Bhima defeats Magadha, Karna, and eastern mountain kings
Bhima marches east towards the powerful kingdom of Magadha, absorbing defeated kings into his own force. He subjugates Jarasandha's son in his mountain fortress, then turns to face his brother's greatest rival: the mighty and proud warrior Karna.
The eastern march was the most politically charged. After defeating the Suhmas, Bhima marched towards Magadha, the formidable kingdom once ruled by the mighty Jarasandha. He defeated the kings Danda and Dandadhara along the way, and these defeated rulers, along with many others, were added to his own growing army. He then attacked Girivraja, the mountain fortress of Magadha, with this combined force at his back.
There, he subjugated Jarasandha’s son, extracting tribute and securing the allegiance of the most powerful eastern kingdom. With Magadha under his sway, the powerful Pandava turned to a more personal and formidable objective. He marched with his fourfold army—so vast it made the earth tremble—against Karna, the son of Surya and the sworn rival of the Pandavas, especially Arjuna.
The best of the Pandavas fought with Karna, the destroyer of enemies. In that battle, Bhima vanquished him. He brought the proud, gifted warrior under his sway, a monumental political and military victory that neutralized a direct threat to his family’s ascendancy.
His momentum unchecked, Bhima then defeated the powerful kings who lived in the eastern mountains. In a great battle, using only the strength of his arms, he defeated the immensely strong Modagiri. He next turned to the marshy lands along the Koushiki river, where he defeated two terrible and energetic warriors: Vasudeva, the king of Poundra, and the brave king who dwelt in those marshes. Both were surrounded by large armies, and both fell to Bhima’s campaign, securing the Pandava grip on the entire eastern reach.