thee in thy talk! O best of Kurus, do not tell any one that I abide
here. O thou of great strength, the most excellent of the wives of the
gods and Gandharvas resort to this place, and the time of their arrival
is nigh. My eyes have been blessed (by seeing thee). And, O Bhima,
having felt a human being by coming in contact with thee, I have been
put in mind of that son of Raghu, who was Vishnu himself under the name
of Rama, and who delighted the heart of the world; and who was as the
sun in regard to the lotus face of Sita, and also to that
darkness--Ravana. Therefore, O heroic son of Kunti, let not thy meeting
with me be fruitless. Do thou with fraternal feeling ask of me a boon, O
Bharata. If this be thy wish, that going to Varanavata, I may destroy
the insignificant sons of Dhritarashtra--even this will I immediately
do. Or if this be thy wish that, that city may be ground by me with
rocks, or that I may bind Duryodhana and bring him before thee, even
this will I do to-day, O thou of mighty strength.'"

Vaisampayana said, "Hearing those words of that high-souled one,
Bhimasena with a cheerful heart answered Hanuman, saying, 'O foremost of
monkeys, I take all this as already performed by thee. Good happen to
thee. O mighty-armed one! I ask of thee this,--be thou well pleased with
me. O powerful one, on thy having become our protector, the Pandavas
have found help. Even by thy prowess shall we conquer all foes.' Thus
addressed, Hanuman said unto Bhimasena, 'From fraternal feeling and
affection, I will do good unto thee, by diving into the army of thy foes
copiously furnished with arrows and javelins. And, O highly powerful
one, O hero, when thou shall give leonine roars, then shall I with my
own, add force to shouts. Remaining on the flagstaff of Arjuna's car
will I emit fierce shouts that will damp the energy of thy foes. Thereby
ye will slay them easily.' Having said this unto Pandu's son, and also
pointed him out the way. Hanuman vanished at that spot."

SECTION CLI

Vaisampayana said, "When that foremost of monkeys had gone away, Bhima,
the best of strong men, began to range the huge Gandhamadana along that
path. And he went on, thinking of Hanuman's body and splendour
unrivalled on earth, and also of the greatness and dignity of
Dasaratha's son. And proceeding in search of the place filled with
lotuses of that kind, Bhima beheld romantic woods, and groves, and
rivers, and lakes graced with trees bearing blo