07.152
Pancharatra and Core: A fierce battle erupted between the two enraged demon lords; Then, Bhima comes in support of Ghatotkacha and is overpowered.
Sanjaya said:
Seeing him arrive, who was known for his terrible deeds in battle, all the Kauravas indeed felt joy.
Similarly, your sons, led by Duryodhana, are like those who, without a boat, attempt to cross the ocean by reaching for a boat.
The kings, considering themselves as if reborn, welcomed and honored the demon king Alayudha.
In that terrifying non-human battle that was ongoing, Karna and the Rakshasa faced each other in a dreadful confrontation at night.
The Panchalas, along with their kings, looked on with smiles, while your people, O king, were bewildered and moved about here and there.
Drona, Drauni, Kripa, and others, upon witnessing the act, exclaimed in disbelief, "This cannot be!" They were bewildered in the battlefield of Hidimba.
All was in disarray and panic, unconscious and hopeless about Karna's life, O great king.
Duryodhana, upon seeing Karna's extreme distress, summoned Alayudha, the king of the Rakshasas, and then spoke these words.
Karna, the son of Vikartana, has encountered Hidimba and is performing a significant act that is apt for the battle.
Behold these valiant kings and warriors, laid low by Bhimasena, felled with diverse weapons as trees are by an elephant.
This part of the battle in the midst of kings was accomplished by me with your consent, O hero; now, having conquered him, destroy him.
In the past, this wicked Ghatotkacha, using his power of illusion, tormented Karna, the son of Vikartana, who is known for harassing his enemies.
Having been addressed by the king, the fierce and mighty demon attacked Ghatotkacha.
Then, O lord, after leaving Karna, Bhaimaseni attacked and crushed the approaching enemy with his arrows.
A fierce battle erupted between the two enraged demon lords, reminiscent of two wild elephants clashing over a mate in the jungle.
Freed by the demon, Karṇa, the foremost among charioteers, charged at Bhīmasena with his chariot, shining with the brilliance of the sun.
Disregarding the approaching danger, Alayudha seized Ghatotkacha in battle, just as a lion would seize the lord of cows.
Bhima, the foremost of warriors, with a radiant form like the sun, advanced in his chariot, unleashing a torrent of arrows towards the enemy's armed chariot.
Seeing him approach, Alayudha, O lord, left Ghatotkacha and challenged Bhimasena.
Bhima, known as the destroyer of demons, swiftly approached and attacked the demon king and his followers with a barrage of arrows, O lord.
Thus, O king, Ālāyudha repeatedly showered straightforward stones upon the son of Kunti, the subduer of enemies.
In this way, all the demons, armed with various weapons and terrible in form, attacked Bhimasena, seeking victory over your sons.
Bhimasena, though being attacked by the strong warriors, used his immense strength to pierce all of them with five sharp arrows each.
The demons, born of a cruel nature, were being slain by Bhima. They cried out in tumultuous sounds and fled in all ten directions.
Upon seeing them frightened by Bhima, the powerful demon charged swiftly and showered him with arrows.
In the battle, Bhimasena attacked with sharp arrows, but Alayudha managed to cut some of them and quickly seized others.
Upon seeing the demon king, Bhima, known for his formidable strength, hurled his mace with great speed, resembling a thunderbolt.
Then, with great speed, she struck the approaching blazing mace with her own mace, and it headed towards Bhima.
The son of Kunti showered arrows upon the demon king, but the demon countered them with his own sharp arrows, rendering them ineffective.
The terrifying demon soldiers, under the command of their king, destroyed the chariots and elephants.
The Panchalas, Srinjayas, horses, and great elephants were unable to find peace there as they were severely afflicted by demons.
Upon witnessing the terrifying scene in the great battle, the noble man addressed Dhananjaya with these words.
"See, O mighty-armed one, Bhima has fallen under the sway of the demon king. Follow his path without hesitation, O Pandava."
Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Śikhaṇḍī, Yudhāmanyu, and Uttamaujas, along with the sons of Draupadī, advance towards Karṇa, the great warrior.
Nakul, Sahadev, and the mighty Yuyudhan are commanded by you, O Pandava, to slay the other Rakshasas.
"You too, O mighty-armed one, must hold back this army led by Drona, O tiger among men, for a great fear has indeed come."
Upon Krishna's words, the great warriors, as instructed, proceeded towards Vaikartana Karna and the other Rakshasas in the battlefield.
Then the mighty lord of the Rakshasas, with arrows resembling serpents, skillfully cut down Bhima's bow.
The mighty warrior, in the presence of Bhīmasena, killed his horses and charioteer with sharp arrows during the battle, O Bhārata.
He descended from the chariot, with his horses and charioteer slain, and hurled a heavy and terrible mace at him with a roar.
Then the fierce demon struck the approaching great mace, which made a terrible sound, with his own mace and roared.
Upon witnessing the dreadful and fearsome deed of the demon king, Bhimasena, filled with joy, swiftly grasped his mace.
A fierce battle erupted between the man and the demon, causing the earth to tremble greatly with the thunderous sound of maces crashing down.
The two warriors, after releasing their maces, approached each other once more and engaged in a fierce battle, striking each other with their fists, producing sounds reminiscent of thunderbolts.
The angry warriors, equipped with chariot wheels, axles, pins, platforms, and accessories, took them as near and killed.
The two, bleeding profusely, approached each other like two great intoxicated elephants and continued to pull at each other repeatedly.
Hṛṣīkeśa, who was devoted to the welfare of the Pāṇḍavas, saw him and urged Haiḍimba to protect Bhīmasena.
