the ground. And they slapped each other with their palms that struck as
hard as the thunderbolt. And they also struck each other with their
outstretched fingers, and stretching them out like spears thrust the
nails into each other's body. And they gave each other violent kicks.
And they struck knee and head against head, producing the crash of one
stone against another. And in this manner that furious combat between
those warriors raged on without weapons, sustained mainly by the power
of their arms and their physical and mental energy, to the infinite
delight of the concourse of spectators. And all people, O king, took
deep interest in that encounter of those powerful wrestlers who fought
like Indra and the Asura Vritra. And they cheered both of them with loud
acclamations of applause. And the broad-chested and long-armed experts
in wrestling then pulled and pressed and whirled and hurled down each
other and struck each other with their knees, expressing all the while
their scorn for each other in loud voices. And they began to fight with
their bare arms in this way, which were like spiked maces of iron. And
at last the powerful and mighty-armed Bhima, the slayer of his foes,
shouting aloud seized the vociferous athlete by the arms even as the
lion seizes the elephant, and taking him up from the ground and holding
him aloft, began to whirl him round, to the great astonishment of the
assembled athletes and the people of Matsya. And having whirled him
round and round a hundred times till he was insensible, the strong-armed
Vrikodara dashed him to death on the ground. And when the brave and
renowned Jimuta was thus killed, Virata and his friends were filled with
great delight. And in the exuberance of his joy, the noble-minded king
rewarded Vallava then and there with the liberality of Kuvera. And
killing numerous athletes and many other men possessed of great bodily
strength, he pleased the king very much. And when no one could be found
there to encounter him in the lists, the king made him fight with tigers
and lions and elephants. And the king also made him battle with furious