An Index to the Names in the Mahabharata, with Short Explanations and a Concordance to the Bombay and Calcutta Editions and P. C. Roy's Translation c5.s4.15.3

c5.s4.15.3

The elephants grunted aloud and the steeds neighed repeatedly; the weapons of the Pāṇḍavas blazed forth of their own accord (IX, 56). Description of the combat; D., G., and men wondered; the Pāṇḍavas and the Somakas feared; adopting the manœuvre called Kauçika, Duryodhana baffled Bhīma's mace; as Duryodhana once fell down to the earth, the Sṛñjayas cried aloud, so also did the Pāṇḍavas; Bhīmasena then had his coat of mail fractured and was prostrated on the ground, but rose, steadying himself with great effort (IX, 57). Arjuna inquired of Kṛṣṇa about the relative merits of the two combatants; Kṛṣṇa said that their training had been equal, but Bhīma was superior in strength; Duryodhana was superior in skill and had more practice; by fighting fairly Bhīma would never succeed in winning, but by fighting unfairly he would surely be able to slay Duryodhana, just as the Asuras were vanquished by the gods, Virocana and Vṛtra by Indra with the aid of deception; "Bhīma has vowed to break the thighs of Duryodhana with his mace; let him accomplish that vow of his"; he censured Yudhiṣṭhira for his folly, and quoted a verse uttered by Uçanas; "Duryodhana has practised with the mace for full thirteen years." Arjuna struck his own left thigh before the eyes of Bhīmasena, who understood the sign. As Duryodhana set his heart on the manœuvre called dvasthāna and jumped upwards, Bhīmasena hurled his mace at the thighs of Duryodhana and fractured them. Portents appeared;