with destruction.' At this Bhimasena replied.
'Destruction at anything else do I not ask thee about, O monkey. Do thou
give me passage. Arise! Do not come by grief at my hands.' Hanuman said,
'I have no strength to rise; I am suffering from illness. If go thou
must, do thou go by overleaping me.' Bhima said, 'The Supreme Soul void
of the properties pervadeth a body all over. Him knowable alone by
knowledge, I cannot disregard. And therefore, will I not overleap thee.
If I had not known Him from Whom become manifest all creatures, I would
have leapt over thee and also the mountain, even as Hanuman had bounded
over the ocean.' Thereupon Hanuman said, 'Who is that Hanuman, who had
bounded over the ocean? I ask thee, O best of men. Relate if thou canst.'
Bhima replied, "He is even my brother, excellent with every perfection,
and endued with intelligence and strength both of mind and body. And he
is the illustrious chief of monkeys, renowned in the Ramayana. And for
Rama's queen, that king of the monkeys even with one leap crossed the
ocean extending over a hundred yojanas. That mighty one is my brother. I
am equal unto him in energy, strength and prowess and also in fight. And
able am I to punish thee. So arise. Either give me passage or witness my
prowess to-day. If thou do not listen to my bidding, I shall send thee to
the abode of Yama."

Vaisampayana continued. "Then knowing him (Bhima) to be intoxicated with
strength, and proud of the might of his arms, Hanuman, slighting him at
heart, said the following words, 'Relent thou, O sinless one. In
consequence of age, I have no strength to get up. From pity for me, do
thou go, moving aside my tail.' Being thus addressed by Hanuman, Bhima
proud of the strength of his arms, took him for one wanting in energy and
prowess, and thought within himself, 'Taking fast hold of the tail, will
I send this monkey destitute of energy and prowess, to the region of
Yama.' Thereat, with a smile he slightingly took hold of the tail with
his left hand; but could not move that tail of the mighty monkey. Then
with both arms he pulled it, resembling the pole reared in honour of
Indra. Still the mighty Bhima could not raise the tail with both his
arms. And his eye-brows were contracted up, and his eyes rolled, and his
face was contracted into wrinkles and his body was covered with sweat;
and yet he could not raise it. And when after having striven, the
illustrious Bhima failed in raising the tail,