Jayadratha-Vadha Parva — The fight between Karna and Bhima

Dhritarashtra said Indeed I consider Bhima's prowess to be very wonderful, inasmuch as he fought with Karna of great agility.

Indeed that Karna who is competent enough of resisting the celestials together with the Yakshas, Asuras and men all armed with numerous kinds of weapon.

How is it that Karna could not vanquish in battle that son of Pritha, of great effulgence? O Sanjaya tell me all you know about it in detail.

Tell me how the battle them raged-battle in which each staked his very life. Messems each of them was capable of conquering or each mighty have suffered defeat, (at the hand of the other).

Obtaining Suta's son Karna to help him, my son Duryodhana is confident of securing victory over the Pandavas with Govinda and the Satwatas.

However, hearing of the repeated defeats of Karna by Bhimasena of dreadful deeds, a swoon seems to overtake me. pervert son

I regard the Kauravas as already slain, in consequence of the evil policy of my son. O Sanjaya, Karna will never be able to vanquish the sons of Pritha, those illustrious bowmen.

In all the battles that Karna has fought with the sons of Pandu, the latter have worsted him on the field of battle.

The Pandavas are incapable of being vanquished even by the celestials led by Vasava himself. But my Duryodhana will not take cognisance of this fact.

Having robbed Yudhishthira the son of Pritha's who is like the Lord of wealth, of his wealth, my foolish son sees not the impending fall, like a searcher of honey (on the mountains).

Having robbed by means of his deceit, the kingdom of those high-souled ones, my son conversant with deceit, thinks it to be irrecoverably his own; and so always insults the Pandavas.

Those high-souled son of Pandu, who ever treaded the paths of rectitude, were also insulted by myself who am over-fondly attached to my sons and am of selfish temperament.

The foresighted Yudhishthira that son of Pritha, was ever desirous of peace. But my sons turned him out, taking him to be incapable (of launching on war).

Bearing in mind all those hardships and all other insults offered to the Pandavas, the mighty-armed Bhima fought with Suta's son.

O Sanjaya, relate to me, how Bhima and Karna, those two foremost of warriors fought with each other, desirous of taking each other's life.

Sanjaya said Hear, O king, how the battle between Karna and Bhima raged like that between two elephants desirous of slaughtering each other in the forest.

O king, the enraged son of Vikartana then pierced with thirty arrows that chastiser of foes viz., Bhimasena who excited with rage, had been putting forth his prowess.

O foremost of the Bharatas, Vikartana's son then wounded Bhima with many shafts of keen points and great impetuosity and decked with gold.

But when Karna was engaged in wounding him, Bhima cut-off his bow with three sharp shafts and then with a Bhalla felled his charioteer from the niche on the car.

Thereupon Vikartana's son longing to compass the slaughter of Bhimasena, took a lance with a staff variegated with gold and lapises.

Taking up that fierce lance that resembled a second dart of Death and tilting it and aiming it, the powerful son of Radha.

Hurled it at Bhimasena, charging it with a force capable of taking out Bhima's life. Then like Indra hurling the bolt of heaven, hurling that lance, the son of Radha.

That puissant descendant of a charioteer's race, uttered a loud roar; and then your sons hearing that loud shout uttered by Karna, became filled with delight.

But as that lance of the radiance of fire or the sun was coursing through the skies, Bhima cut it off with seven swift-arrows.

Cutting off that lance resembling a snake just freed from its slough, Bhima, O sire, as if looking out for the opportunity of wrenching the life-breaths out of Suta's son.

Wrathfully pierced the latter with many arrows furnished with wings of peacock's feathers or of gold and whetted on stone and resembling darts of Death.

Karna also then taking up another terrible bow of golden staff, began to stretch it; and then that highly energetic one began to discharge arrows at Bhima.

But the son of Pandu cut-off those shafts, with nine shafts of depressed knots shot by himself. Having cut-off, O foremost of men, those arrows shot by Karna.

O mighty monarch, Bhima uttered a loud war-cry. Roaring at each other like two bulls for the sake of consorting with the same cow.

Or like two fierce tigers for the sake of the same peace of meat; they strove vigorously to strike each other and each was desirous of finding out the laches of the other.

Like two mighty bulls in a herd of cows, at times they looked at each other with eyes flashing rage. At another time, like two prodigious elephants striking each other with the point of their tusks.

They assailed each other with their arrows shot from their bow drawn to the fullest stretch. O king, burning each other with their arrowy shower, they put forth their prowess against each other, at the same time looking at each other in great wrath.

Sometimes they laughed at each other, sometimes reproached each other and sometimes blew their conchs; and in this was they went on fighting.

Oking, then once more Bhima cut-off the bow of Karna near the grasp and with his arrows dispatched the latter's steeds of the hue of conch to the regions of Death.

The former then felled the latter's charioteer from his niche on the car. Thereupon Vikartana's son was preyed upon by anxious thoughts.

His steeds and his charioteer slain and himself covered and compounded with a network of arrows, he knew what to do.

Beholding Karna in that predictment, king Duryodhana trembling in rage, addressing

“Durjaya, hie yourself to the spot yonder where Pandu's son is on the point of devouring up as it were, the son of Radha. Slay that beardless eunuch soon and inspire strength into Karna.”

Thus spoken to, your son Durjaya bowed assent to the words of your royal son saying 'So be it then;' and then he rushed at Bhimasena engaged with Karna, covering the former with his arrows.

He wounded Bhima with nine, his horses with eight, his charioteer with six, his standard with three, then again himself (Bhima) with seven shafts.

Thereat excited with wrath, Bhima dispatched Durjaya, his horses and steeds to the abode of Death, piercing them to the vitals with his arrows.

Then Karna lamenting piteously circumambulated your son who decked with ornaments was then writhing like a slain snake on the earth.

Then having made that inveterate enemy of his (Karna) carless, Bhimasena smilingly covered him with numerous arrows and made him look like a Sataghni with numerous pikes on it.

Although thus mangled with those arrows, that slayer of foes, the Atiratha Karna, did not avoid the enraged Bhima in battle.