ested
that poison with the food, without sustaining any injury, for, O best of
men and mighty-armed one, Bhima's days had not been ended! O Krishna, it
is Duryodhana who at the house standing by the banyan called Pramana
bound Bhima sleeping unsuspectingly, and casting him into the Ganges
returned to the city. But the powerful Bhimasena the son of Kunti,
possessed of mighty arms, on waking from sleep, tore his bonds and rose
from the water. It is Duryodhana, who caused venomous black-cobras to
bite all over the body of Bhimasena, but that slayer of foes died not.
Awaking, the son of Kunti smashed all the serpents and with his left hand
killed (the agent, viz.) the favourite charioteer of Duryodhana. Again,
while the children were asleep at Varanavata with their mother, it is he
who set fire to the house intending to burn them to death. Who is there
capable of doing such an act? It was then that the illustrious Kunti,
overtaken by this calamity, and surrounded by the flames, began to cry
out in terror, speaking to the children, 'Alas, I am undone! How shall we
escape from this fire today! Alas, I shall meet with destruction with my
little children!' Then Bhima, possessed of mighty arms, and prowess like
unto the force of the wind, comforted his illustrious mother as also his
brothers, saying, 'Like that king of birds, Garuda, the son of Vinata, I
will spring up into the air. We have no fear from this fire'. And then
taking his mother on his left flank, and the king in his right, and the
twins on each shoulder, and Vivatsu on his back, the mighty Vrikodara,
thus taking all of them, at one leap cleared the fire and delivered his
mother and brother from the conflagration. Setting out that night with
their renowned mother, they came near the forest of Hidimva. And while
fatigued and distressed, they were sleeping fast with her, a Rakshasa
woman called Hidimva approached them. Beholding the Pandavas with their
mother asleep on the ground, influenced by desire she sought to have
Bhimasena for her lord. The weak one then took up Bhima's feet on her lap
to press them with her soft hands. The mighty Bhima of immeasurable
energy, of prowess that could not be baffled, then woke from sleep, and
asked her, saying, 'O thou of faultless features, what dost thou wish
here?' Thus asked by him, the Rakshasa lady of faultless features,
capable, besides, of assuming any form at will, replied unto the
high-souled Bhima, saying, 'Do ye speedily