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).
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