who is competent to vanquish the mace-armed Duryodhana in battle!  Neither thou nor Bhima, nor Nakula nor Sahadeva, nor Phalguna, is capable of vanquishing Duryodhana in fair fight!  King Duryodhana is possessed of great skill!  How then, O Bharata, canst thou say unto such a foe words such as these, ’Fight, selecting the mace as thy weapon, and if thou canst slay one amongst us, thou shalt then be king?’ If Duryodhana encounters Vrikodara amongst us wishing to fight fairly with him, even then our victory would be doubtful.  Duryodhana is possessed of great might and great skill.  How couldst thou say unto him, ’Slaying only one amongst us be thou king’?  Without a doubt, the offspring of Pandu and Kunti are not destined to enjoy sovereignty!  They were born for passing their lives in continued exile in the woods or in mendicancy!”

“’Bhimasena said, “O slayer of Madhu, do not, O delighter of the Yadus, give way to sorrow!  However, difficult to reach it, I shall today reach the end of these hostilities!  Without doubt, I shall slay Suyodhana in battle!  It appears, O Krishna, that the victory of Yudhishthira the just is certain!  This mace of mine is heavier than Duryodhana’s by one and a half times!  Do not, O Madhava, give way to grief!  I dare fight him, selecting the mace as the weapon!  Let all of you, O Janardana, stand as spectators of the encounter!  What do you say of Suyodhana, I would fight with the three worlds including the very gods, even if they be armed with every kind of weapon!"’

“Sanjaya continued, ’After Vrikodara had said these words, Vasudeva, filled with joy, applauded him highly and said unto him, “Relying on thee, O thou of mighty arms, king Yudhishthira the just will, without doubt, get back his own blazing prosperity after the slaughter of all his foes!  Thou hast slain all the sons of Dhritarashtra in battle!  At thy hands many kings and princes and elephants have met with their fate!  The Kalingas, the Magadhas, the Kauravas the Westerners, the Gandharas have all been slain in dreadful battle, O son of Pandu!  Slaying Duryodhana then, O son of Kunti, bestow the earth with her oceans upon Yudhishthira the just, like Vishnu (conferring the sovereignty of three worlds) upon the Lord of Sachi!  The wretched son of Dhritarashtra, obtaining thee for a foe in battle, will, without doubt, meet with his fate!  Thou wilt certainly accomplish thy vow by breaking his bones!  Thou shouldst, however, O son of Pritha, always fight with care with the son of Dhritarashtra!  He is possessed of both skill and strength and always takes delight in battle!” Then Satyaki, O king, applauded the son of Pandu.  The Pancalas and the Pandavas, also, headed by king Yudhishthira the just, all applauded those words of Bhimasena.  Then Bhima of terrible might addressed Yudhishthira, who was staying amid the Srinjayas like the blazing sun himself, saying, “Encountering this one in battle, I venture to fight with him!  This wretch among men is not