SECTION CLXV
(Vaka-badha Parva continued)
"Having heard these words of his mother, Yudhishthira said, what thou, O mother, bast 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 anying whereby the dwellers in this town, may know all about it, and make him promise to keep thy
request !
Vaisa mpayana continued. "Then, when the night passed away. Bhimasena, the son of Pandu. taking with him the Raksbasa'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 Raksha sa, 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 eats themselves were straight as arrows. Of grim visage his forehead was 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 bis 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
