The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa BOOK 1 ADI PARVA SECTION CLXIV (Vaka-vadha Parva continued)

 The Mahabharata of

Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa BOOK 1

ADI PARVA

 SECTION CLXIV

(Vaka-vadha Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said, 'After Bhima had pledged himself to accomplish the

task, saying, 'I will do it,' the Pandavas, O Bharata, returned home with

the alms they had obtained during the day. Then Yudhishthira, the son of

Pandu from Bhima's countenance alone, suspected the nature of the task he

had undertaken to accomplish. Sitting by the side of his mother,

Yudhishthira asked her in private, 'What is the task, O mother, that

Bhima of terrible prowess seeketh to accomplish? Doth he do so at thy

command or of his own accord?' Kunti replied, 'Bhima, that chastiser of

foes, will at my command, do this great deed for the good of the Brahmana

and the liberation of this town.'

"Yudhishthira said, 'What rash act hast thou done, O mother! It is

difficult of being performed and almost amounteth to suicide! The learned

never applaud the abandonment of one's own child. Why dost thou, O

mother, wish to sacrifice thy own child for the sake of another's? Thou

hast, O mother, by this abandonment of thy child, acted not only against

the course of human practices but also against the teachings of the

Vedas, That Bhima, relying on whose arms we sleep happily in the night

and hope to recover the kingdom of which we have been deprived by the

covetous son of Dhritarashtra, that hero of immeasurable energy,

remembering whose prowess Duryodhana and Sakuni do not sleep a wink

during the whole night and by whose prowess we were rescued from the

palace of lac and various other dangers, that Bhima who caused the death

of Purochana, and relying on whose might we regard ourselves as having

already slain the sons of Dhritarashtra and acquired the whole earth with

all her wealth, upon what considerations, O mother, hast thou resolved

upon abandoning him? Hast thou been deprived of thy reason? Hath thy

understanding been clouded by the calamities thou hast undergone?'

"On hearing these words of her son, Kunti said, 'O Yudhishthira, thou

needst not be at all anxious on account of Vrikodara. I have not come to

this resolve owing to any weakness of understanding. Respected by him,

and with our sorrows assuaged, we have, O son, been living in the house

of this Brahmana, unknown to the sons of Dhritarashtra. For requiting, O

son, that Brahmana, I have resolved to do this. He, indeed, is a man upon

whom good offices are never lost. The measure of his requital becometh

greater than the measure of the services he receiveth. Beholding the

prowess of Bhima on the occasion of (our escape from) the house of lac,

and from the destruction also of Hidimva, my confidence in Vrikodara is

great. The might of Bhima's arms is equal unto that of ten thousand

elephants. It was, therefore, that he succeeded in carrying you all, each

heavy as an elephant, from Varanavata. There is no one on earth equal

unto Bhima in might; he may even overcome that foremost of warriors, the

holder of the thunderbolt himself. Soon after his birth he fell from my

lap on the breast of the mountain. By the weight of his body the mass of

stone on which he fell down broke in pieces. From this also, O son of

Pandu, I have come to know Bhima's might. For this reason have I resolved

to set him against the Brahmana's foe. I have not acted in this from

foolishness or ignorance or from motive of gain. I have deliberately

resolved to do this virtuous deed. By this act, O Yudhishthira, two

objects will be accomplished; one is a requital of the services rendered

by the Brahmana and the other is the acquisition of high religious merit.

It is my conviction that the Kshatriya who rendereth help unto a Brahmana

in anything acquireth regions of bliss hereafter. So also a Kshatriya who

saveth the life of a Kshatriya achieveth that great fame in this world as

in the other. A Kshatriya rendering help unto a Vaisya also on this earth

certainly acquires world-wide popularity. One of the kingly tribe should

protect even the Sudra who cometh to him for protection. If he doeth so,

in his next life he receiveth his birth in a royal line, commanding

prosperity and the respect of other kings. O scion of Puru's race, the

illustrious Vyasa of wisdom acquired by hard ascetic toil told me so in

bygone days. It is therefore, that I have resolved upon accomplishing

this.'"

SECTION CLXV

(Vaka-vadha Parva continued)

"Having heard these words of his mother, Yudhishthira said, 'What thou, O

mother, hast deliberately done, moved by compassion for the afflicted

Brahmana, is, indeed, excellent Bhima will certainly come back with life,

after having slain the cannibal, inasmuch as thou art, O mother, always

compassionate unto Brahmanas. But tell the Brahmana, O mother, that he

doth not do anything whereby the dwellers in this town may know all about

it, and make him promise to keep thy request.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Then, when the night passed away, Bhimasena,

the son of Pandu, taking with him the Rakshasa's food set out for the

place where the cannibal lived. The mighty son of Pandu, approaching the

forest where the Rakshasa dwelt, began to eat himself the food he

carried, calling loudly to the Rakshasa by name. The Rakshasa, inflamed

with anger at Bhima's words, came out and approached the place where

Bhima was.

"Of huge body and great strength, of red eyes, red beard, and red hair,

he was terrible to behold, and he came, pressing deep the earth with his

tread. The opening of his mouth, was from ear to ear and his ears

themselves were straight as arrows. Of grim visage, he had a forehead

furrowed into three lines. Beholding Bhima eating his food, the Rakshasa

advanced, biting his nether lip and expanding his eyes in wrath. And

addressing Bhima he said, 'Who is this fool, who desiring to go to the

abode of Yama, eateth in my very sight the food intended for me?' Hearing

these words, Bhima, O Bharata, smiled in derision and disregarding the

Rakshasa, continued eating with averted face. Beholding this, the

cannibal uttered a frightful yell and with both arms upraised ran at

Bhima desiring to kill him, there and then. Even then disregarding the

Rakshasa and casting only a single glance at him, Vrikodara, that slayer

of hostile heroes continued to eat the Rakshasa's food. Filled with wrath

at this, the Rakshasa struck, from behind with both his arms a heavy blow

on the back of Vrikodara, the son of Kunti. But Bhima, though struck

heavily by the mighty Rakshasa, with both his hands, did not even look up

at the Rakshasa but continued to eat as before. Then the mighty Rakshasa,

inflamed with wrath, tore up a tree and ran at Bhima for striking him

again. Meanwhile the mighty Bhima, that bull among men had leisurely

eaten up the whole of that food and washing himself stood cheerfully for

fight. Then, O Bharata, possessed of great energy, Bhima, smiling in

derision, caught with his left hand the tree hurled at him by the

Rakshasa in wrath. Then that mighty Rakshasa, tearing up many more trees,

hurled them at Bhima, and the Pandava also hurled as many at the

Rakshasa. Then, O king, the combat with trees between that human being

and the Rakshasa, became so terrible that the region around soon became

destitute of trees. Then the Rakshasa, saying that he was none else than

Vaka, sprang upon the Pandava and seized the mighty Bhima with his arms.

That mighty hero also clasping with his own strong arms the strong-armed

Rakshasa, and exerting himself actively, began to drag him violently.

Dragged by Bhima and dragging Bhima also, the cannibal was overcome with

great fatigue. The earth began to tremble in consequence of the strength

they both exerted, and large trees that stood there broke in pieces. Then

Bhima, beholding the cannibal overcome with fatigue, pressed him down on

the earth with his knees and began to strike him with great force. Then

placing one knee on the middle of the Rakshasa's back, Bhima seized his

neck with his right hand and the cloth on his waist with his left, and

bent him double with great force. The cannibal then roared frightfully.

And, O monarch, he also began to vomit blood while he was being thus

broken on Bhima's knee.'"

SECTION CLXVI

(Vaka-vadha Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said 'Then Vaka, huge as a mountain, thus broken (on

Bhima's knee), died, uttering frightful yells. Terrified by these sounds,

the relatives of that Rakshasa came out, O king, with their attendants.

Bhima, that foremost of smiters, seeing them so terrified and deprived of

reason, comforted them and made them promise (to give up cannibalism),

saying, 'Do not ever again kill human beings. If ye kill men, ye will

have to die even as Vaka.' Those Rakshasas hearing this speech of Bhima,

said, 'So be it,' and gave, O king, the desired promise. From that day, O

Bharata, the Rakshasas (of the region) were seen by the inhabitants of

that town to be very peaceful towards mankind. Then Bhima, dragging the

lifeless cannibal, placed him at one of the gates of the town and went

away unobserved by any one. The kinsmen of Vaka, beholding him slain by

the might of Bhima, became frightened and fled in different directions.

"Meanwhile Bhima, having slain the Rakshasa, returned to the Brahmana's

abode and related to Yudhishthira all that had happened, in detail. The

next morning the inhabitants of the town in coming out saw the Rakshasa

lying dead on the ground, his body covered with blood. Beholding that

terrible cannibal, huge as a mountain cliff, thus mangled and lying on

the ground, the hair of the spectators stood erect. Returning to

Ekachakra, they soon gave the intelligence. Then, O king, the citizens by

thousands accompanied by their wives, young and old, all began to come to

the spot for beholding the Vaka and they were all amazed at seeing that

superhuman feat. Instantly, O monarch, they began to pray to their gods.

Then they began to calculate whose turn it had been the day before to

carry food to the Rakshasa. And ascertaining this, they all came to that

Brahmana and asked him (to satisfy their curiosity). Thus asked by them

repeatedly, that bull among Brahmanas, desirous of concealing the

Pandavas, said these words unto all the citizens, 'A certain high-souled

Brahmana, skilled in mantras, beheld me weeping with my relatives after I

had been ordered to supply the Rakshasa's food. Asking me the cause and

ascertaining the distress of the town, that first of Brahmanas gave me

every assurance and with smiles said, 'I shall carry the food for that

wretched Rakshasa today. Do not fear for me.' Saying this he conveyed the

food towards the forest of Vaka. This deed, so beneficial unto us all,

hath very certainly been done by him.'

Then those Brahmanas and Kshatriyas (of the city), hearing this, wondered

much. And the Vaisyas and the Sudras also became exceedingly glad, and

they all established a festival in which the worship of Brahmanas was the

principal ceremony (in remembrance of this Brahmana who had relieved them

from their fears of Vaka).