those of lions, and their bodies were very clean, and their hearts were
quite at ease. And they had many a time won success in the lists in the
presence of kings. And amongst them there was one who towered above the
rest and challenged them all to a combat. And there was none that dared
to approach him as he proudly stalked in the arena. And when all the
athletes stood sad and dispirited, the king of the Matsyas made him
fight with his cook. And urged by the king, Bhima made up his mind
reluctantly, for he could not openly disobey the royal behest. And that
tiger among men then having worshipped the king, entered the spacious
arena, pacing with the careless steps of a tiger. And the son of Kunti
then girded up his loins to the great delight of the spectators. And
Bhima then summoned to the combat that athlete known by the name of
Jimuta who was like unto the Asura Vritra whose prowess was widely
known. And both of them were possessed of great courage, and both were
endued with terrible prowess. And they were like a couple of infuriate
and huge-bodied elephants, each sixty years old. And those brave tigers
among men then cheerfully engaged in a wrestling combat, desirous of
vanquishing each other. And terrible was the encounter that took place
between them, like the clash of the thunderbolt against the stony
mountain-breast. And both of them were exceedingly powerful and
extremely delighted at each other's strength. And desirous of
vanquishing each other, each stood eager to take advantage of his
adversary's lapse. And both were greatly delighted and both looked like
infuriate elephants of prodigious size. And various were the modes of
attack and defence that they exhibited with their clenched fists.[12]
And each dashed against the other and flung his adversary to a distance.
And each cast the other down and pressed him close to the ground. And
each got up again and squeezed the other in his arms. And each threw the
other violently off his place by boxing him on the breast. And each
caught the other by the legs and whirling him round threw him down on