re
me! And when thou shalt be sorely pierced with my arrows, thou wilt not
then again speak in this way!' Having said this, Partha covered all sides
with arrows inspired by mantras. And he also displayed his skill in
shooting at an invisible mark by sound alone. And, O bull of the Bharata
race, sorely afflicted with thirst, he discharged barbed darts and
javelins and iron arrows, and showered on the sky innumerable shafts
incapable of being baffled. Thereupon, the invisible Yaksha said, 'What
need of all this trouble, O son of Pritha? Do thou drink only after
answering my questions! If thou drink, however, without answering my
questions, thou shalt die immediately after.' Thus addressed, Pritha's
son Dhananjaya capable of drawing the bow with his left hand as well,
disregarding those words, drank of the water, and immediately after
dropped down dead. And (seeing Dhananjaya's delay) Kunti's son
Yudhishthira addressed Bhimasena, saying, 'O represser of foes, it is a
long while that Nakula and Sahadeva and Vibhatsu have gone to fetch
water, and they have not come yet, O Bharata! Good betide thee! Do thou
bring them back, together with water!' Thereupon saying, 'So be it,'
Bhimasena set out for that place where those tigers among men, his
brothers, lay dead. And beholding them, Bhima afflicted though he was
with thirst, was exceedingly distressed. And that mighty armed hero
thought all that to have been the act of some Yaksha or Rakshasa. And
Pritha's son Vrikodara thought, 'I shall surely have to fight today. Let
me, therefore, first appease my thirst.' Then that bull of the Bharata
race rushed forward with the intention of drinking. Thereupon the Yaksha
said, 'O child, do not commit this rash act! This lake hath already been
in my possession. Do thou first answer my questions, and then drink and
take away as much water as thou requirest!'"

Vaisampayana continued, "Thus addressed by that Yaksha of immeasurable
energy, Bhima, without answering his questions, drank of the water. And
as soon as he drank, he fell down dead on the spot. Then thinking that
his brothers had left him long since, Yudhishthira waited for some time.
And the king said unto himself again and again, 'Why is it that the two
sons of Madri are delaying? And why doth the wielder also of the Gandiva
delay? And why doth Bhima too, endued with great strength, delay? I shall
go to search for them!' And resolved to do this, the mighty-armed
Yudhishthira then ro