Gadayuddha Parva — The fall of Duryodhana

Sanjaya said “Seeing that fight thus ranging between those two greatest heroes of Kuru's race, Arjuna said to Vasudeva-'Who, in your superior between these two? What is their respective merit. Tell this, O

Vasudeva said The instruction received by them has been equal. Bhima, however, is possessed of greater me strength while Duryodhana is possessed of greater skill and has worked harder.

If he were to fight fairly, Bhimasena will never succeed in gaining victory. If, however, he fights unfairly, he will surely be able to kill Duryodhana.

The Asuras were defeated by the gods deceptively. We have heard this. Virochana was defeated by Shakra with the aid of deception.

The destroyer of Vala deprived Vritra his energy by an act of deception. Therefore, let Bhimasena put forth his prowess, by means of deception!

At the time of the gambling, O Dhananjaya, Bhima promised to break the thighs of Suyodhana with his mace in battle.

Let this destroyer of foes, therefore, fulfill his vow. Let him, deceptively kill the Kuru king who is made of deception!

If depending upon his might alone, Bhima were to fight fairly, king Yudhishthira will meet with great peril.

I tell you again, O son of Pandu, listen to ine! It is through the fault of king Yudhishthira alone that danger has once more befallen us.

Having performed great feats by the destruction of Bhishma and the other Kurus, the king had gained victory and glory, and had almost terminated the hostilities.

Having thus gained the victory, he pleased himself once more in a doubtful and perilous situation. This has been great mistake on the part of Yudhishthira, O Pandava, since he has made the result of the battle depend upon the victory or the defeat of only one warrior! Suyodhana is an expert, he is a hero; he is of firm determination.

We have all heard the old verse uttered by Ushanas, Hear I recite it to you with its true sense and meaning!

The remnant of hostile force routed and flying away for life that really and come back to the fight, should always be feared, for they are of fixed determination and singleness of purpose!

Shakra himself O Dhananjaya, cannot stand before them who rush in fury, giving up all hopes of life.

This Suyodhana had been routed and fled. All his troops had been slain. He had entered the lake. He had been defeated, and, therefore, he had wished to retire into forest, having given up all hope of retaining his kingdom. What wise man is there, that would challenge such a person to a single-combat?

I do not know whether Duryodhana will regain the kingdom that had already become ours! For full thirteen years he practised with the mace with great firmness. Even now, for filling Bhimasena, he jumps up and down.

If the mighty-armed Bhima do not kill him unfairly, the son of Dhritarashtra will surely retain kingdom!?—Having heard those words of the great Keshava, Dhananjaya struck his own left thigh before the gaze of Bhimasena.

Understanding that sign, Bhima began to move about with his uplifted mace making many kinds of manoeuvres.

Sometimes adopting the right Mandala, sometimes the left Mandala, and sometines Gomutraka, the son of Pandu began to move about, O king, stupefying his foe.

Likewise your son O king, who was an adept in the mace fight, moved about beautifully and with great activity, for killing Bhimasena.

Whirling their terrible maces which were smeared with sandal-paste and other unguents, the two heroes, desirous of terminating their hostilities, moved about in that battle like two angry Yamas.

Desirous of killing each other, those two best of men, possessed of great heroism, fought like two Garudas desirous of catching the same snake.

While the king and Bhima moved about in beautiful circles, their maces clashed, which created sparks of fire.

Those two heroic and powerful warriors struck each other equally in that battle. They then resembled, O king, two oceans agitated by the tempest.

Striking each other equally like two infuriate elephants, their clashing maces produced sounds like peals of thunder.

During the onset of that dreadful battle, both those chastisers of foes, while fight became exhausted.

Having rested for a while, those two destroyers of foes, filled with rage and uplifting their maces, once more began to fight with each other.

When, O king, by the repeated falls of their maces, they wounded each other, the battle became exceedingly dreadful and perfectly unrestrained.

Rushing at each other in that fight, those two heroes, having eyes like those of bulls and gifted with great activity, struck each other fiercely like two buffaloes in the mire.

All their limbs wounded and bruised, and bathed in blood from head to foot, they looked like a couple of Kinshukas on the breast of Himavat.

During the onset of the fight, when : Vrikodara, seemed to give Duryodhana an opportunity, the latter, smiling a little, advanced forward.

Well-skilled in in battle, the powerful Vrikodara, seeing his adversary come up, suddenly hurled his mace at him.

Seeing the mace thrown at him, your son, O king, moved away from that place at which the weapon fell down baffled.

Having warded off that blow, your son, that foremost one of Kuru's race, quickly struck Bhimasena with his weapon.

A large quantity of blood being, drawn by that blow, as also owing to its violence, Bhimasena became stupefied.

Duryodhana, however, could not perceive that Pandu's son was so afflicted at that moment. Though deeply afflicted, Bhima kept himself, summoning all his patience.

Duryodhana, therefore, thought that he was all right and ready to return the blow. It was, therefore, that your son did not then strike him again.

Having taken rest for a little while, the brave Bhimasena rushed furiously, O king, at Duryodhana who was standing near.

Seeing the energetic Bhimasena, filled with rage and rushing towards him your high-souled so, O Bharata's chief, desiring to thwart his blow, thought of showing the manoeuvre called Avasthana. He, therefore, desired to jump upwards, O king, king, for beguiling Vrikodara.

Bhimasena fully understood the object of his opponent. Rushing at him, with a loud leonine roar, he fiercely dropped his mace at the thighs of the Kuru king, as the latter had jumped up for making the first aim useless.

That mace, strong, like thunder and hurled by Bhima broke the two handsome thighs of Duryodhana.

That foremost of men, viz., your son after his thighs had been broken by Bhimasena, fell down resounding the Earth.

Fierce winds began to blow, with loud sounds, Showers of dust dropped. The Earth, with her trees and mountains, began to tremble.

Upon the fall of that hero who was the head of all kings, fierce and fiery winds blew with a loud noise and with thunder falling frequently. When that lord of Earth fell, large meteors dropped down from the welkin.

Bloody and dusty showers, fell, O Bharata! These were poured by Indra, upon the fall of your son.

A loud noise was heard, O Bharata's chief, in the sky, caused by the Yakshas, Rakshasas and the Pishachas.

At the terrible sound thousands of beasts and birds began to yell hideously on every side.

Those horses, elephants and men, forming the remnant of the Pandava's army, urtered loud cried when your son fell. Loud blare of conchs and the peal of drums and cymbals were heard.

A terrific noise seemed to come from the very bowels of the earth. Upon the fall of your son, O king, headless beings or dreadful appearance, possessed of many legs and many arms, and striking terror to all creatures, began to dance and cover the earth on all sides.

Warriors, O king, who stood with standards or weapons in their arms, began to tremble, O king, when your son fell.

Lakes and wells, O best of kings, vomited forth blood. Swift coursing rivers flowed in opposite directions.

Women seemed to look like men, and men like women, when your son Duryodhana fell.

Seeing those wonderful portents, Panchalas and the Pandavas, O Bharata's chief, were filled with anxiety.

The gods and Gandharvas went away to their wished-for regions, taking and discoursing on that wonderful battle between your sons.

Similarly the Siddhas and the quickcoursing Charanas went to those places from which they had come, praising these two best of men. Inc