गदायुद्ध पर्व — भीम और दुर्योधन का युद्ध

Sanjaya said Seeing Bhimasena in that state, Duryodhana rushed furiously against him uttering a loud roar.

They met each other like two bulls encountering each other with their horns. The strokes of their maces produced loud sounds like those of thunder-bolts.

Each seeking victory, the battle that took place between them was terrible, making the hair stand erect, like that between Indra and Pralada.

All their limbs covered with blood, the two great and energetic warriors both armed with maces, looked like two Kinshukas decked with flowers.

During the onset of that great and awful encounter, the sky looked beautiful as if it swarmed with fire-flies.

After that fierce and terrible battle had lasted for some time, both of them were exhausted.

Having rested for sometime those two destroyers of foes, taking up their handsome maces, once again began to prevent each other's attacks.

Indeed, when those two highly energetic warriors, those two foremost of men, both possessed of great strength, once more met each other after having rested a little, they looked like two infuriate elephants attacking each other for obtaining an elephants in season.

Seeing those two heroes, both arined with maces and equaling each other in energy, the gods and Gandharvas and men were filled with wonder.

Beholding Duryodhana and Vrikodara both armed with mace, all creatures became doubtful as to who amongst them would come off victorious.

Rushing each other and desiring to take advantage of each other's weakness, those two great cousins waited each watching the other.

People, O king, saw each armed with his uplifted mace, that was heavy dreadful and killing, and that resembled the bludgeon of Yama, or the thunder-bolt of Indra.

While Bhimasena whirled his weapon, it produced a loud and dreadful sound.

Seeing his foe, the son of Pandu, thus whirling his mace, the impetuous Duryodhana was amazed.

Indeed, the heroic Vrikodara, O Bharata, as he moved about in various courses, shone highly beautiful.

Both bent upon carefully protecting themselves, they approached, they repeatedly wounded each other like two cats, fighting for a piece of meat.

Bhimasena performed various kinds of evolutions. He moved about in beautiful circles, advanced, and receded.

He dealt blows and warded off those of his opponent, with wonderful dexterity. He took up various kinds of offensive and defensive position. He made attacks and warded off those as of his opponent. He ran at his enemy now turning to the right and now to the left.

He advanced straight against the foe. He made various tricks for drawing his foe. He stood immovable, bent upon attacking his cnemy as soon as the latter would expose himself to attack. He went round his foe, and prevented his foe from circumnambulating him. He avoided the attacks of his enemy by moving away in bent postures or jumping up.

Facing his enemy he struck, or dealt backthrusts while moving away from him. Both experts in mace-fighting, Bhima and Duryodhana thus moved about and fought, and struck each other.

Those two leading Kuru's heroes fared thus, each avoiding the other's attacks. Indeed, those two great warriors thus moved about in circles and seemed to play with each other.

Displaying in that encounter their skill in battle, those two destroyers of foes sometimes suddenly attacked each other with their weapons, like two elephants attacked each other with their tusks. Bathed in blood, they looked very beautiful, O king, on ine field.

Thus took place that dreadful battle before the very eyes of a large multitude, towards the close of the day, like the battle between Vritra and Vasava. Armed with maces, both began to move about in circles.

Duryodhana, O king, adopted the right Mandala, while Bhimasena adopted the left Mandala.

While Bhima was thus moving about in circles on the field of battle, Duryodhana, O king, suddenly struck him a fierce blow on one of his flanks.

Struck by your son, Bhima began to whir) his heavy mace for returning the same.

People, O king, saw the mace of Bhimasena look as terrible as Indra's thunder-bolt or Yama's rod.

Seeing Bhima whirl his mace, your son, took up his own terrible weapon, and struck him again.

A loud sound, O Bharata, was caused by the fall of your son's mace. So quick was that fall that it caused a flame of fire in sky.

Coursing in circles, adopting each motion at the proper time, the energetic Suyodhana, once more seemed to prevail over Bhima.

Meanwhile the massive of Bhimasena, whirled with his entire force, produced a tremendous sound with valleys of smoke, and sparks and flames of fire. mace

Seeing Bhimasena whirling his mace, Suyodhana also whirled his heavy and adamantine mace, and appeared highly beautiful.

Marking the vehemence of the wind, caused by the whirl of Duryodhana's mace, the Pandus and the Somakas were stricken with great fear.

Meanwhile showing on every side their skill in battle those two chastisers of foes continued to strike each other with their maces, like two elephants striking each other with their tusks. Both of them, O king, covered with blood, shone highly beautiful.

Thus that dreadful battle went on before the very eyes of thousands of spectators at the close of day, like the fierce battle that took place between Vritra and Vasava.

Seeing Bhima firmly stationed on the field, your powerful son, moving about, rushed towards that son of Kunti.

Worked up with wrath Bhima struck the mace, endued with great impetuosity and adorned with gold, of the angry Duryodhana.

That clash of the two maces produced a loud sound with sparks of fire, which resembled the clash of two thunder-bolts from opposite directions.

Discharged by Bhimasena, his impetuous mace, as it dropped down, shook the very Earth.

The Kuru prince could not see his own mace thus baffled in that attack. He was enraged like an infuriate elephant at the sight of a rival elephant.

Adopting the left Mandala, O king, and whirling his mace, Suyodhana, then struck the son of Kunti on the head with his terrible weapon.

Thus struck by your son, Bhima, the son of Pandu, did not even quake, O king, and the sight filled all present with wonder.

That wonderful patience, O king, of Bhimasena, who did not move an inch, though struck so violently, was praised by all the combatants present there. Then Bhima hurled at Duryodhana his own heavy and shining mace adorned with gold.

The powerful and fearless Duryodhana prevented that blow by his activity. Seeing this the spectators were filled with great wonder.

That mace, hurled by Bhima, O king, Produced a loud sound like that of the thunderbolt, and shook the very Earth.

Adopting the manoeuvre called Kaushika, and jumping up again and again, Duryodhana, properly making the fall of Bhima's mace, made the latter useless.

Baffling Bhimasena thus, the highly powerful Kuru king, at last in anger struck the former in the chest.

Struck very forcibly by your son in that dreadful battle, Bhimasena was stupefied, and for a time knew not what to do.

At that time, O king, the Somakas and the Pandavas were greatly disappointed and dispirited.

Worked up with anger at that blow, Bhima then rushed at your son like an elephant rushing against an elephant.

With uplifted mace, Bhima rushed furiously at Duryodhana like a lion rushing against a wild elephant.

Approaching the Kuru king, the son of Pandu, O king, an expert in the use of the mace, began to whirl his weapon, aiming at your son.

Bhimasena then struck Duryodhana on one of his sides. Stupefied at that blow, the latter dropped down on the Earth, supporting himself on his knees.

When that Kuru's hero fell upon his knees, a loud cry arose from among the Srinjayas, O king!

Hearing that cry of the Srinjayas, O foremost of men, your son was worked up with rage.

Rising up, the mighty-armed hero began to breathe like a powerful snake, and seemed to burn Bhimasena by looking upon him.

That best of the line of Bharata then rushed at Bhimasena, as if he would crush the head of his opponent in that battle,

The great and highly powerful Duryodhana, then struck the high-souled Bhimasena on the forehead. The latter, however, stirred not an inch but stood fixed like a mountain.

Thus struck in that battle, the son of Pritha, O king, looked beautiful, as he bled profusely, like an elephant with temporal juice trickling down its temples.

Then, taking up his hero-killing mace made of iron and producing a sound loud as that of the thunder-bolt, the elder brother of Dhananjaya struck his opponent with great force.

Struck by Bhimnasena, your son dropped down, his bodying trembling all over, like a gigantic Shala in the forest, decked with flowers, uprooted by a tempest.

See your son laid on the Earth, the Pandavas became highly glad and uttered loud cries. Regaining his consciousness your son then rose, like an elephant from a lake.

That angry king and great car-warrior then, moving about with great skill, great skill, struck Bhimasena who was before him. Thereat, the son of Pandu, with weakened limbs, dropped down on the Earth.

Having by his power struck down Bhimasena on the ground, the Kuru prince sent up a leonine roar. By the fall of his mace, whose vehemence was like that of the thunder, he had, broken Bhima's coat-of-mail.

A loud uproar was then heard in they sky made by the celestials and the Apsaras. A shower of flowers of sweet fragrance, rained by the celestials, poured in.

Seeing Bhima prostrated on the Earth, and seeing his coat-of-mail out open, a great fear possessed the hearts of our foes.

Regaining his senses in a moment, and wiping his face which had been covered with blood, and gathering patience, Vrikodara stood up, with rolling eyes."