground, each showing the other off exchanged blows, and each whirled the other round with his head downward and threw him away with a loud noise.

With their palms each gave a good slap to the other, striking as hard as the thunder bolt and with outstretched fingers they slapped each other. They thrust spear like nails into each other's person; each gave violent kicks to the other.

They struck knee against knee, dashed head against head, producing the crash of one stone against another. That was the furious combat without weapons, sustained chiefly by the might of their arms.

By both physical and mental energy of the two heroic combatants, as represented in the presence of people assembled in the arena on the occasion of the festivity, all the spectators were extremely delighted, and their delight was manifested by joyous shouts given out at intervals.

O king, in the wrestling of the two mighty persons, resembling Vitra and Vasava respectively, they pulled, pressed, whirled and hurried down each other and struck each other with their knees and expressed their hatred for each other in loud voices.

Then they both of expansive chest, and long arms, and expert in wrestling began to fight with their arms resembling huge bolts of iron.

Bhima, the slayer of enemies, seized, with a big seized, his vociferous rival wrestler by the arms and drew him near even as the lion seizes the elephant.

Then the mighty-armed Bhima of great prowess raised him up and began to whirl him round; then all the athlete and the people of the Matsya's, who had assembled on the occasion, were greatly astonished.

Then having whirled him round and round a hundred times, the mighty armed Vrikodara inade him utterly insensible and threw him down lifeless on the ground.

That distinguished athlete Jimuta being slain, Virata and his friends were exceedingly delighted.

In his great joy the high-minded king gave away to Ballava plenty of riches in the shape of a reward on the very field of combat with as much liberality as that of Kubera.

Having thus slain numerous athletes and many other persons of great strength he received the great favour of the king of the Matsya's.

When there was found no one such as to stand equal to him the king made him fight with tigers and lions and elephants.

Again the king made Vrikodara fight with furious lions of exceeding strength in the assembly of the ladies of the harem.

Bibhatsu, the son of Pandu, pleased Virata and all the ladies of the harem by singing and dancing.

Nakula pleased the king, the best of kings by showing him the fast-going and well-trained horses and the king, pleased gave him a plenty of money as a reward.

Beholding a herd of well-trained bullocks around Sahadeva, Virata the best of men, gave him wealth of various kinds.

O king, beholding all these mighty warriors suffer pain, Draupadi felt herself dejected in mind and had recourse to constant sighs.

Those best among men began to live there in disguise rendering services to the king Virata.