ikodara, that bull among the Kurus, whirling his mace in
battle, will, like a second Yama mace in hand slay all my sons who are
afflicted by a heavy calamity. Even now I see that terrible mace of his,
with eight sides made of steel, and adorned with gold, uplifted like a
Brahmana's curse. As a lion of mighty strength among a flock of deer,
Bhima will range among my troops. He only (amongst his brothers) always
displayed his strength cruelly towards my sons. Eating voraciously, and
endued with great impetuosity, from his very childhood he hath been
behaving inimically towards my children. My heart trembleth (to remember)
that even in their childhood, Duryodhana and other sons of mine, while
fighting with him (sportively) were always ground down by the
elephant-like Bhima. Alas, my sons have always been oppressed by his
might, and it is that Bhima of terrible prowess that hath been the cause
of this rupture. Even now I behold Bhima, mad with rage, fighting in the
very van, and devouring the whole of my host consisting of men,
elephants, and steeds. Equal unto Drona and Arjuna in weapons, his speed
equal unto the velocity of the wind, and in wrath like unto Maheswara
himself, who is there, O Sanjaya, that would slay that wrathful and
terrible hero in battle? I think it to be a great gain that my sons were
not even then slain by that slayer of enemies who is endued with such
energy. How can a human being withstand the impetuosity of that warrior
in battle who slew Yakshas and Rakshasas of terrible might before? O
Sanjaya, even in his childhood he was never completely under my control.
Injured by my wicked sons, how can that son of Pandu come under my
control now? Cruel and extremely wrathful, he would break but not bend.
Of oblique glances and contracted eye-brows, how can he be induced to
remain quiet? Endued with heroism, of incomparable might and fair
complexion, tall like a palmyra tree, and in height taller than Arjuna by
the span of the thumb, the second son of Pandu surpasseth the very steeds
in swiftness, and elephants in strength, speaketh in indistinct accents,
and possesseth eyes having the hue of honey. As regards form and might,
even such was he in his very boyhood, as I truly heard long before from
the lips of Vyasa! Terrible and possessed of cruel might, when angry he
will destroy in battle with his iron mace cars and elephants and men and
horses. By acting against his wishes, that foremost of smiters who is
ev