09.054
Pancharatra and Core: Instructed by Balarama, Bhima and Duryodhana arrive at Samantapanchaka and prepare for the battle.
Vaishampayana spoke:
Thus, O Janamejaya, the fierce battle took place where the sorrowful King Dhritarashtra spoke these words.
Sanjaya, seeing Rama present as the mace fight approached, how did my son fight against Bhima?
Sanjaya said:
Upon reaching the presence of Rama, your son Duryodhana, eager for battle and mighty-armed, felt a surge of joy due to his strength.
Upon seeing the plough-bearer, the king stood up and, with great affection, addressed Yudhishthira, O Bharata.
O lord of the people, let us swiftly proceed from here to the renowned northern altar in the realm of the gods, belonging to the lord of creatures.
In that most sacred and eternal battle of the three worlds, attaining death will certainly lead to heaven.
After speaking thus, O great king, Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti and a hero, proceeded towards the sacred place of Samantapanchaka.
Then King Duryodhana, filled with anger and radiance, took up his mighty mace and advanced on foot to confront the Pandavas.
As he proceeded with a mace in hand and adorned with armor, the gods in the sky praised him saying 'Well done, well done'. The spectators and men present there, upon witnessing this, were filled with joy.
Your son, the king of the Kurus, surrounded by the Pandavas, moved forward with the gait of an intoxicated elephant king.
Then, the sound of conches, drums, and the mighty roars of lions and heroes filled all the directions.
Facing westward, as instructed by your son, go to the region and surround it completely in all directions.
To the south of the Sarasvati River lies the best pilgrimage site known as Swayam. In that peaceful region, a battle was arranged.
Then Bhima, the mighty warrior, took up his great mace and stood like Garuda, the king of birds, ready for battle, O great king.
Your prince, adorned with a helmet and clad in golden armor, shone brilliantly like a majestic golden mountain.
Both Bhima and Duryodhana, the heroes, appear in the battlefield covered in armor, eager and fierce like elephants ready for combat.
In the midst of the battlefield, those two brothers, the best among men, shone brilliantly, O great king, like the rising moon and sun.
They glared at each other like two enraged elephants, their eyes burning with the desire to kill each other, O king.
The Kaurava, filled with delight, took up his mace. His eyes were red with anger as he licked his cheeks and breathed heavily, O king.
Then, the valiant King Duryodhana, with his mace in hand, gazed at Bhimasena and challenged him as one elephant challenges another.
Bhima, with the strength of the mountain, challenged the king, just as one lion challenges another in the forest.
Duryodhana and Vrikodara, with their maces raised, stand out in the battle like towering mountains with peaks.
Both of them, filled with rage and possessing mighty valor, were disciples in the mace fight under the wise son of Rohini.
Both are mighty and perform similar actions like Yama and Indra, and similarly, the mighty ones of Varuna.
O great king, those two were similar to Vasudeva, Rama, and Vaishravana in the battle against Madhu and Kaitabha.
Both Sunda and Upasunda, who had similar deeds in battle, were equal in terms of time and death, O subduer of enemies.
The two warriors, proud and intoxicated like great elephants, charged towards each other in the battlefield, as if in the arrogance of autumn.
The two mighty warriors of the Bharata race, like intoxicated elephants eager to conquer, were both spewing forth the blazing venom of their anger like serpents.
Both warriors, the subduers of enemies and tigers among the Bharatas, stood facing each other, ready for combat, each endowed with great prowess.
They were like lions, invincible in mace battles, scorching their foes. With claws and teeth as weapons, they were heroes like tigers, formidable in their might.
The two great warriors, agitated like the vast, impassable oceans during the destruction of people, and red-bodied like angry, shining figures, stood formidable.
The best of the Kurus saw them, who were like the rising sun and time, possessing rays, great souls, resplendence, and great strength.
The mighty-armed ones rejoiced, eager like tigers and roaring like clouds, resembling lions with manes.
The two great souls appeared like two enraged elephants, like blazing fires, and like mountains with peaks.
The two great warriors, their lips trembling with anger, stood facing each other, maces in hand, as the best among men.
Both were extremely delighted and esteemed, neighing like fine horses and roaring like mighty elephants.
Duryodhana and Vrikodara, roaring like bulls and intoxicated with strength like demons, shone as the best among men.
Then King Duryodhana addressed Yudhishthira, who was standing with the Srinjayas, shining like the sun.
This battle has been decided between my Bhima and both of them; seated, observe the conflict, O best of kings.
Then, the great royal assembly, seated majestically, appeared resplendent like the sun in the sky.
In the midst of them, the mighty-armed and glorious elder brother of Keshava, the great king, was seated and worshipped from all sides.
He stood out among the kings, dressed in blue with a radiant white glow, resembling the full moon surrounded by stars in the night sky.
O great king, they stood there with maces in hand, formidable and chastising each other with harsh words.
After exchanging harsh words, the two foremost Kurus stood facing each other like the heroes Vritra and Indra in battle.
