SECTION 57
"Sanjaya said, 'Duryodhana, with heart undepressed, beholding Bhimasena
in that state, rushed furiously against him, uttering a loud roar. They
encountered each other like two bulls encountering each other with their
horns. The strokes of their maces produced loud sounds like those of
thunderbolts. Each longing for victory, the battle that took place
between them was terrible, making the very hair stand on end, like that
between Indra and Prahlada. All their limbs bathed in blood, the two
high-souled warriors of great energy, both armed with maces, looked like
two Kinsukas decked with flowers. During the progress of that great and
awful encounter, the welkin looked beautiful as if it swarmed with
fire-flies. After that fierce and terrible battle had lasted for some
time, both those chastisers of foes became fatigued. Having rested for a
little while, those two scorchers of foes, taking up their handsome
maces, once again began to ward off each others' attacks. Indeed, when
those two warriors of great energy, those two foremost of men, both
possessed of great might, encountered each other after having taken a
little rest, they looked like two elephants infuriated with passion and
attacking each other for obtaining the companionship of a cow elephant in
season. Beholding those two heroes, both armed with maces and each equal
to the other in energy, the gods and Gandharvas and men became filled
with wonder. Beholding Duryodhana and Vrikodara both armed with maces,
all creatures became doubtful as to who amongst them would be victorious.
Those two cousins, those two foremost of mighty men, once again rushing
at each other and desiring to take advantage of each other's lapses,
waited each watching the other. The spectators, O king, beheld each armed
with his uplifted mace, that was heavy, fierce, and murderous, and that
resembled the bludgeon of Yama or the thunder-bolt of Indra. While
Bhimasena whirled his weapon, loud and awful was the sound that it
produced. Beholding his foe, the son of Pandu, thus whirling his mace
endued with unrivalled impetuosity, Duryodhana became filled with
amazement. Indeed, the heroic Vrikodara, O Bharata, as he careered in
diverse courses, presented a highly beautiful spectacle. Both bent upon
carefully protecting themselves, as they approached, they repeatedly
mangled each other like two cats fighting for a piece of meat. Bhimasena
performed diverse kinds of evolutions. He coursed in beautiful circles,
advanced, and receded. He dealt blows and warded off those of his
adversary, with wonderful activity. He took up various kinds of position
(for attack and defence). He delivered attacks and avoided those of his
antagonist. He ran at his foe, now turning to the right and now to the
left. He advanced straight against the enemy. He made ruses for drawing
his foe. He stood immovable, prepared for attacking his foe as soon as
the latter would expose himself to attack. He circumambulated his foe,
and prevented his foe from circumambulating him. He avoided the blows of
his foe by moving away in bent postures or jumping aloft. He struck,
coming up to his foe face to face, or dealt back-thrusts while moving
away from him. Both accomplished in encounters with the mace, Bhima and
Duryodhana thus careered and fought, and struck each other. Those two
foremost ones of Kuru's race careered thus, each avoiding the other's
blows. Indeed, those two mighty warriors thus coursed in circles and
seemed to sport with each other. Displaying in that encounter their skill
in battle, those two chastisers of foes sometimes suddenly attacked each
other with their weapons, like two elephants approaching and attacking
each other with their tusks. Covered with blood, they looked very
beautiful, O monarch, on the field. Even thus occurred that battle,
awfully and before the gaze of a large multitude, towards the close of
the day, like the battle between Vritra and Vasava. Armed with maces,
both began to career in circles. Duryodhana, O monarch, adopted the right
mandala, while Bhimasena adopted the left mandala. While Bhima was thus
careering in circles on the field of battle, Duryodhana, O monarch,
suddenly struck him a fierce blow on one of his flanks. Struck by thy
son, O sire, Bhima began to whirl his heavy mace for returning that blow.
The spectators, O monarch, beheld that mace of Bhimasena look as terrible
as Indra's thunder-bolt or Yama's uplifted bludgeon. Seeing Bhima whirl
his mace, your son, uplifting his own terrible weapon, struck him again.
Loud was the sound, O Bharata, produced by the descent of your son's mace.
So quick was that descent that it generated a flame of fire in the
welkin. Coursing in diverse kinds of circles, adopting each motion at the
proper time, Suyodhana, possessed of great energy, once more seemed to
prevail over Bhima. The massive mace of Bhimasena meanwhile, whirled with
his whole force, produced a loud sound as also smoke and sparks and
flames of fire. Beholding Bhimasena whirling his mace, Suyodhana also
whirled his heavy and adamantine weapon and presented a highly beautiful
aspect. Marking the violence of the wind produced by the whirl of
Duryodhana's mace, a great fear entered the hearts of all the Pandus and
the Somakas. Meanwhile those two chastisers of foes, displaying on every
side their skill in battle, continued to strike each other with their
maces, like two elephants approaching and striking each other with their
tusks. Both of them, O monarch, covered with blood, looked highly
beautiful. Even thus progressed that awful combat before the gaze of
thousands of spectators at the close of day, like the fierce battle that
took place between Vritra and Vasava. Beholding Bhima firmly stationed on
the field, your mighty son, careering in more beautiful motions, rushed
towards that son of Kunti. Filled with wrath, Bhima struck the mace,
endued with great impetuosity and adorned with gold, of the angry
Duryodhana. A loud sound with sparks of fire was produced by that clash
of the two maces which resembled the clash of two thunder-bolts from
opposite directions. Hurled by Bhimasena, his impetuous mace, as it fell
down, caused the very earth to tremble. The Kuru prince could not brook
to see his own mace thus baffled in that attack. Indeed, he became filled
with rage like an infuriated elephant at the sight of a rival elephant.
Adopting the left mandala, O monarch, and whirling his mace, Suyodhana
then, firmly resolved, struck the son of Kunti on the head with his
weapon of terrible force. Thus struck by your son, Bhima, the son of
Pandu, trembled not, O monarch, at which all the spectators wondered
exceedingly. That amazing patience, O king, of Bhimasena, who stirred not
an inch though struck so violently, was applauded by all the warriors
present there. Then Bhima of terrible prowess hurled at Duryodhana his
own heavy and blazing mace adorned with gold. That blow the mighty and
fearless Duryodhana warded off by his agility. Beholding this, great was
the wonder that the spectators felt. That mace, hurled by Bhima, O king,
as it fell baffled of effect, produced a loud sound like that of the
thunderbolt and caused the very earth to tremble. Adopting the manoeuvre
called Kausika, and repeatedly jumping up, Duryodhana, properly marking
the descent of Bhima's mace, baffled the latter. Baffling Bhimasena thus,
the Kuru king, endued with great strength, at last in rage struck the
former on the chest. Struck very forcibly by your son in that dreadful
battle, Bhimasena became stupefied and for a time knew not what to do. At
that time, O king, the Somakas and the Pandavas became greatly
disappointed and very cheerless. Filled with rage at that blow, Bhima
then rushed at your son like an elephant rushing against an elephant.
Indeed, 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 monarch, accomplished in the use of the mace, began to whirl
his weapon, taking aim at your son. Bhimasena then struck Duryodhana on
one of his flanks. Stupefied at that blow, the latter fell down on the
earth, supporting himself on his knees. When that foremost one of Kuru's
race fell upon his knees, a loud cry arose from among the Srinjayas, O
ruler of the world! Hearing that loud uproar of the Srinjayas, O bull
among men, your son became filled with rage. The mighty-armed hero, rising
up, began to breathe like a mighty snake, and seemed to burn Bhimasena by
casting his glances upon him. That foremost one of Bharata's race then
rushed at Bhimasena, as if he would that time crush the head of his
antagonist in that battle. The high-souled Duryodhana of terrible prowess
then struck the high-souled Bhimasena on the forehead. The latter,
however, moved not an inch but stood immovable like a mountain. Thus
struck in that battle, the son of Pritha, O monarch, looked beautiful, as
he bled profusely, like an elephant of rent temples with juicy secretions
trickling adown. The elder brother of Dhananjaya, then, that crusher of
foes, taking up his hero-slaying mace made of iron and producing a sound
loud as that of the thunder-bolt, struck his adversary with great force.
Struck by Bhimasena, your son fell down, his frame trembling all over,
like a gigantic Sala in the forest, decked with flowers, uprooted by the
violence of the tempest. Beholding your son prostrated on the earth, the
Pandavas became exceedingly glad and uttered loud cries. Recovering his
consciousness, your son then rose, like an elephant from a lake. That ever
wrathful monarch and great car-warrior then careering with great skill,
struck Bhimasena who was standing before him. At this, the son of Pandu,
with weakened limbs, fell down on the earth.
"Having by his energy prostrated Bhimasena on the ground, the Kuru prince
uttered a leonine roar. By the descent of his mace, whose violence
resembled that of the thunder, he had fractured Bhima's coat of mail. A
loud uproar was then heard in the welkin, made by the denizens of heaven
and the Apsaras. A floral shower, emitting great fragrance, fell, rained
by the celestials. Beholding Bhima prostrated on the earth and weakened
in strength, and seeing his coat of mail laid open, a great fear entered
the hearts of our foes. Recovering his senses in a moment, and wiping his
face which had been dyed with blood, and mustering great patience,
Vrikodara stood up, with rolling eyes steadying himself with great
effort."
--------------------END OF PARVA 9 : UPA-PARVA 57 ---------------------
