वैशम्पायन उवाच ततस्तं निश्चितात्मानं युद्धाय यदुनन्दनः। उवाच वाग्मी राजानं जरासंधमधोक्षजः॥
Vaishampayana said The excellent speaker, the descendant of Yadu (Krishna), then thus addressed the king Jarasandha who was resolved upon fight.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच त्रयाणां केन ते राजन् योद्धमुत्सहते मनः। अस्मदन्यतमेनेह सज्जीभवतु को युधि॥
Krishna said O king, with whom amongst us three you have the mind to fight? Who amongst us should be ready for battle (with you)?
एवमुक्तः स नृपतिर्युद्धं वने महाद्युतिः। जरासंधस्ततो राजा भीमसेनेन मागधः॥
Vaishampayana said Having been thus addressed, the king of Magadha, the greatly effulgent Jarasandha, desired to fight with Bhimasena.
आदाय रोचनां माल्यं मङ्गल्यान्यपराणि च। धारयन्नगदान् मुख्यान् निर्वृतीवेदनानि च। उपतस्थे जरासंधं युयुत्सं वै पुरोहितः॥
The priest brought the yellow pigment obtained from the cow, garlands of flowers, and other auspicious articles, and also various excellent medicines for restoring lost consciousness and for alleviating pains. He came (with these articles) to the king Jarasandha who was panting for fight.
कृतस्वस्त्ययनो राजा ब्राह्मणेन यशस्विना। समनह्यज्जरासंधः क्षात्रं धर्ममनुस्मरन्॥
The king's propitiatory ceremonies with benedictions having been performed by an illustrious Brahmana, Jarasandha, remembering the duty of a Kshatriya, dressed himself for battle.
अवमुच्य किरीटं स केशान् समनुगृह्य च। उदतिष्ठज्जरासंधो वेलातिग इवार्णवः॥
Removing his crown and properly binding his hair, Jarasandha stood up like an ocean bursting through its shore.
उवाच मतिमान् राजा भीमं भीमपराक्रमः। भीम योत्स्ये त्वया सार्धं श्रेयसा निर्जितं वरम्॥
The terribly powerful and intelligent king then thus spoke to Bhima, “O Bhima, I shall fight with you. It is better to be vanquished by a superior man."
एवमुक्त्वा जरासंधो भीमसेनमरिंदमः। प्रत्युद्ययौ महातेजाः शक्रं बल इवासुरः॥
Having said this, the greatly effulgent Jarasandha, that chastiser of foes, rushed at Bhimasena like the Asura Bala at Shakra (Indra).
ततः सम्मन्त्र्य कृष्णेन कृतस्वस्त्ययनो बली। भीमसेनो जरासंधमाससाद युयुत्सया॥
After having consulted with Krishna and having his propitiatory ceremonies with benedictions been performed by him (Krishna), the powerful Bhimasena also advanced towards Jarasandha with the desire of fight.
ततस्तौ नरशार्दूलौ बाहुशस्त्रौ समीयतुः। वीरौ परमसंहृष्टावन्योन्यजयकाक्षिणौ॥
Then those two best of men, those two greatly powerful heroes with their bare arms as their only weapons, being each eagerly desirous of defeating the other, cheerfully engaged in the fight.
करग्रहणपूर्वं तु कृत्वा पादाभिवन्दनम्। कक्षैः कक्षां विधुन्वानावास्फोटं तत्र चक्रतुः॥
Seizing each other's arms and twining each other's legs, they slapped their arm-pits. They caused the arena to tremble with that sounds.
स्कन्धे दो• समाहत्य निहत्य च मुहुर्मुहुः। अङ्गमङ्गैः समाश्लिष्य पुनरास्फालनं विभो॥
O lord, seizing each other's necks with their hands now and again, and dragging and pushing them with great force, each pressed every limb of the other's body and began to roar.
चित्रहस्तादिकं कृत्वा कक्षाबन्धं च चक्रतुः। गलगण्डाभिघातेन सस्फुलिङ्गेन चाशनिम्॥
Sometimes stretching their arms, sometimes drawing them close, sometimes raising them up and sometimes dropping them down, they began to seize each other. Striking neck against neck and forehead against forehead, they caused fiery sparks to emit like the flashes of lightning.
बाहुपाशादिकं कृत्वा पादाहतशिरावुभौ। उरोहस्तं ततश्चक्रे पूर्णकुम्भो प्रयुज्य तौ॥ करसम्पीडनं कृत्वा गर्जन्तौ वारणाविव। नर्दन्तौ मेघसंकाशौ बाहुप्रहरणावुभौ॥
Grasping each other by arms in various ways and kicking each other with such force as to impress the innermost nerves, they struck at cach other's breast with clenched fists and with their bare arms at their only weapons. Roaring like clouds, they grasped and struck each other like two mad elephants fighting with their trunks.
तलेनाहन्यमानौ तु अन्योन्यं कृतवीक्षणौ। सिंहाविव सुसंक्रुद्धावाकृष्याकृष्य युध्यताम्॥
Becoming angry at each other's blow they dragged and pushed each other, and they fought on, looking fiercely at each other like two angry lions.
अङ्गेनाङ्गं समापीड्य बाहुभ्यामुभयोरपि। आवृत्य बाहुभिश्चापि उदरं च प्रचक्रतुः॥
Each striking every limb of the other, and each catching hold of the other's waist, they hurled each other to a great distance.
उभौ कट्यां सुपार्श्वे तु तक्षवन्तौ च शिक्षितौ। अधोहस्तं स्वकण्द्दे तूदरस्योरसि चाक्षिपत्॥
Both the heroes were greatly accomplished in wrestling; each clasping the other with arms and each dragging the other to himself, they began to press each other with great force.
सर्वातिक्रान्तमर्यादं पृष्ठभङ्गं च चक्रतुः। सम्पूर्णमूर्छा बाहुभ्यां पूणकुम्भं प्रचक्रतुः॥
They then performed the grandest of all feats in wrestling namely Prishthabhanga, they also performed the feats, called Sampurva Nemcha and Purnakumbha.
तृणपीडं यथाकामं पूर्णयोगं समुष्टिकम्। एवमादीनि युद्धानि प्रकुर्वन्तौ परस्परम्॥
They also performed the feats Trinapida at pleasure, and then the feat Purna yoga with fists. Thus did not two heroes fight with each other.
तयोर्युद्धं ततो द्रष्टुं समेताः पुरवासिनः। ब्राह्मणा वणिजश्चैव क्षत्रियाश्च सहस्रशः॥ शूद्राश्च नरशार्दूल स्त्रियो वृद्धाश्च सर्वशः। निरन्तरमभूत् तत्र जनौधैरभिसंवृतम्॥
O best of men, thousands of citizens, consisting of Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras, and also women and even old men, came out and assembled there to witness the fight. The crowed became so great that it grew to be a solid mass of human beings with no space between two persons.
तयोरथ भुजाधातान्निग्रहप्रग्रहात् तथा। आसीत् सुभीमसम्पातो वज्रपर्वतयोरिव॥
The sound they made by the slapping of arins by the seizing of each other's necks, and by the grasping of each other's legs became so loud that if resembled the roar of thunder or the noise of a falling cliff.
उभौ परमसंहृष्टौ बलेन बलिनां वरौ। अन्योन्यस्यान्तरं प्रेप्सू परस्परजयैषिणौ॥
Both of them were foremost of strong and powerful men, and both took great delight in such fights. Each was eager to vanquish the other, and each was on the alert to take advantage of the slightest carelessness of the other.
तद् भीममुत्सार्यजनं युद्धमासीदुपप्लवे। बलिनोः संयुगे राजन् वृत्रवासवयोरिव॥
O king, the powerful Bhima and Jarasandha, like Vitra and Vasava of old, terribly fought on in the arena, driving the people at times by the motions of their hands.
प्रकर्षणाकर्षणाभ्यामनुकर्षविकर्षणैः। आचकर्षतुरन्योन्यं जानुभिश्चावजघ्नतुः॥ ततः शब्देन महता भर्त्सयन्तौ परस्परम्। पाषाणसंघातनिभैः प्रहारैरभिजघ्नतुः॥ व्यूढोरस्कौ दीर्घभुजौ नियुद्धकुशलावुभौ। बाहुभिः समसज्जेतामायसैः परिचैरिव॥
Pressing each other forward and dragging each other backward, throwing each other's face downwards and side ways with sudden jerks, they dreadfully mangled each other. They struck each other with keen joints. They loudly addressed each other in stinging words; they struck each other with keen joints. They loudly addressed each other in stinging words; they struck each other with clenched fists, the blow descending like a mass of stone on another mass of stone. With broad shoulders and long arms the two well-skilled wrestlers struck each other with their long arms which were like clubs made of iron.
कार्तिकस्य तु मासस्य प्रवृत्तं प्रथमेऽहनि। अनाहारं दिवारात्रमविश्रान्तमवर्तत॥ तद् वृत्तं तु त्रयोदश्यां समवेतं महात्मनोः। चतुर्दश्यां निशायां तु निवृत्तो मागध: क्लमात्॥
The fight began on the first day of the month of Kartika, and those two illustrious heroes fought on continuously without food, and without intermission of day or night till the thirteenth day. It was on the night of the fourteenth day, the Magadha king stopped from fatigue.
तं राजानं तथा क्लान्तं दृष्ट्वा राजञ्जनार्दनः। उवाच भीमकर्माणं भीमं सम्बोधयन्निव॥
O king, seeing the monarch (Jarasandha) tried, Janardana (Krishna) thus spoke to Bhima of terrible deeds to encourage him.
क्लान्तः शत्रुर्न कौन्तेय लभ्यः पीडयितुं रणे। पीड्यमानो हि कात्स्न्येन जह्याज्जीवितमात्मनः॥
Krishna said O son of Kunti, the foe that has become tried in the fight.cannot be pressed. If pressed at such a time, he may even die.
तस्मात् ते नैव कौन्तेय पीडनीयो जनाधिपः। सममेतेन युध्यस्व बाहुभ्यां भरतर्षभ॥
Therefore, O son of Kunti, you should not oppress this king (now). O best of the Bharata race, fight with your arms only in such a way as your antagonist may be equal to you.
एवमुक्तः स कृष्णेन पाण्डवः परवीरहा। जरासंधस्य तद् रूपं ज्ञात्वा चक्रे मतिं वधे॥
Vaishampayana said Having been thus addressed by Krishna, and knowing the state of Jarasandha, the Pandava (Bhima), the slayer of hostile heroes, determined to kill him.
ततस्तमजितं जेतुं जरासंधं वृकोदरः। संरम्भं बलिनां श्रेष्ठो जग्राह कुरुनन्दनः॥
That foremost of all strong men, that descendant of Kuru, Vrikodara (Bhima), mustered all his strength and courage with the desire of now vanquishing the hitherto unvanquished Jarasandha.