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.'"
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