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
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