towards the foe. And like unto Maghavat hurling
his thunderbolt, Bhima made that tree, resembling the
mace of Yama himself descend with force on the head
of the cannibal. The Rakshasa, however, was seen
to remain unmoved at that blow, and wavered not in
the conflict. On the other hand, he hurled his
lighted brand, flaming like lightning, at Bhima.
But that foremost of warriors turned it off with his
left foot in such a way that it went back towards the
Rakshasa. Then the fierce Kirmira on his part,
all on a sudden uprooting a tree darted to the encounter
like unto the mace bearing Yama himself. And
that fight, so destructive of the trees, looked like
the encounter in days of yore between the brothers
Vali and Sugriva for the possession of the same woman.
And the trees struck at the heads of the combatants,
were broken into shivers, like lotus-stalks thrown
on the temples of infuriate elephants. And in
that great forest, innumerable trees, crushed like
unto reeds, lay scattered as rags. That encounter
with trees between that foremost of Rakshasas and
that best of men, O thou bull of the Bharata race,
lasted but for a moment. Then taking up a crag,
the angry Rakshasa hurled it at Bhima standing before
him, but the latter wavered not. Then like unto
Rahu going to devour the sun dispersing his rays with
extended arms, the Rakshasa with out-stretched arms
darted towards Bhima, who had remained firm under the
blow inflicted with the crag. And tugging at
and grappling with each other in diverse ways they
appeared like two infuriate bulls struggling with each
other. Or like unto two mighty tigers armed with
teeth and claws, the encounter between them waxed
fierce and hard. And remembering their (late)
disgrace at the hands of Duryodhana, and proud of the
strength of his arms, and conscious also of Krishna
looking at him, Vrikodara began to swell in vigour.
And fried with anger, Bhima seized the Rakshasa with
his arms, as one elephant in rut seizeth another.
And the powerful Rakshasa also in his turn seized
his adversary, but Bhimasena that foremost of all
men endued with strength, threw the cannibal down with
violence. The sounds that in consequence of those
mighty combatants pressing each other’s hands,
were frightful and resembled the sounds of splittering
bamboos. And hurling the Rakshasa down, seized
him by the waist, and began to whirl him about, even
as fierce hurricane shaketh a tree. And thus
seized by the mighty Bhima, the fatigued Rakshasa,
became faint, and trembling all over, he still pressed
the (Pandava) with all his strength. And finding
him fatigued, Vrikodara, twined his own arms round
the foe, even as one bindeth a beast with cord.
And the monster thereupon began to roar frightfully,
as a trumpet out of order. And the mighty Vrikodara
for a long while whirled the Rakshasa till the latter
appeared to be insensible, and began to move convulsively.
And finding the Rakshasa exhausted, the son of Pandu
without loss of time took him up in his arms, and