foe. And like unto
Maghavat hurling his thunderbolt, Bhima made that tree, resembling the
mace of Yama himself descend with force on the head of the cannibal. The
Rakshasa, however, was seen to remain unmoved at that blow, and wavered
not in the conflict. On the other hand, he hurled his lighted brand,
flaming like lightning, at Bhima. But that foremost of warriors turned
it off with his left foot in such a way that it went back towards the
Rakshasa. Then the fierce Kirmira on his part, all on a sudden uprooting
a tree darted to the encounter like unto the mace bearing Yama himself.
And that fight, so destructive of the trees, looked like the encounter
in days of yore between the brothers Vali and Sugriva for the possession
of the same woman. And the trees struck at the heads of the combatants,
were broken into shivers, like lotus-stalks thrown on the temples of
infuriate elephants. And in that great forest, innumerable trees,
crushed like unto reeds, lay scattered as rags. That encounter with
trees between that foremost of Rakshasas and that best of men, O thou
bull of the Bharata race, lasted but for a moment. Then taking up a
crag, the angry Rakshasa hurled it at Bhima standing before him, but the
latter wavered not. Then like unto Rahu going to devour the sun
dispersing his rays with extended arms, the Rakshasa with out-stretched
arms darted towards Bhima, who had remained firm under the blow
inflicted with the crag. And tugging at and grappling with each other in
diverse ways they appeared like two infuriate bulls struggling with each
other. Or like unto two mighty tigers armed with teeth and claws, the
encounter between them waxed fierce and hard. And remembering their
(late) disgrace at the hands of Duryodhana, and proud of the strength of
his arms, and conscious also of Krishna looking at him, Vrikodara began
to swell in vigour. And fried with anger, Bhima seized the Rakshasa with
his arms, as one elephant in rut seizeth another. And the powerful
Rakshasa also in his turn seized his adversary, but Bhimasena that
foremost of all men endued with strength, threw the cannibal down with
violence. The sounds that in consequence of those mighty combatants
pressing each other's hands, were frightful and resembled the sounds of
splittering bamboos. And hurling the Rakshasa down, seized him by the
waist, and began to whirl him about, even as fierce hurricane shaketh a
tree. And thus seized by the mighty Bhima, the fatigued