the evil-minded son of
Dhritarashtra, saying, 'Since, slighting me thou declinest to act
according to my words, thou shalt speedily reap the fruit of this thy
insolence! In the great war which shall spring out of the wrongs
perpetrated by thee, the mighty Bhima shall smash that thigh of thine
with a stroke of his mace!

'When the Muni had spoken so, king Dhritarashtra began to pacify the
sage, in order that what he had said might not happen. But Maitreya said,
'O king, if thy son concludeth peace with the Pandavas, this curse of
mine, O child, will not take effect, otherwise it must be as I have said!'

"Vaisampayana said, 'Desirous of ascertaining the might of Bhima, that
foremost of kings, the father of Duryodhana, then asked Maitreya, saying,
'How was Kirmira slain by Bhima?'

"Maitreya said, 'I shall not speak again unto thee, O king, for my words
are not regarded by thy son. After I have gone away, Vidura will relate
everything unto thee!' And saying this, Maitreya went away to the place
whence he had come. And Duryodhana also went out perturbed at the tidings
of Kirmira's death (at the hand of Bhima).'"

SECTION XI

(Kirmirabadha Parva)

"Dhritarashtra said, 'O Kshatta, I am desirous to hear of the destruction
of Kirmira! Do thou tell me how the encounter took place between the
Rakshasa and Bhimasena!'

"Vidura said, 'Listen to the story of that feat of Bhimasena of super
human achievements! I have often heard of it in course of my conversation
with the Pandavas (while I was with them)

'O foremost of kings, defeated at dice the Pandavas departed from hence
and travelling for three days and nights they at length reached those
woods that go by the name of Kamyaka. O king, just after the dreadful
hour of midnight when all nature is asleep, when man-eating Rakshasas of
terrible deeds begin to wander, the ascetics and the cowherds and other
rangers of the forest used to shun the woods of Kamyaka and fly to a
distance from fear of cannibals. And, O Bharata, as the Pandavas were at
this hour entering those woods a fearful Rakshasa of flaming eyes
appeared before them with a lighted brand, obstructing their path. And
with outstretched arms and terrible face, he stood obstructing the way on
which those perpetuators of the Kuru race were proceeding. With eight
teeth standing out, with eyes of coppery hue, and with the hair of his
head blazing and standing erect, the fiend looked like a mass of clouds
reflecti