SECTION LXIII

Sanjaya said, “When that elephant division was exterminated, thy son Duryodhana urged his entire army, commanding the warriors to slay Bhimasena.  Then the entire army at the command of thy son, rushed towards Bhimasena who was uttering fierce shouts.  That vast and unlimited host difficult of being borne by the very gods, incapable of being crossed like the surging sea on the day of full moon or new moon, abounding with cars, elephants, and steeds, resounding with the blare of conches and the beat of drums, numbering untold foot-soldiers and car-warriors, and shrouded by the dust (raised), that very sea of hostile troops incapable of being agitated, thus coming towards him, Bhimasena checked in battle, O king, like the bank resisting the ocean.  That feat, O king, which we beheld, of Bhimasena the high-souled son of Pandu, was exceedingly wonderful and superhuman.  With his mace, he fearlessly checked all those kings angrily rushing towards him, with their steeds and cars, and elephants.  Checking that vast force with mace, that foremost of mighty men, Bhima, stood in that fierce melee, immovable as the mountain Meru.  And in that dreadful, fierce, and terrific encounter his brother and sons and Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata’s race, and the sons of Draupadi and Abhimanyu, and the unvanquished Sikhandin—­these mighty warriors,—­did not abandon him from fear.  Taking up his massive and weighty mace made of Saika iron, he rushed towards the warriors of thy army like the Destroyer himself, armed with his club.  And pressing crowds of cars and crowds of horsemen down into the earth, Bhima wandered over the field like the fire at the end of the Yuga.  And Pandu’s son of infinite prowess crushing crowds of cars with the impetus of his thighs and slaying thy warriors in battle, wandered like the Destroyer himself at the end of the Yuga.  And he began to grind thy troops with the greatest ease like an elephant crushing a forest of reeds.  And dragging car-warriors down from their cars, and warriors fighting from the backs of heroes, and foot soldiers as they stood on the ground, in the army of thy son, the mighty-armed Bhimasena slew them all with his mace like the wind crushing trees by its force.  And that mace of his, slaying elephants and steeds, became smeared with fat, marrow, flesh, and blood, and looked exceedingly terrible.  And with the bodies of slain men and cavalry lying scattered about, the field of battle wore the appearance of the abode of Yama.  And the terrible and slaughtering mace of Bhimasena, resembling the fierce bludgeon of Death and endued with the effulgence of Indra’s bolt, looked like Pinaka of the angry Rudra while destroying living creatures.  Indeed, that mace of the high-souled son of Kunti, who was slaying all around, looked fiercely resplendent like the bludgeon of the Destroyer himself at the time of the universal dissolution.  And beholding him thus routing that