Chapter 33

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Then, O Bharata, when the world was enveloped indust and the gloom of night, the warriors of both sides, without breakingthe order of battle, desisted for a while.[31] And then, dispelling thedarkness the moon arose illumining the night and gladdening the hearts ofthe Kshatriya warriors. And when everything became visible, the battleonce more began. And it raged on so furiously that the combatants couldnot distinguish one another. And then Trigarta’s lord, Susarman with hisyounger brother, and accompanied by all his cars, rushed towards the kingof Matsya. And descending from their cars, those bulls among Kshatriyas,the (royal) brothers, mace in hand, rushed furiously towards the cars ofthe foe. And the hostile hosts fiercely assailed each other with macesand swords and scimitars, battle-axes and bearded darts with keen edgesand points of excellent temper. And king Susarman, the lord of theTrigartas having by his energy oppressed and defeated the whole army ofthe Matsyas, impetuously rushed towards Virata himself endued with greatenergy. And the two brothers having severally slain Virata’s two steedsand his charioteer, as also those soldiers that protected his rear, tookhim captive alive, when deprived of his car. Then afflicting him sorely,like a lustful man afflicting a defenceless damsel, Susarman placedVirata on his own car, and speedily rushed out of the field. And when thepowerful Virata, deprived of his car, was taken captive, the Matsyas,harrassed solely by the Trigartas, began to flee in fear in alldirections. And beholding them panic-stricken, Kunti’s son, Yudhishthira,addressed that subduer of foes, the mighty-armed Bhima, saying, ‘The kingof the Matsyas hath been taken by the Trigartas. Do thou, O mighty-armedone, rescue him, so that he may not fall under the power of the enemy. Aswe have lived happily in Virata’s city, having every desire of oursgratified, it behoveth thee, O Bhimasena, to discharge that debt (byliberating the king).’ Thereat Bhimasena replied, ‘I will liberate him, Oking, at thy command. Mark the feat I achieve (today) in battling withthe foe, relying solely on the might of my arms. Do thou, O king, stayaside, along with our brothers and witness my prowess today. Uprootingthis mighty tree of huge trunk looking like a mace, I will rout theenemy.’

“Vaisampayana continued, ‘Beholding Bhima casting his eyes on that treelike a mad elephant, the heroic king Yudhishthira the just spake unto hisbrother, saying, ‘Do not, O Bhima, commit such a rash act. Let the treestand there. Thou must not achieve such feats in a super-human manner bymeans of that tree, for if thou dost, the people, O Bharata, willrecognise thee and say, This is Bhima. Take thou, therefore, some humanweapon such as a bow (and arrows), or a dart, or a sword, or abattle-axe. And taking therefore, O Bhima, some weapon that is human,liberate thou the king without giving anybody the means of knowing theetruly. The twins endued with great strength will defend thy wheels.Fighting together, O child, liberate the king of the Matsyas!’

“Vaisampayana continued, ‘Thus addressed, the mighty Bhimasena enduedwith great speed, quickly took up an excellent bow and impetuously shotfrom it a shower of arrows, thick as the downpour of a rain-chargedcloud. And Bhima then rushed furiously towards Susarman of terribledeeds, and assuring Virata with the words–O good king![32] said unto thelord of the Trigartas,–Stay! Stay! Seeing Bhima like unto Yama himselfin his rear, saying, Stay! Stay! Do thou witness this mighty feat,–thiscombat that is at hand!–the bull among warriors, Susarman, seriouslyconsidered (the situation), and taking up his bow turned back, along withhis brothers. Within the twinkling of an eye, Bhima destroyed those carsthat sought to oppose him. And soon again hundreds of thousands of carsand elephants and horses and horsemen and brave and fierce bowmen wereoverthrown by Bhima in the very sight of Virata. And the hostile infantryalso began to be slaughtered by the illustrious Bhima, mace in hand. Andbeholding that terrible onslaught, Susarman, irrepressible in fight,thought within himself, ‘My brother seems to have already succumbed inthe midst of his mighty host. Is my army going to be annihilated?’ Anddrawing his bow-string to his ear Susarman then turned back and began toshoot keen-edged shafts incessantly. And seeing the Pandavas return tothe charge on their car, the Matsya warriors of mighty host, urging ontheir steeds, shot excellent weapons for grinding the Trigarta soldiers.And Virata’s son also, exceedingly exasperated began to performprodigious fears of valour. And Kunti’s son Yudhishthira slew a thousand(of the foe), and Bhima showed the abode of Yama unto seven thousand. AndNakula sent seven hundred (to their last account) by means of his shafts.And powerful Sahadeva also, commanded by Yudhishthira, slew three hundredbrave warriors. And having slain such numbers, that fierce and mightywarrior, Yudhishthira, with weapons upraised, rushed against Susarman.And rushing impetuously at Susarman, that foremost of car-warriors, kingYudhishthira, assailed him with vollies of shafts. And Susarman also, ingreat rage, quickly pierced Yudhishthira with nine arrows, and each ofhis four steeds with four arrows. Then, O king, Kunti’s son Bhima ofquick movements, approaching Susarman crushed his steeds. And havingslain also those soldiers that protected his rear, he dragged from thecar his antagonist’s charioteer to the ground. And seeing the king ofTrigarta’s car without a driver, the defender of his car-wheels, thefamous and brave Madiraksha speedily came to his aid. And thereat,leaping down from Susarman’s car, and securing the latter’s mace thepowerful Virata ran in pursuit of him. And though old, he moved on thefield, mace in hand, even like a lusty youth. And beholding Susarman fleeBhima addressed him, saying, ‘Desist, O Prince! This flight of thine isnot proper! With this prowess of thine, how couldst thou wish to carryoff the cattle by force? How also, forsaking thy follower, dost thoudroop so amidst foes? Thus addressed by Pritha’s son, the mightySusarman, that lord of countless cars saying unto Bhima, Stay!Stay!–suddenly turned round and rushed at him. Then Bhima, the son ofPandu, leaping down from his car, as he alone could do,[33] rushedforward with great coolness, desirous of taking Susarman’s life. Anddesirous of seizing Trigarta’s king advancing towards him, the mightyBhimasena rushed impetuously towards him, even like a lion rushing at asmall deer. And advancing impetuously, the mighty-armed Bhima seizedSusarman by the hair, and lifting him up in wrath, dashed him down on theground. And as he lay crying in agony, the mighty-armed Bhima kicked himat the head, and placing his knee on his breast dealt him severe blows.And sorely afflicted with that kicking, the king of Trigartas becamesenseless. And when the king of the Trigartas deprived of his car, hadbeen seized thus, the whole Trigarta army stricken with panic, broke andfled in all directions, and the mighty sons of Pandu, endued with modestyand observant of vows and relying on the might of their own arms, afterhaving vanquished Susarman, and rescued the kine as well as other kindsof wealth and having thus dispelled Virata’s anxiety, stood togetherbefore that monarch. And Bhimasena then said, ‘This wretch given towicked deeds doth not deserve to escape me with life. But what can I do?The king is so lenient!’ And then taking Susarman by the neck as he waslying on the ground insensible and covered with dust, and binding himfast, Pritha’s son Vrikodara placed him on his car, and went to whereYudhishthira was staying in the midst of the field. And Bhima then showedSusarman unto the monarch. And beholding Susarman in that plight, thattiger among men king Yudhishthira smilingly addressed Bhima–thatornament of battle,–saying, ‘Let this worst of men be set free.’ Thusaddressed, Bhima spoke unto the mighty Susarman, saying, ‘If, O wretch,thou wishest to live, listen to those words of mine. Thou must say inevery court and assembly of men,–I am a slave. On this condition only Iwill grant thee thy life. Verily, this is the law about the vanquished.’Thereupon his elder brother affectionately addressed Bhima, saying, ‘Ifthou regardest us as an authority, liberate this wicked wight. He hathalready become king Virata’s slave. And turning then to Susarman, hesaid, ‘Thou art freed. Go thou a free man, and never act again in thisway.'”