jumped down in rage from his excellent car. Bhima, then
taking up his own huge mace, quickly rushed towards Salya who then
resembled the blazing Yuga-fire or the Destroyer himself armed with his
bludgeon. Subhadra's son also, taking up a prodigious mace resembling the
bolt of heaven, addressed Salya, saying, "Come, Come!" Bhima, however,
with much ado, persuaded him to stand aside. The valiant Bhimasena, then,
having persuaded Subhadra's son to stand aside, approached Salya in
battle and stood immovable as a hill. The mighty ruler of Madras also
beheld Bhima, and proceeded towards him like a tiger towards an elephant.
Then was heard there the loud blare of trumpets and conchs by thousands
and leonine shouts, and the sound of drums. And loud cries of "Bravo,
Bravo," arose among hundreds of Pandava and Kaurava warriors rushing
towards each other. There is none else among all the kings, O Bharata,
save the ruler of Madras who can venture to bear the might of Bhimasena
in battle; similarly, who else save Vrikodara, in the world, can venture
to bear the impetus of the illustrious Salya's mace in battle? Bound in
hempen strings mixed with wires of gold, the prodigious mace of Bhima,
capable of delighting by its beauty all spectators, being grasped by him,
shone brilliantly. And similarly the mace of Salya, also, who coursed in
beautiful circles, looked like a blazing flash of lightning. Both of them
roared like bulls, and both coursed in circles. And both Salya and
Vrikodara, standing as they did, with their maces slightly bent, looked
like a couple of horned bulls. Whether as regards coursing in circles or
in whirling and striking with their maces, the combat that took place
between those two lions among men was in every way equal. Struck by
Bhimasena with his mace, the prodigious mace of Salya, emitting fierce
sparks of fire, soon broke unto fragments. And similarly, Bhimasena's
mace, struck by the foe, looked beautiful like a tree covered with
fire-flies during the season of rains at even-tide. And the mace that the
ruler of Madras hurled in that battle, irradiating the welkin, O Bharata,
frequently caused sparks of fire (to fly around). Similarly, the mace
hurled by Bhimasena at the foe scorched his antagonist's forces like a
fierce meteor falling down (from the firmament). And both those best of
maces, striking against each other, resembled sighing she-snakes and
caused flashes of fire. Like two large tigers attacking each