that knowledge.'

"Thus addressed by Pritha, the Brahmana with his wife became exceedingly
glad and assented to Kunti's speech, which was unto them as nectar. Then
Kunti, accompanied by the Brahmana, went unto the son of Vayu (Bhima) and
asked him to accomplish (that difficult task). Bhima replied unto them,
saying, 'So be it.'"

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