BHIMA-JARAASANDHA DUEL

SRIMAD MAHABHARATA > SABHA PARVA > JARAASANDHA VADHA PARVA > CHAPTER 23 - BHIMA-JARAASANDHA DUEL

“Vaishampaayana said, ‘Then that foremost of all speakers, (Sri) Krishna of the Yadava race, addressing king Jaraasandha who was resolved upon fighting, said, ‘O king, with whom among us three do you desire to fight? Who among us shall prepare himself for battle (with you)?’

“Thus addressed, the ruler of Magadha, king Jaraasandha of great splendour, expressed his desire for fighting with Bhima. The Purohita then, bringing with him the yellow pigment obtained from the cow, garlands of flowers and other auspicious articles, as also various excellent medicines for restoring lost consciousness and relieving pain, approached Jaraasandha, panting for battle. The king Jaraasandha, on whose behalf propitiatory ceremonies with blessing were performed by a renowned Brahmana, remembering the duty of a Kshatriya dressed himself for battle. Taking off his crown and binding his hair properly, Jaraasandha stood up like an ocean bursting its continents. Then the monarch possessed of terrible prowess (Paraakrama in Sanskrit), addressing Bhima, said, ‘I will fight with you. It is better to be vanquished by a superior person.’

“Saying this, Jaraasandha, that suppressor of all enemies endued, rushed with great energy at Bhimasena like the ancient Asura Bala who rushed at Shakra (Lord Indra). The mighty Bhimasena, on whose behalf Devass had been invoked by (Sri) Krishna, that cousin of His, having consulted with advanced towards Jaraasandha, driven by the desire of fight. Then those tigers among men, those heroes of great prowess, with their bare arms as their only weapons, cheerfully engaged themselves in the encounter, each desirous of defeating the other.

“Catching each other’s arms and twining each other’s legs, (at times) they slapped their arm-pits, causing the enclosure to tremble at the sound. Frequently catching each other’s necks with their hands, dragging and pushing it with violence, and each pressing every part of his body against every part of the other’s body, they continued, O noble one (Janamejaya), to slap their arm-pits (at time). Sometimes stretching their arms and sometimes drawing them close, and now raising them up and now dropping them down, they began to catch each other. Striking neck against neck and forehead against forehead, they caused fiery sparks to come out like flashes of lightning. Grasping each other in various ways by means of their arms, and kicking each other with such violence as to affect the innermost nerves, they struck at each other’s chest with squeezed fists. With bare arms as their only weapons roaring like clouds they grasped and struck each other like two mad elephants encountering each other with their trunks. Angered at each other’s blow, they fought on dragging and pushing each other and fiercely looking at each other like two angry lions. Each striking every body part of the other with his own and using his arms also against the other, and catching hold of each other’s waist, they hurled each other to a distance.

“Accomplished in wrestling, the two heroes clasping each other with their arms and each dragging the other to himself, began to press each other with great violence. The heroes then performed those grand of all feats in wrestling called Prishtabhanga, which consisted in throwing each other down with face towards the earth and maintaining the one knocked down in that position as long as possible. Employing his arms, each also performed the feats called Sampoorna-murchcha and Poorna-kumbha. At times they twisted each other’s arms and other body parts as if these were vegetable fibres that were to be twisted into chords. With squeezed fists they struck each other at times, pretending to aim at particular body part while the blows descended upon other parts of the body. It was thus that those heroes fought with each other.

“The citizens consisting of thousands, of Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shoodras, and even women and the aged, O tiger among men (Janamejaya), came out and gathered there to see the fight. The crowd became so great that it was one solid mass of humanity with no space between body and body. The sound the wrestlers made by the slapping of their arms, the catching of each other’s necks for bringing each other down, and the grasping of each other’s legs for dashing each other to the ground, became so loud that it resembled the roar of thunder or of falling cliffs.

“Both of them were foremost of mighty men, and both took great delight in such encounter. Desirous of defeating the other, each was on the alert for taking advantage of the slightest lapse of the other. O monarch (Janamejaya), the mighty Bhima and Jaraasandha fought terribly on in those like, driving the crowd at times by the motions of their hands like Vritra (Asura) and Vaasava (Lord Indra) of ancient times. Thus two heroes, dragging each other forward and pressing each other backward and with sudden jerks throwing each other face downward and sideways, mangled each other dreadfully. At times they struck each other with their knee-joints. Addressing each other loudly in stinging speeches, they struck each other with squeezed fists, the blows descending like a mass of stone upon each other.

“With broad shoulders, long arms and both well-skilled in wrestling encounters, they struck each other with those long arms of theirs that were like maces of iron. That encounter of the heroes commenced on the first (lunar) day of the (Hindu) month of Kaarttika (October – November) and the illustrious heroes fought on without intermission and food, day and night, till the thirteenth lunar day. It was on the night of the fourteenth of the lunar fortnight that the monarch of Magadha (Jaraasandha) desisted from tiredness. O king (Janamejaya), Janaardana (Sri Krishna) seeing the monarch (Jaraasandha) tired, addressed Bhima of mighty actions, and as if to stimulate him said, ‘O son of Kunti, an enemy that is tired cannot be pressed for if pressed at such a time he may even die. Therefore, O son of Kunti, this king should not be oppressed by you. On the other hand, O bull of the Bharata race, fight with him. With your arms, putting forth as much strength only as your antagonist has now left!’

“Then that slayer of hostile heroes (Veera in Sanskrit), the Paandavaa (Bhima), thus addressed by (Sri) Krishna, understood the situation of Jaraasandha and immediately resolved upon taking his life. That foremost of all men filled with strength, that prince of the Kuru race (Bhima), desirous of defeating the formerly undefeated Jaraasandha, mustered all his strength and courage.’”