Dhritarashtra said How did the Kalinga king, that commander of a large army, having been asked by my son and supported by his troops, fight in battle with that doer of wonderful deeds, the mighty Bhimasena, that hero who roved over the field of battle with his club?

Sanjaya said O great king, thus asked by your son the mighty Kalinga king accompanied by large army, advanced towards the chariot of Bhima.

Odescendant of Bharata, Bhimasena, then supported by the Chedis, rushed towards that large and mighty Kalinga army consisting of many cars, horses, and elephants. It was armed with great weapons. It was advancing towards him with Ketumat, the son of the Nishada king, at its head.

Inflamed in anger, Shrutayu, clad in armour, followed by his troops in battle array and accompanied by king Ketumat, came in front of Bhima.

The Kalinga king with many thousands cars, and Ketumat with ten thousand elephants and also the Nishadas.

All, O king, surrounded Bhimasena on all sides. Then the Chedis, the Matsyas, and the Karushas with Bhimasena at their head,

And with many other kings, rushed with great force against the Nishadas. Then took place a fearful and terrible battle.

Between the warriors of booth the sides, all rushing forward with the desire to kill one another. Fearful was the battle that was fought between Bhima and his adversaries.

O great king, it resembled the battle that was fought between Indra and the great host of the Danavas. O descendant of Bharata, loud uproar rose from that mighty army fighting in that battle. It resembled the sound of the roaring ocean. O king, they cut down one another and made the whole field resemble a crematorium strewn with flesh and blood. Impelled by the desire to kill, they could not distinguish friends from foes.

Those brave warriors who were incapable of being easily defeated, cut down even their own friends. Fierce was the struggle that took place between the few and the many.

Between the Chedis and the Kalingas with the Nishadas, Displaying their prowess to the best of their power, the powerful.

Chedis abandoned Bhimasena and turned back. When the Chedis turned back, that son of Pandu, Bhimsena met all the Kalingas. He did not turn back depending on the strength of his own arms. The greatly powerful Bhimasena did not move; from his car.

He covered the Kalingas with showers of sharp arrows. Then that great bowman, the Kalinga king and that car-warriors, his son.

Named Shakradeva, both attacked the Pandava (Bhima) with ten arrows. But shaking his beautiful bow. the mighty armed Bhimasena.

Fought with the Kalinga king, depending only on his own prowess of arms. Shakradeva shot innumerable arrows in that battle.

And killed Bhimasena's horses with them. Seeing that chastiser of foes deprived of his car.

Shakradeva rushed upon him; and shot many sharp arrows, O great king, on Bhimasena; the mighty Shakradeva poured a shower of arrows as clouds pour rain after the summer is gone.

But the greatly strong Bhima stayed on that car, the horses of which had been killed. He hurled from it at Shakradeva a mace made of the hardest iron.

Killed by that fearful mace, O king, the son of the Kalinga king fell down with his standard and charioteer.

Then that great car-warrior the Kalinga king, seeing his son killed. Surrounded Bhima on all sides with innumerable troops, then the greatly strong and mighty armed Bhima took up a sword with the desire of performing a great feat. O king, that foremost of men also took up a matchless shield made of the hide of a bull.

It was adorned with stars and crescents made of gold. The Kalinga king also in great anger rubbed his bow string and took up a poisoned Shakti. He shot it at Bhimasena with the desire of killing him.

O king, Bhimsena however soon with his big sword cut down that sharp arrow which was rushing towards him with great impetuosity.

He then a great delight sent up a loud shout which filed the troops with terror. The Kalinga king, being very much enraged in fighting with Bhimasena.

Soon hurled upon his fourteen darts with heads made of stone. The mighty armed Pandava (Bhima) soon cut them down into many fragments, O king, before they could reach him. Having cut down in that battle those fourteen arrows Bhima,

That foremost of men, on seeing Bhanumat rushed upon him. Bhanumat thereupon covered Bhima with a shower of arrows. He set up a loud shout making the sky resound with it. Bhima however could not bear that lion-like shout in that battle.

Possessing as he does a fearfully loud voice, he also sent up a very loud shout. At his fearful shouts, the Kalingas were filled with great alarm.

O best of men, they no longer considered Bhima as a human being. O king of kings, then setting up a loud shout, Bhima.

With a sword in his hand, jumped upon the excellent elephant (of Bhanumat); and with the help of the tusk of that great elephant, he got on its back. Then with his huge sword, he cut down Bhanumat in two distinct parts. Having killed the Kalinga prince, that chastiser of foes,

made his huge sword, which was capable of bearing a great strain, descend on the neck of the elephant. His head thus cut off, that great elephant fell with a tremendous roar,

As a mountain peak falls when eaten up by (the waves of the) sea. O descendant of Bharata, jumping down from that falling elephant, that descendant of Bharata.

Clad in armour, stood on the ground with his sword in his hand. Cutting down many elephants on all sides, he roved about making his way (through the troops of the enemy). He appeared to be like a moving wheel of fire. He slaughtered innumerable horsemen, elephants and car-warriors and foot soldiers. That foremost of men, the mighty Bhima was seen to move about the field with the speed of the hawk, cutting off with his sharp sword the bodies and heads of countless men (on foot) and also of those who were on elephant.

Thus fighting on foot in great rage like Yama himself at the universal dissolution, he struck terror into the hearts of his enemies. Those brave warriors all became confounded.

Only those that were foolish came rushing at him who was roving about that field of battle with sword in his hand.

That mighty chastiser of foes, cut off the shafts and yokes of those warriors on their cars, and he then killed them.

O descendant of Bharata, Bhimasena was seen to display various kinds of motions. He wheeled about and whirled about on high. He made side-thrusts, jumped forward, ran above and leapt high.

O descendant of Bharata, he was seen to rush forward and rush upward. Some, mangled by that illustrious son of Pandu with his sword,

Shrieked aloud; some mortally wounded, fell down and was killed. O descendant of Bharata, many elephants some with their trunks and the tusks cut off, others with their temporal globes cut open, fell down uttering fearful cries.

O king, broken lances, heads of elephantsdrivers, beautiful housing of elephants, chords as shining as gold, collars darts, mallets, quivers, various kinds of machines, beautiful bows, short arrows with polished heads, hooks and screws various sorts of bells and belts decked with gold, these were seen falling or already fallen on the field of battle. With elephants having the fore parts and hind parts of their bodies and trunks cut off or entirely killed, the battle field appeared to be strewn with fallen cliffs.

Having thus killed many huge elephants that foremost of men then began to destroy the horses. O descendant of Bharata, that hero felled many foremost of horse-men.

O sire, that battle was fought between him and those soldiers was exceedingly fearful. Hilts, traces, golden saddles girths, covers for the horses, bearded darts costly swords, armours, shields, and beautiful ornaments, were seen by us strewn over the ground in that great battle.

He caused the earth to be covered with blood, thus making her look as if she were variegated with lilies. The might Pandava, jumping high and dragging down some carwarriors, cut them down with their standards.

Often jumping up and frequently rushing on all sides, that greatly powerful hero roved about and filled all the troops with wonder. Some he killed by his legs, some he dragged down and pressed them into the earth,

Others he cut down with his sword, others again he frightened with his terrible roars. Others he threw down by the force of his thighs.

Others again fled away on simply seeing him. It was thus that the great and powerful army of the Kalingas surrounded Bhimasena and rushed upon him. O best of the Bharata race, seeing, the Shrutayu at the head of the Kalinga troops, Bhimasena rushed at him. Seeing Shrutayu at the head of the Kalinga troops Bhimsena rushed at him. Seeing him come, the Kalinga king wounded Bhimasena with nine arrows. Wounded by those arrows shot by the Kalinga king, like an elephant pierced by the hook.

Bhimsena blazed up in wrath like a fire fed with fuels. Then that best of charioteers, Ashoka, soon brought a car decked with gold, and he caused Bhima to mount upon it. Thereupon that chastiser of foes, the son of Kunti (Bhima) soon mounted on that car.

Then he rushed towards the Kalinga king, shouting “Wait” “Wait”. Then the greatly powerful Shrutayu, in great anger, shot at Bhima many sharp arrows and thus displayed his great lightness of hands. O king, thus wounded by those nine sharp arrows shot by the Kalinga king from his excellent bow, that great warrior Bhima blazed up in anger like a snake struck with a rod.

Then that foremost of powerful men, that son of Pritha, Bhima in great anger drew his bow to its highest stretch, and killed the Kalinga king with seven iron arrows.

With two arrows he killed the two powerful protectors of his car-wheels; he also killed Satyadeva and Satya.

Thereupon high-souled Bhima then with many sharp arrows caused the destruction of Ketumat.

Thereupon the Kalinga warriors in great anger met the angry Bhimasena in battle backed by many thousands of combatants.

O king, armed with darts and maces and swords and lances and scimitars and battleaxes, the Kalingas by hundreds and thousands surrounded Bhimasena.

Resisting that shower of arrows, that great warrior (Bhima) then took up his fearful mace. He then jumped down from his car in great speed.

Bhima then killed seven hundred heroes; that chastiser of foes then sent two thousand Kalingas to the region of Death. It was a wonderful feat; it was thus that the heroic and the fearfully strong Bhima again and again killed in that battle a very large number of the Kalingas. Elephants were deprived of their riders by that son of Pandu. Afflicted with arrows they roved about the field, treading down innumerable troops and uttering roars like those of the clouds.

Then the mighty-armed Bhima with his sword in his hand blew in great delight his fearfully roaring conch.

With that tremendous sound the hearts of the Kalinga troops began to tremble in fear. O chastiser of foes, the Kalingas appeared to have lost all consciousness.

All the combatants and all the animals trembled in fear. By Bhimasena's roving about over the field of battle like an infuriated elephant, and by his frequent jumping up, a short of trance came over the foe. The whole Kalinga army trembled in fear like a large lake agitated by an alligator.

Struck with panic, the Kalingas, fled away in all directions. When they were rallied again, the commander of the Pandava army (Dhrishtadyumna) then ordered his troops, exclaiming “fight”.

Having heard the word of their commander, many heroes headed by Shikhandin came to the help of Bhima, supported by many wellskilled car-warriors.

The Pandava, king Yudhishthira Dharmaraja followed all of them behind with a large force of elephants, each of the colour of clouds.

Thus urging all his troops, the Prishata prince surrounded by many great warriors went to protect one of the wings of Bhima's troops.

To the Panchala prince, there was none dearer than life on earth except Satyaki and Bhima.

That slayer of hostile heroes, the Prishata prince saw that chastiser of foes the mightyarmed Bhimasena fighting among the Kalingas.

O chastiser of foes, O king. He sent forth many loud shouts and filled all his troops with delight. He blew his conch and uttered a lion like roar.

Seeing the red standard of Dhrishtadyumna's car decked with gold and yoked with milk white steeds, Bhimasena became much encouraged.

The high-souled, Dhrishtadyumna, seeing Bhimasena attacked by the innumerable Kalingas rushed to his rescue.

Seeing Satyaki at a distance, those two greatly powerful heroes Dhrishtadyumna and Vrikodara furiously fell upon the Kalingas.

The foremost of men, the descendant of (Shini), that best of all warriors (Satyaki) also soon came to the spot and defended the wings of both Bhima and the Prishata prince.

With his big bow in his hand, he created a great havoc. Making himself fierce in the extreme, he began to kill the enemy.

Bhima caused a river of blood to flow, it was made of the flesh and blood of the Kalingas.

Bhimasena crossed the inaccessible blood river flowing between Kalinga and arıny of Pandavas by virtue of his unique valour.

O king, seeing Bhima in this fearful fight, all the troops exclaimed, “This one who is fighting in Bhima's shape with the Kalingas is Yama himself".

Having heard their cries, the son of Shantanu, Bhishma, surrounded on all sides by many warriors, soon came to Bhima.

Thereupon Satyaki, Bhima, and the Prishata prince Dhrishtadyumna all rushed towards Bhishma's car decked with gold.

All of them soon surrounded the son of Ganga. Without losing a moment they wounded Bhishma each with three fearful arrows.

Your father Devavrata, wounded each of these mighty bowmen with three straight arrows in return.

Having checked those mighty car-warriors with thousands of arrows, he killed with his arrows the horses of Bhima clad in golden armour.

The greatly strong Bhima however stood on the car, the horses of which were killed. He then with great force hurled a dart at Bhishma.

Your father Devavrata cut off in that battle that dart before it could reach his car. It then fell in fragments on the grounds.

Then that foremost of men, Bhimasena took up a heavy and might mace made of Saikya iron. He then jumped down from his car.

Satyaki however, in order to do what is agreeable to Bhima, cut down with his arrows the charioteer of the revered Kuru grandfather.

When his charioteer was thus killed, that foremost of car-warriors Bhishma was borne away from the battle field by his horses which ran with the speed of wind.

O king, when that great car-warrior was thus carried away from the field of battle, Bhima blazed up like a great fire when it consumes dry grass.

Having killed all the Kalingas, O best of the Bharata race, he stood in the midst of the troops, and none dared to withstand him.

But Dhrishtadyumna soon took up that foremost of car warriors on his own car. He then took away that illustrious hero in the sight of all the warriors.

O best of the Bharata race, praised by the Pandavas and the Matsyas, he embraced Dhrishtadyumna and then went to Satyaki.

That foremost of the Yadus, that irresistible hero Satyaki then thus spoke to Bhimasena in the presence of Dhrishtadyumna.

By good luck the Kalinga king, also the Kalinga prince Ketumat and also Shakradeva of that country and also all the Kalingas have been killed, you in this battle.

The army of the Kalingas, consisting of many thousands of cars, elephants, horses, noble warriors and heroic combatants, has been destroyed by your prowess of arm alone.

Having said this, the mighty-armed grandson of Shini the chastiser of foes embraced the son of Pandu (Bhima). He then quickly got upon his car. Then that great carwarrior began to kill the troops in anger, thus strengthening the hands of Bhima.