ad in bright armour of gold, he put on that head-gear. Indeed, O king,
thy son then looked resplendent like a golden cliff. Clad in mail, armed
with mace, and accoutred with other equipments, thy son Duryodhana then,
O king, standing on the field of battle, addressed all the Pandavas,
saying, "Amongst you (five) brothers, let any one fight me, armed with
mace! As regards myself, I am willing to fight either Sahadeva, or Bhima,
or Nakula, or Phalguna, or thee today, O bull of Bharata's race! Accorded
an encounter, I will fight any one amongst you and will certainly gain
the victory on the field! Today I will reach the end of these hostilities
that is difficult to reach, with the aid, O tiger among men, of my mace
wrapped with cloth of gold. I think, there is none to be my match in an
encounter with the mace! With my mace I shall slay all of you one after
another! Amongst all of you there is no one who is competent to fight
fairly with me! It is not proper for me to speak such words of pride with
respect to my own self! I shall, however, make these words of mine true
in your presence! Within this very hour, these words will become either
true or false! Let him amongst you take up the mace that will fight with
me!"'"

33

"Sanjaya said, 'Whilst Duryodhana, O king, was repeatedly roaring in this
strain, Vasudeva, filled with wrath, said these words unto Yudhishthira,
"What rash words hast thou spoken, O king, to the effect, 'Slaying one
amongst us be thou king among the Kurus.' If, indeed, O Yudhishthira,
Duryodhana select thee for battle, or Arjuna, or Nakula, or Sahadeva
(what will be the consequence)? From desire of slaying Bhimasena, O king,
for these thirteen years hath Duryodhana practised with the mace upon a
statue of iron! How then, O bull of Bharata's race, will our purpose be
achieved? From compassion, O best of kings, thou hast acted with great
rashness! I do not at this moment behold a match (for Duryodhana) except
Pritha's son Vrikodara! His practice, again, with the mace, is not so
great! Thou hast, therefore, once more allowed a wretched game of chance
to commence as that one in former days between thyself and Shakuni, O
monarch! Bhima is possessed of might and prowess. King Suyodhana,
however, is possessed of skill! In a contest between might and skill, he
that is possessed of skill, O king, always prevails! Such a foe, O king,
thou hast, by thy words, placed in a position of ease and comfort! Thou
has