Bhima defeats Shalya, causing the kings to disperse

In another part of the arena, a second duel began. Shalya, the king of Madra and a warrior of legendary strength, rushed at Bhima. They were both masters of fighting, and they met like two maddened elephants. They called out to each other, striking with clenched fists and knees, dragging each other through the dust. For a while, they were evenly matched. Then the immensely powerful Bhima found his moment. He raised Shalya up with his arms and hurled the king down onto the ground. The watching Brahmanas laughed. Bhimasena had surprised everyone. He did not kill Shalya — he simply proved he could. The act, combined with what was happening elsewhere, broke the will of the assembly. Karna had already been scared away by Arjuna. Now Shalya lay defeated. All the other kings were frightened. They surrounded Bhima and spoke among themselves. "These bulls among Brahmanas are supreme," they said. "We must find out what lineage they were born in and where they live. Who can fight with Radheya Karna in battle except a handful of the world's greatest warriors? Who can vanquish the powerful Shalya except the brave Baladeva or Pandava Vrikodara himself? Let us desist from this fight. We will find out who they are, and then we can happily fight them another day." Krishna, witnessing Bhima's feat, believed them to be Kunti's sons. He gently restrained the assembled kings and declared, "This lady has been won according to dharma." The statement was final. Those best of kings, skilled in battle, refrained from further conflict. Wonderstruck, they returned to their kingdoms. The arena emptied with a single exclamation: the Brahmanas had won the day, and Panchali had become the wife of a Brahmana.