Chapter 15

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘Thou hast, O Sanjaya, described to me manyexcellent single combats. Hearing about them, I envy those that haveeyes. This battle between the Kurus and the Pandavas, resembling that (ofold) between the gods and the Asuras, will be spoken of as exceedinglywonderful by all men. I am scarcely gratified by listening to thynarrations of this stirring battle. Tell me, therefore, about this combatbetween Artayani (Salya) and Subhadra’s son.’

“Sanjaya said, ‘Beholding his driver slain, Salya, upraising a mace madewholly of iron, jumped down in rage from his excellent car. Bhima, thentaking up his own huge mace, quickly rushed towards Salya who thenresembled the blazing Yuga-fire or the Destroyer himself armed with hisbludgeon. Subhadra’s son also, taking up a prodigious mace resembling thebolt of heaven, addressed Salya, saying, ‘Come, Come!’ Bhima, however,with much ado, persuaded him to stand aside. The valiant Bhimasena, then,having persuaded Subhadra’s son to stand aside, approached Salya inbattle and stood immovable as a hill. The mighty ruler of Madras also,beheld Bhima, and proceeded towards him like a tiger towards an elephant.Then was heard there the loud blare of trumpets and conchs by thousandsand leonine shouts, and the sound of drums. And loud cries of ‘Bravo,Bravo,’ arose among hundreds of Pandava and Kaurava warriors rushingtowards each other. There is none else among all the kings, O Bharata,save the ruler of Madras who can venture to bear the might of Bhimasenain battle; similarly, who else save Vrikodara, in the world, can ventureto bear the impetus of the illustrious Salya’s mace in battle? Bound inhempen strings mixed with wires of gold, the prodigious mace, of Bhima,capable of delighting by its beauty all spectators, being grasped by him,shone, brilliantly. And similarly the mace of Salya, also, who coursed inbeautiful circles, looked like a blazing flash of lightning. Both of themroared like bulls, and both coursed in circles. And both Salya andVrikodara, standing as they did, with their maces slightly bent, lookedlike a couple of horned bulls. Whether as regards coursing in circles orin whirling and striking with their maces, the combat that took placebetween those two lions among men was in every way equal. Struck byBhimasena with his mace, the prodigious mace of Salya, emitting fiercesparks of fire, soon broke unto fragments. And similarly, Bhimasena’smace, struck by the foe, looked beautiful like a tree covered fire-fliesduring the season of rains at even-tide. And the mace that the ruler ofMadras hurled in that battle, irradiating the welkin, O Bharata,frequently caused sparks of fire (to fly around). Similarly, the macehurled by Bhimasena at the foe scorched his antagonist’s forces like afierce meteor falling down (from the firmament). And both those best ofmaces, striking against each other, resembled sighing she-snakes andcaused flashes of fire. Like two large tigers attacking each other withtheir claws, or like two mighty elephants with their tusks, those mightywarriors coursed in circles, encountering each other with those twoforemost of maces, and soon covered with blood, those two illustriouswarriors seemed to resemble a couple of flowering Kinsukas. And theblows, loud as Indra’s thunder, of the maces wielded by those two lionsamong men were heard on all sides. Struck by the ruler of Madras with hismace on both the left and the right side, Bhima moved not in the least,like a hill riven by the thunder. Similarly, the mighty ruler of Madras,struck by Bhima with his mace, patiently stood still like a hill struckwith the thunder. Both of them, with upraised maces, endued as they werewith great impetus, fell upon each other, coursing in shorter circles.Quickly nearing each other, then by eight steps and falling upon eachother like two elephants, they suddenly struck each other with thosemaces of theirs made entirely or iron. And each of those heroes, inconsequence of the other’s impetuosity and violence being struck witheach other’s mace, fell down at the same instant of time like a couple ofIndra’s poles. Then the mighty car-warrior Kritavarman quickly approachedSalya who, deprived of his senses, was breathing hard as he lay on thefield. And beholding him, O king, struck violently with the mace, andwrithing like a snake, and deprived of his senses in a swoon, the mightycar-warrior Kritavarman, taking him upon his car, quickly bore the rulerof Madras away from the field. Reeling like a drunken man, the heroicBhima of mighty arms, rising up within the twinkling of an eye, stoodmace in hand. Thy sons then, beholding the ruler of the Madras turn awayfrom the fight, began, O sire, to tremble, along with their elephants,and foot-soldiers, and cavalry, and cars. Ground then by the Pandavasdesirous of victory, those warriors of thy army, struck with fear, fledaway in all directions, like masses of clouds driven away by the wind.And those mighty car-warriors, viz., the Pandavas, having vanquished theDhritarashtras, looked resplendent in that battle. O king, like blazingfires. And they uttered loud leonine roars, and blew their conchs, elatedwith joy. And they beat their drums, large and small, and cymbals andother instruments.'”