Mahābhārata – Episode 82 – Bhīma Defeats Duryodhana in Single Combat

This article is part 82 of 112 in the series Mahābhārata

Just like Yudhiṣṭhira, the other Pāṇḍavas too spoke provocative words. Listening to their humiliating words, Duryodhana decided to fight the battle and said, “You are too many! You have chariots, weapons, and everything needed for a war. I am all alone! I don’t have anything with me – neither chariots nor weapons. I don’t possess even an armour now. I have been grievously injured. Is it right for a person like me to fight you all? How is that justified? I am not scared of any of you! Enraged, I can chase you all away from the battlefield. However, this is not dharma! Wait for a while. I shall come out and avenge the deaths of Droṇa, Bhīṣma, Karṇa, and Bhagadatta. I will kill you all in a single stroke!”

Yudhishitra said, “Fortunately, you too are well-versed with kṣatriya-dharma! You have finally made up your mind to fight us! You now seem to have gathered courage to face us. You may pick the weapon you like and fight any person you want. The rest of us will only watch you fight. If you win, the kingdom is yours and if you die, you will reach the heavens!”

Duryodhana replied, “I give my consent for fighting one of you. The mace is my favourite of all weapons. One of you come forward and combat with me using a mace. We have had several combats on chariots already!”

 “Alright! Get up and come out now. Let us witness your manliness!”

Duryodhana couldn’t stand Yudhishitra’s taunts any more. He came out of the water carrying an iron mace on his shoulder. He looked like a wild elephant jumping out of water. The wounds on his body were still ripe and there was blood oozing out of them all! Water around him had turned red with blood!

He called out, “Whoever wishes to come may come forward! It doesn’t matter to me even if I don’t have an armour to wear. Having been in water for all this while is of no consequence either!”

Kṛṣṇa, who had heard Yudhishitra speak so far, was now quite anxious. He looked at Yudhiṣṭhira with eyes filled with anger and said, “You gave your word to Duryodhana that even if he defeats any one of you, the entire kingdom will be his! Are these words of bravery and wisdom? What’s going to be our fate if Duryodhana chooses to fight either you, Arjuna, Nakula, or Sahadeva? There is none other than Bhīma and Arjuna who can fight him. Yet, there is none who has mastered the art of fighting with a mace as Duryodhana has. He has practised mace the last thirteen years with the sole purpose of defeating Bhīma! It is true that Bhīma is strong but Duryodhana is more skilled than him. Between skill and strength, it is skill that takes the upper-hand. When such is the case, you let him choose his weapon and he picked up a mace! You always put us into trouble in this manner!”

Bhīmasena said, “You don’t have to worry, Kṛṣṇa! I am certain that I will kill Suyodhana! My mace is longer than his. I shall fight with my mace. The rest of you, just stand around and watch!”

Bhīma looked at Duryodhana who appeared like an elephant separated from its herd. He roared, “Duryodhana! Try recalling all the injustice hurled upon us by you and your father! You will now enjoy the fruit of all your previous actions. Bring to your mind the humiliation Draupadī was subject to in the Kuru court! You will now see what your past actions have brought you to! I have killed all your brothers along with their armies. You alone have survived like a coward! I’ll smash you with my mace! Come now!”

Duryodhana said, “Vṛkodara! What’s the use of mere boasting? I’ll fulfil your craving for a combat! Come! Don’t you see me adept at fighting with a mace. Don’t behave like a cloud that is devoid of water but just thunders. Show your strength in the battle!”

Balarāma returned from him tīrthayārtā right at that moment. Both Bhīma and Duryodhana were his students in mace fighting. Balarāma had come there as he had heard that the two were going on a one-on-one combat. He was eager to see them fight. Everyone assembled there paid their salutations to Balarāma who had appeared all of a sudden, to their surprise. After they enquired about each other, Balarāma said, “It has been forty-two days since I left from here. As soon as I returned, I heard that the two were going to fight each other and rushed to this spot!” He sat down with the others as a spectator.

The mace fight started.

The two fought each other like elephants in rut. They employed different techniques and methods of warfare.  Each of them dodged the blows of the other. When hit, they would soon recover and continue fighting. The combat went on in this manner for a long time. Looking at that Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna, “Bhīma has taken a vow that he will break Duryodhana’s thigh. He should fulfil his vow. If he relies entirely on his strength and keeps fighting in a just manner, his vow is never going to get fulfilled. A cheat should be taught a lesson by cheating in return. If that doesn’t happen, Yudhiṣṭhira will be in great danger. Someone who has otherwise has been defeated on all accords, when faced with a duel will fight for his life putting the best of his efforts. It is extremely challenging to fight such men. If Bhīma doesn’t kill Duryodhana right away even if he needs to resort to unjust means, the Kaurava will be our king forever!”

As Arjuna heard these words, he patted his left thigh such that Bhīma could see it. Bhīma understood Arjuna’s intent and tried to confuse the opponent by using different combat techniques such as maṇḍalas, yamakas and gomūtrikas.  However, as Duryodhana was adept at fighting with a mace, he was waiting for a chance to hit Bhīma. One of the heavy blows that landed on Bhīma made him lose consciousness for a split second – he stood motionless, having lost control over his self.

Duryodhana did not see this and thought that Bhīma was getting ready to return his blows. Bhīma too regained his composure in no time. This pattern of fighting continued for a long time. At one point, Duryodhana jumped off the ground to escape from the blow of Bhīma’s mace. Even as he was in the air, Bhīma brought all his strength together and hit hard on Duryodhana’s thighs. Duryodhana fell to the ground with his thighs broken.

As he bit dust like a huge tree falling off the earth, Bhīmasena went close to him and said, “You evil one! You humiliated Draupadī in the court. You went with malicious laughter on your face and called Kṛṣṇā ‘a cow,’ even as she was clad in a single piece of saree.” A fierce Bhīma kicked his head. He looked around at everyone present there and said, “Ah! Watch this! Here’s the person who had insulted us by calling us a cow. We can now give him back in the same measure and words, can’t we? He is a cow!  We, however, don’t desire to play with fire or to play the game of dice. We are not cheats and the strength in our arms suffices. Thus, we will completely eliminate the person who had treated us like a piece of dust in the past!” He kicked Duryodhana’s head once more and exclaimed, “You cheat!”

Looking at this all, Yudhishitra said, “Bhīma! You have avenged all the insult and humiliation we all went through. Your oath has found its fulfilment. Thus, don’t do anything inauspicious! You shouldn’t kick him – it is not dharma to do so. He is after all our relative. He was the leader of eleven akṣauhiṇīs. We must only feel sorry for him and not mock his penury now!”

He then spoke to Duryodhana, “Brother! Don’t fret over this. You must experience the results of your past actions. You brought this upon yourself because of your own deeds. Your brothers too met with similar fate – all your relatives and friends are now gone! Their wives are now reduced to widowhood and are cursing you for their condition.” He let out a sigh of distress.

Balarāma was enraged and said, “My goodness! Ugly! Bhīma hit him below his navel! I have never seen anyone do so in a duel with maces. The rule of gadhāyuddha says that one must not hit below the navel! He has broken all rules and has acted in a manner that pleases only him!”

With these words, Balarāma picked up his plough and tried hitting Bhīma with it. Kṛṣṇa gently stopped him and said, “The Pāṇḍavas are our friends, naturally. They possess great strength and skill. They are, after all, the children of our maternal aunt and are thus, our cousins. Their enemies cheated them. Bhīma had taken a vow that he will break Duryodhana’s thigh. It is the dharma of the kṣatriyas to keep up their vows! Moreover, Duryodhana had been cursed by Maitreya thus – ‘Bhīma will break your thigh one day!’ That was bound to happen. I don’t see any mistake in any of this. Please give up your anger!”

Balarāma replied, “Kṛṣṇa! Whatever you say is true, perhaps. Yet, it is not right for kāma and artha to go against dharma. My only concern is the way in which Bhīma defeated Duryodhana – he went against dharma! Bhīma will gain ill-fame that he killed a dhārmic Suyodhana by employing adhārmic means! Suyodhana who used just means in fighting the war will get great glory!” With these words, Balarāma hopped on to his chariot and left for Dvāraka.

To be continued.

This is an English translation of Prof. A R Krishna Shastri’s Kannada classic Vacanabhārata by Arjun Bharadwaj and Hari Ravikumar published in a serialized form.

The original Kannada version of Vacanabhārata is available for free online reading here. To read other works of Prof. Krishna Shastri, click here.

Author(s)

About:

Prof. A R Krishna Sastri was a journalist, scholar, polyglot, and a pioneer of the modern Kannada renaissance, who founded the literary journal Prabuddha Karnāṭaka. His Vacana-bhārata and Kathāmṛta are classics of Kannada literature while his Saṃskṛta-nāṭaka and Bankimacandra are of unrivalled scholarship.

Translator(s)

About:

Arjun is a writer, translator, engineer, and enjoys composing poems. He is well-versed in Sanskrit, Kannada, English, Greek, and German languages. His research interests lie in comparative aesthetics of classical Greek and Sanskrit literature. He has deep interest in the theatre arts and music. Arjun has (co-) translated the works of AR Krishna Shastri, DV Gundappa, Dr. SL Bhyrappa, Dr. SR Ramaswamy and Shatavadhani Dr. R Ganesh

About:

Hari is an author, translator, editor, designer, and violinist with a deep interest in philosophy, education pedagogy, literature, and films. He has (co-)written/translated and (co-)edited some forty books, mostly related to Indian culture.

Prekshaa Publications

Among the many contributions of ancient Indians to world thought, perhaps the most insightful is the realisation that ānanda (Bliss) is the ultimate goal of human existence. Since time immemorial, India has been a land steeped in contemplation about the nature of humans and the universe. The great ṛṣis (seers) and ṛṣikās (seeresses) embarked on critical analysis of subjective experience and...

One of the two great epics of India and arguably the most popular epic in the world, the Ramayana has enchanted generations of people not just in Greater India but the world over. In less than three hundred pages The Essential Ramayana captures all the poetic subtleties and noble values of the original and offers the great epic in an eminently readable form that will appeal to the learned and...

The Bhagavad-gītā isn’t merely a treatise on ultimate liberation. It is also a treatise on good living. Even the laity, which does not have its eye on mokṣa, can immensely benefit from the Gītā. It has the power to grant an attitude of reverence in worldly life, infuse enthusiasm in the execution of duty, impart fortitude in times of adversity, and offer solace to the heart when riddled by...

Indian Perspective of Truth and Beauty in Homer’s Epics is a unique work on the comparative study of the Greek Epics Iliad and Odyssey with the Indian Epics – Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata. Homer, who laid the foundations for the classical tradition of the West, occupies a stature similar to that occupied by the seer-poets Vālmīki and Vyāsa, who are synonymous with the Indian culture. The author...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the sixth volume of reminiscences character sketches of prominent public figures, liberals, and social workers. These remarkable personages hailing from different corners of South India are from a period that spans from the late nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. Written in Kannada in the 1970s, these memoirs go...

An Introduction to Hinduism based on Primary Sources

Authors: Śatāvadhānī Dr. R Ganesh, Hari Ravikumar

What is the philosophical basis for Sanātana-dharma, the ancient Indian way of life? What makes it the most inclusive and natural of all religio-philosophical systems in the world?

The Essential Sanātana-dharma serves as a handbook for anyone who wishes to grasp the...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the fifth volume, episodes from the lives of traditional savants responsible for upholding the Vedic culture. These memorable characters lived a life of opulence amidst poverty— theirs  was the wealth of the soul, far beyond money and gold. These vidvāns hailed from different corners of the erstwhile Mysore Kingdom and lived in...

Padma Bhushan Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam represents the quintessence of Sage Bharata’s art and Bhārata, the country that gave birth to the peerless seer of the Nāṭya-veda. Padma’s erudition in various streams of Indic knowledge, mastery over many classical arts, deep understanding of the nuances of Indian culture, creative genius, and sublime vision bolstered by the vedāntic and nationalistic...

Bhārata has been a land of plenty in many ways. We have had a timeless tradition of the twofold principle of Brāhma (spirit of wisdom) and Kṣāttra (spirit of valour) nourishing and protecting this sacred land. The Hindu civilisation, rooted in Sanātana-dharma, has constantly been enriched by brāhma and safeguarded by kṣāttra.
The renowned Sanskrit poet and scholar, Śatāvadhānī Dr. R...

ಛಂದೋವಿವೇಕವು ವರ್ಣವೃತ್ತ, ಮಾತ್ರಾಜಾತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಕರ್ಷಣಜಾತಿ ಎಂದು ವಿಭಕ್ತವಾದ ಎಲ್ಲ ಬಗೆಯ ಛಂದಸ್ಸುಗಳನ್ನೂ ವಿವೇಚಿಸುವ ಪ್ರಬಂಧಗಳ ಸಂಕಲನ. ಲೇಖಕರ ದೀರ್ಘಕಾಲಿಕ ಆಲೋಚನೆಯ ಸಾರವನ್ನು ಒಳಗೊಂಡ ಈ ಹೊತ್ತಗೆ ಪ್ರಧಾನವಾಗಿ ಛಂದಸ್ಸಿನ ಸೌಂದರ್ಯವನ್ನು ಲಕ್ಷಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ತೌಲನಿಕ ವಿಶ್ಲೇಷಣೆ ಮತ್ತು ಅಂತಃಶಾಸ್ತ್ರೀಯ ಅಧ್ಯಯನಗಳ ತೆಕ್ಕೆಗೆ ಬರುವ ಬರೆಹಗಳೂ ಇಲ್ಲಿವೆ. ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಕಾರನಿಗಲ್ಲದೆ ಸಿದ್ಧಹಸ್ತನಾದ ಕವಿಗೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಸ್ಫುರಿಸಬಲ್ಲ ಎಷ್ಟೋ ಹೊಳಹುಗಳು ಕೃತಿಯ ಮೌಲಿಕತೆಯನ್ನು ಹೆಚ್ಚಿಸಿವೆ. ಈ...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the fourth volume, some character sketches of the Dewans of Mysore preceded by an account of the political framework of the State before Independence and followed by a review of the political conditions of the State after 1940. These remarkable leaders of Mysore lived in a period that spans from the mid-nineteenth century to the...

Bharatiya Kavya-mimamseya Hinnele is a monograph on Indian Aesthetics by Mahamahopadhyaya N. Ranganatha Sharma. The book discusses the history and significance of concepts pivotal to Indian literary theory. It is equally useful to the learned and the laity.

Sahitya-samhite is a collection of literary essays in Kannada. The book discusses aestheticians such as Ananda-vardhana and Rajashekhara; Sanskrit scholars such as Mena Ramakrishna Bhat, Sridhar Bhaskar Varnekar and K S Arjunwadkar; and Kannada litterateurs such as DVG, S L Bhyrappa and S R Ramaswamy. It has a foreword by Shatavadhani Dr. R Ganesh.

The Mahābhārata is the greatest epic in the world both in magnitude and profundity. A veritable cultural compendium of Bhārata-varṣa, it is a product of the creative genius of Maharṣi Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa. The epic captures the experiential wisdom of our civilization and all subsequent literary, artistic, and philosophical creations are indebted to it. To read the Mahābhārata is to...

Shiva Rama Krishna

சிவன். ராமன். கிருஷ்ணன்.
இந்திய பாரம்பரியத்தின் முப்பெரும் கதாநாயகர்கள்.
உயர் இந்தியாவில் தலைமுறைகள் பல கடந்தும் கடவுளர்களாக போற்றப்பட்டு வழிகாட்டிகளாக விளங்குபவர்கள்.
மனித ஒற்றுமை நூற்றாண்டுகால பரிணாம வளர்ச்சியின் பரிமாணம்.
தனிநபர்களாகவும், குடும்ப உறுப்பினர்களாகவும், சமுதாய பிரஜைகளாகவும் நாம் அனைவரும் பரிமளிக்கிறோம்.
சிவன் தனிமனித அடையாளமாக அமைகிறான்....

ऋतुभिः सह कवयः सदैव सम्बद्धाः। विशिष्य संस्कृतकवयः। यथा हि ऋतवः प्रतिसंवत्सरं प्रतिनवतामावहन्ति मानवेषु तथैव ऋतुवर्णनान्यपि काव्यरसिकेषु कामपि विच्छित्तिमातन्वते। ऋतुकल्याणं हि सत्यमिदमेव हृदि कृत्वा प्रवृत्तम्। नगरजीवनस्य यान्त्रिकतां मान्त्रिकतां च ध्वनदिदं चम्पूकाव्यं गद्यपद्यमिश्रितमिति सुव्यक्तमेव। ऐदम्पूर्वतया प्रायः पुरीपरिसरप्रसृतानाम् ऋतूनां विलासोऽत्र प्रपञ्चितः। बेङ्गलूरुनामके...

The Art and Science of Avadhānam in Sanskrit is a definitive work on Sāhityāvadhānam, a form of Indian classical art based on multitasking, lateral thinking, and extempore versification. Dotted throughout with tasteful examples, it expounds in great detail on the theory and practice of this unique performing art. It is as much a handbook of performance as it is an anthology of well-turned...

This anthology is a revised edition of the author's 1978 classic. This series of essays, containing his original research in various fields, throws light on the socio-cultural landscape of Tamil Nadu spanning several centuries. These compelling episodes will appeal to scholars and laymen alike.
“When superstitious mediaevalists mislead the country about its judicial past, we have to...

The cultural history of a nation, unlike the customary mainstream history, has a larger time-frame and encompasses the timeless ethos of a society undergirding the course of events and vicissitudes. A major key to the understanding of a society’s unique character is an appreciation of the far-reaching contributions by outstanding personalities of certain periods – especially in the realms of...

Prekṣaṇīyam is an anthology of essays on Indian classical dance and theatre authored by multifaceted scholar and creative genius, Śatāvadhānī Dr. R Ganesh. As a master of śāstra, a performing artiste (of the ancient art of Avadhānam), and a cultured rasika, he brings a unique, holistic perspective to every discussion. These essays deal with the philosophy, history, aesthetics, and practice of...

Yaugandharam

इदं किञ्चिद्यामलं काव्यं द्वयोः खण्डकाव्ययोः सङ्कलनरूपम्। रामानुरागानलं हि सीतापरित्यागाल्लक्ष्मणवियोगाच्च श्रीरामेणानुभूतं हृदयसङ्क्षोभं वर्णयति । वात्सल्यगोपालकं तु कदाचिद्भानूपरागसमये घटितं यशोदाश्रीकृष्णयोर्मेलनं वर्णयति । इदम्प्रथमतया संस्कृतसाहित्ये सम्पूर्णं काव्यं...

Vanitakavitotsavah

इदं खण्डकाव्यमान्तं मालिनीछन्दसोपनिबद्धं विलसति। मेनकाविश्वामित्रयोः समागमः, तत्फलतया शकुन्तलाया जननम्, मातापितृभ्यां त्यक्तस्य शिशोः कण्वमहर्षिणा परिपालनं चेति काव्यस्यास्येतिवृत्तसङ्क्षेपः।

Vaiphalyaphalam

इदं खण्डकाव्यमान्तं मालिनीछन्दसोपनिबद्धं विलसति। मेनकाविश्वामित्रयोः समागमः, तत्फलतया शकुन्तलाया जननम्, मातापितृभ्यां त्यक्तस्य शिशोः कण्वमहर्षिणा परिपालनं चेति काव्यस्यास्येतिवृत्तसङ्क्षेपः।

Nipunapraghunakam

इयं रचना दशसु रूपकेष्वन्यतमस्य भाणस्य निदर्शनतामुपैति। एकाङ्करूपकेऽस्मिन् शेखरकनामा चित्रोद्यमलेखकः केनापि हेतुना वियोगम् अनुभवतोश्चित्रलेखामिलिन्दकयोः समागमं सिसाधयिषुः कथामाकाशभाषणरूपेण निर्वहति।

Bharavatarastavah

अस्मिन् स्तोत्रकाव्ये भगवन्तं शिवं कविरभिष्टौति। वसन्ततिलकयोपनिबद्धस्य काव्यस्यास्य कविकृतम् उल्लाघनाभिधं व्याख्यानं च वर्तते।

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the third volume, some character sketches of great literary savants responsible for Kannada renaissance during the first half of the twentieth century. These remarkable...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the second volume, episodes from the lives of remarkable exponents of classical music and dance, traditional storytellers, thespians, and connoisseurs; as well as his...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the first volume, episodes from the lives of great writers, poets, literary aficionados, exemplars of public life, literary scholars, noble-hearted common folk, advocates...

Evolution of Mahabharata and Other Writings on the Epic is the English translation of S R Ramaswamy's 1972 Kannada classic 'Mahabharatada Belavanige' along with seven of his essays on the great epic. It tells the riveting...

Shiva-Rama-Krishna is an English adaptation of Śatāvadhāni Dr. R Ganesh's popular lecture series on the three great...

Bharatilochana

ಮಹಾಮಾಹೇಶ್ವರ ಅಭಿನವಗುಪ್ತ ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ವಿದ್ಯಾವಲಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಮರೆಯಲಾಗದ ಹೆಸರು. ಮುಖ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಶೈವದರ್ಶನ ಮತ್ತು ಸೌಂದರ್ಯಮೀಮಾಂಸೆಗಳ ಪರಮಾಚಾರ್ಯನಾಗಿ  ಸಾವಿರ ವರ್ಷಗಳಿಂದ ಇವನು ಜ್ಞಾನಪ್ರಪಂಚವನ್ನು ಪ್ರಭಾವಿಸುತ್ತಲೇ ಇದ್ದಾನೆ. ಭರತಮುನಿಯ ನಾಟ್ಯಶಾಸ್ತ್ರವನ್ನು ಅರ್ಥಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಇವನೊಬ್ಬನೇ ನಮಗಿರುವ ಆಲಂಬನ. ಇದೇ ರೀತಿ ರಸಧ್ವನಿಸಿದ್ಧಾಂತವನ್ನು...

Vagarthavismayasvadah

“वागर्थविस्मयास्वादः” प्रमुखतया साहित्यशास्त्रतत्त्वानि विमृशति । अत्र सौन्दर्यर्यशास्त्रीयमूलतत्त्वानि यथा रस-ध्वनि-वक्रता-औचित्यादीनि सुनिपुणं परामृष्टानि प्रतिनवे चिकित्सकप्रज्ञाप्रकाशे। तदन्तर एव संस्कृतवाङ्मयस्य सामर्थ्यसमाविष्कारोऽपि विहितः। क्वचिदिव च्छन्दोमीमांसा च...

The Best of Hiriyanna

The Best of Hiriyanna is a collection of forty-eight essays by Prof. M. Hiriyanna that sheds new light on Sanskrit Literature, Indian...

Stories Behind Verses

Stories Behind Verses is a remarkable collection of over a hundred anecdotes, each of which captures a story behind the composition of a Sanskrit verse. Collected over several years from...