odhana! And then, with eyes red in
anger, Maitreya, touching water, cursed 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
superhuman 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 blazi