offence, and who wert in the disguise of a Brahmana?  He that knowing such a one to be even a Rakshasa, slayeth him, goes to hell.  Further, thou canst not be killed before the time cometh.  Surely to-day thou hast reached the fullness of thy time in as much as thy mind hath been thus turned by the wonder-performing Fate towards carrying off Krishna.  By committing thyself to this deed, thou hast swallowed up the hook fastened to the line of Fate.  So like unto a fish in water, whose mouth hath been hooked, how canst thou live to-day?  Thou shall not have to go whither thou intendest to, or whither thou hadst already gone mentally; but thou shall go whither have repaired Vaka and Hidimva.’

“Thus addressed by Bhima, the Rakshasa in alarm put them down; and being forced by Fate, approached for fight.  And with his lips trembling in anger he spake unto Bhima, saying, ’Wretch!  I have not been bewildered; I had been delaying for thee.  Today will I offer oblations of thy blood to those Rakshasas who, I had heard, have been slain by thee in fight.’  Thus addressed, Bhima, as if bursting with wrath, like unto Yama himself at the time of the universal dissolution, rushed towards the Rakshasa, licking the corners of his mouth and staring at him as he struck his own arms with the hands.  And seeing Bhima waiting in expectation of fight, the Rakshasa also darted towards him in anger, like unto Vali towards the wielder of the thunderbolt, repeatedly gaping and licking the corners of his mouth.  And when a dreadful wrestling ensued between those two, both the sons of Madri, waxing exceeding wroth rushed forward; but Kunti’s son, Vrikodara, forbade them with a smile and said, ’Witness ye!  I am more than a match for this Rakshasa.  By my own self and by my brothers, and by my merit, and by my good deeds, and by my sacrifices, do I swear that I shall slay this Rakshasa.’  And after this was said, those two heroes, the Rakshasa and Vrikodara challenging each other, caught each other by the arms.  And they not forgiving each other, then there ensued a conflict between the infuriated Bhima and the Rakshasa, like unto that between a god and a demon.  And repeatedly uprooting trees, those two of mighty strength struck each other, shouting and roaring like two masses of clouds.  And those foremost of athletes, each wishing to kill the other, and rushing at the other with vehemence, broke down many a gigantic tree by their thighs.  Thus that encounter with trees, destructive of plants, went on like unto that between the two brothers Vali and Sugriva—­desirous of the possession of a single woman.  Brandishing trees for a moment, they struck each other with them, shouting incessantly.  And when all the trees of the spot had been pulled down and crushed into fibres by them endeavouring to kill each other, then, O Bharata, those two of mighty strength, taking up rocks, began to fight for a while, like unto a mountain and a mighty mass of clouds.  And not suffering each other, they fell to striking