with
joy. And the people there witnessed that encounter between those two
foremost of warriors who were fighting like two leaders of elephantine
herds for the sake of a she-elephant in her season. Then each slaying the
other's steeds and cutting off the other's bow, those car-less combatants
encountered each other with swords in a dreadful fight. Taking up two
beautiful and large and bright shields made of bull's hide, and two naked
swords, they careered on the field. Stalking in circles and in diverse
other kinds of courses duly, those grinders of foes excited with rage,
frequently struck each other. Armed with swords, clad in bright armour,
decked with cuirass and Angadas, those two famous warriors showed diverse
kinds of motion. They wheeled about on high and made side-thrusts, and
ran about, and rushed forward and rushed upwards. And those chastisers of
foes began to strike each other with their swords. And each of them
looked eagerly for the dereliction of the other. And both of those heroes
leapt beautifully and both showed their skill in that battle, began also
to make skilful passes at each other, and having struck each other, O
king, those heroes took rest for a moment in the sight of all the troops.
Having with their swords cut in pieces each other's beautiful shield, O
king, decked with a hundred moons, those tigers among men, engaged
themselves in a wrestling encounter. Both having broad chests, both
having long arms, both well-skilled in wrestling, they encountered each
other with their arms of iron that resembled spiked maces. And they
struck each other with their arms, and seized each other's arms, and each
seized with his arms the other's neck. And the skill they had acquired by
exercise, contributed to the joy of all the warriors that stood as
spectators of the encounter. And as those heroes fought with each other,
O king, in that battle, loud and terrible were the sounds produced by
them, resembling the fall of the thunder upon the mountain breast. Like
two elephants encountering each other with the end of their tusks, or
like two bulls with their horns, those two illustrious and foremost
warriors of the Kuru and the Satwata races, fought with each other,
sometimes binding each other with their arms, sometimes striking each
other with their heads, sometimes intertwining each other's legs,
sometimes slapping their armpits, sometimes pinching each other with
their nails, sometimes clasping each other tight