Vaisampayana said, "Then, O Bharata, when the world was enveloped in
dust and the gloom of night, the warriors of both sides, without
breaking the order of battle, desisted for a while.[31] And then,
dispelling the darkness the moon arose illumining the night and
gladdening the hearts of the Kshatriya warriors. And when everything
became visible, the battle once more began. And it raged on so furiously
that the combatants could not distinguish one another. And then
Trigarta's lord, Susarman with his younger brother, and accompanied by
all his cars, rushed towards the king of Matsya. And descending from
their cars, those bulls among Kshatriyas, the (royal) brothers, mace in
hand, rushed furiously towards the cars of the foe. And the hostile
hosts fiercely assailed each other with maces and swords and scimitars,
battle-axes and bearded darts with keen edges and points of excellent
temper. And king Susarman, the lord of the Trigartas having by his
energy oppressed and defeated the whole army of the Matsyas, impetuously
rushed towards Virata himself endued with great energy. And the two
brothers having severally slain Virata's two steeds and his charioteer,
as also those soldiers that protected his rear, took him captive alive,
when deprived of his car. Then afflicting him sorely, like a lustful man
afflicting a defenceless damsel, Susarman placed Virata on his own car,
and speedily rushed out of the field. And when the powerful Virata,
deprived of his car, was taken captive, the Matsyas, harrassed solely by
the Trigartas, began to flee in fear in all directions. And beholding
them panic-stricken, Kunti's son, Yudhishthira, addressed that subduer
of foes, the mighty-armed Bhima, saying, 'The king of the Matsyas hath
been taken by the Trigartas. Do thou, O mighty-armed one, rescue him, so
that he may not fall under the power of the enemy. As we have lived
happily in Virata's city, having every desire of ours gratified, it
behoveth thee, O Bhimasena, to discharge that debt (by liberating the
king).' Thereat Bhimasena replied, 'I will liberate him, O king, at thy
command. Mark the feat I achieve (today) in battling with the foe,
relying solely on the might of my arms. Do thou, O king, stay aside,
along with our brothers and witness my prowess today. Uprooting this
mighty tree of huge trunk looking like a mace, I will rout the enemy.'"
[31] The word in the original is Muhurta equal to 48 minutes.
Nilakantha points out very ingeniously that the night being the
seventh of the dark fortnight, the moon would not rise till
after 14 Dandas from the hour of sunset, a Danda being equal to
24 minutes. A Muhurta, therefore implies not 48 minutes exactly,
but some time.
Vaisampayana continued, "Beholding Bhima casting his eyes on that tree
like a mad elephant, the heroic king Yudhishthira the just spake unto
his brother, saying, 'Do not, O Bhima, commit such a rash act. Let the
tree stand there. Thou must not achieve such feats in a super-human
manner by means of that tree, for if thou dost, the people, O Bharata,
will recognise thee and say, _This is Bhima_. Take thou, therefore, some
human weapon such as a bow (and arrows), or a dart, or a sword, or a
battle-axe. And taking therefore, O Bhima, some weapon that is human,
liberate thou the king without giving anybody the means of knowing thee
truly. The twins endued with great strength will defend thy wheels.
Fighting together, O child, liberate the king of the Matsyas!'"
Vaisampayana continued, "Thus addressed, the mighty Bhimasena endued
with great speed, quickly took up an excellent bow and impetuously shot
from it a shower of arrows, thick as the downpour of a rain-charged
cloud. And Bhima then rushed furiously towards Susarman of terrible
deeds, and assuring Virata with the words--_O good king!_[32] said unto
the lord of the Trigartas,--_Stay! Stay!_ Seeing Bhima like unto Yama
himself in his rear, saying, _Stay! Stay! Do thou witness this mighty
feat,--this combat that is at hand!_--the bull among warriors, Susarman,
seriously considered (the situation), and taking up his bow turned back,
along with his brothers. Within the twinkling of an eye, Bhima destroyed
those cars that sought to oppose him. And soon again hundreds of
thousands of cars and elephants and horses and horsemen and brave and
fierce bowmen were overthrown by Bhima in the very sight of Virata. And
the hostile infantry also began to be slaughtered by the illustrious
Bhima, mace in hand. And beholding that terrible onslaught, Susarman,
irrepressible in fight, thought within himself, 'My brother seems to
have already succumbed in the midst of his mighty host. Is my army going
to be annihilated?' And drawing his bow-string to his ear Susarman then
turned back and began to shoot keen-edged shafts incessantly. And seeing
the Pandavas return to the charge on their car, the Matsya warriors of
mighty host, urging on their steeds, shot excellent weapons for grinding
the Trigarta soldiers. And Virata's son also, exceedingly exasperated
began to perform prodigious fears of valour. And Kunti's son
Yudhishthira slew a thousand (of the foe), and Bhima showed the abode of
Yama unto seven thousand. And Nakula sent seven hundred (to their last
account) by means of his shafts. And powerful Sahadeva also, commanded
by Yudhishthira, slew three hundred brave warriors. And having slain
such numbers, that fierce and mighty warrior, Yudhishthira, with weapons
upraised, rushed against Susarman. And rushing impetuously at Susarman,
that foremost of car-warriors, king Yudhishthira, assailed him with
vollies of shafts. And Susarman also, in great rage, quickly pierced
Yudhishthira with nine arrows, and each of his four steeds with four
arrows. Then, O king, Kunti's son Bhima of quick movements, approaching
Susarman crushed his steeds. And having slain also those soldiers that
protected his rear, he dragged from the car his antagonist's charioteer
to the ground. And seeing the king of Trigarta's car without a driver,
the defender of his car-wheels, the famous and brave Madiraksha speedily
came to his aid. And thereat, leaping down from Susarman's car, and
securing the latter's mace the powerful Virata ran in pursuit of him.
And though old, he moved on the field, mace in hand, even like a lusty
youth. And beholding Susarman flee Bhima addressed him, saying, 'Desist,
O Prince! This flight of thine is not proper! With this prowess of
thine, how couldst thou wish to carry off the cattle by force? How also,
forsaking thy follower, dost thou droop so amidst foes?' Thus addressed
by Pritha's son, the mighty Susarman, that lord of countless cars saying
unto Bhima, _Stay! Stay!_--suddenly turned round and rushed at him. Then
Bhima, the son of Pandu, leaping down from his car, as he alone could
do,[33] rushed forward with great coolness, desirous of taking
Susarman's life. And desirous of seizing Trigarta's king advancing
towards him, the mighty Bhimasena rushed impetuously towards him, even
like a lion rushing at a small deer. And advancing impetuously, the
mighty-armed Bhima seized Susarman by the hair, and lifting him up in
wrath, dashed him down on the ground. And as he lay crying in agony, the
mighty-armed Bhima kicked him at the head, and placing his knee on his
breast dealt him severe blows. And sorely afflicted with that kicking,
the king of Trigartas became senseless. And when the king of the
Trigartas deprived of his car, had been seized thus, the whole Trigarta
army stricken with panic, broke and fled in all directions, and the
mighty sons of Pandu, endued with modesty and observant of vows and
relying on the might of their own arms, after having vanquished
Susarman, and rescued the kine as well as other kinds of wealth and
having thus dispelled Virata's anxiety, stood together before that
monarch. And Bhimasena then said, 'This wretch given to wicked deeds
doth not deserve to escape me with life. But what can I do? The king is
so lenient!' And then taking Susarman by the neck as he was lying on the
ground insensible and covered with dust, and binding him fast, Pritha's
son Vrikodara placed him on his car, and went to where Yudhishthira was
staying in the midst of the field. And Bhima then showed Susarman unto
the monarch. And beholding Susarman in that plight, that tiger among men
king Yudhishthira smilingly addressed Bhima--that ornament of
battle,--saying, 'Let this worst of men be set free.' Thus addressed,
Bhima spoke unto the mighty Susarman, saying, 'If, O wretch, thou
wishest to live, listen to those words of mine. Thou must say in every
court and assembly of men,--_I am a slave._ On this condition only I
will grant thee thy life. Verily, this is the law about the vanquished.'
Thereupon his elder brother affectionately addressed Bhima, saying, 'If
thou regardest us as an authority, liberate this wicked wight. He hath
already become king Virata's slave.' And turning then to Susarman, he
said, 'Thou art freed. Go thou a free man, and never act again in this
way.'"
[32] Some Vikshyainam, Nilakantha explains Sama as a word spoken
by Bhima for assuring the captive Virata, and Vikshya as
'assuring' or 'consoling by a glance.' Perhaps this is right.
[33] The adjective Bhima-sankasas as explained by Nilakantha is
in this sense, quoting the celebrated simile of Valmiki.