Mahabharata Karna parva Chapter 83:2

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Mahabharata Karna parva Chapter 83:2

Jumping down from his car, he alighted on the ground, and fixed his eyes steadfastly on his fallen foe. Drawing then his whetted sword of keen edge, and trembling with rage, he placed his foot upon the throat of Duhshasana, and ripping open the breast of his enemy stretched on the ground, quaffed his warm life-blood. Then throwing him down and cutting off, O king, with that sword the head of thy son, Bhima of great intelligence, desirous of accomplishing his vow, again quaffed his enemy's blood little by little, as if for enjoying its taste. Then looking at him with wrathful eyes, he said these words, "I regard the taste of this blood of my enemy to be superior to that of my mother's milk, or honey, or clarified butter, or good wine that is prepared from honey, or excellent water, or milk, or curds, or skimmed milk, or all other kinds of drinks there are on earth that are sweet as ambrosia or nectar." Once more, Bhima of fierce deeds, his heart filled with wrath, beholding Duhshasana dead, laughed softly and said, "What more can I do to thee? Death has rescued thee from my hands." They, O king, that saw Bhimasena, while he filled with joy at having quaffed the blood of his foe, was uttering those words and stalking on the field of battle, fell down in fear. They that did not fall down at the sight, saw their weapons drop from their hands. Many, from fear, cried out feebly and looked at Bhima with half-shut eyes. Indeed, all those that stood around Bhima and beheld him drink the blood of Duhshasana, fled away, overwhelmed with fear, and saying unto one another, "This one is no human being!" When Bhima had assumed that form, people, beholding him quaff his enemy's blood, fled away with Citrasena, saying unto one another, 'This Bhima must be a Rakshasa!" Then the (Pancala) prince Yudhamanyu, at the head of his troops, fearlessly pursued the retreating Citrasena and pierced him with seven keen shafts, quickly sped one after another. At this, like a trampled snake of great energy repeatedly darting out its tongue and desirous of vomiting its poison, Citrasena turned back and pierced the Pancala prince with three shafts and his driver with six. The brave Yudhamanyu then struck off his enemy's head with a shaft equipped with goodly wings and an exceedingly keen point and sped with great care from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch. Upon the fall of his brother Citrasena, Karna, filled with wrath and displaying his prowess, put the Pandava host to flight, at which Nakula rushed against that warrior of immeasurable energy. Bhima, having slain there (at the very sight of Karna) the vindictive Duhshasana, took up a little quantity of his blood, and, endued with stentorian lungs, he said these words in the hearing of all those foremost of heroes of the world, "O wretch amongst men, here I drink thy life-blood from thy throat. Filled with joy, abuse us once more, saying 'beast, beast' (as thou didst before)." And he continued, "They that danced at us then, saying, 'beast, beast,' even we will dance at them now, repeating their own words.

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