hue, and with the hair of his head blazing and standing erect, the fiend looked like a mass of clouds reflecting the rays of the sun or mingled with lightning flashes and graced with flocks of cranes underneath on their wings.  And uttering frightful yells and roaring like a mass of clouds charged with rain, the fiend began to spread the illusion proper to his species.  Hearing that terrible roar, birds along with other creatures that live on land or in water, began to drop down in all directions, uttering cries of fear.  And in consequence of the deer and the leopards and the buffaloes and the bears flying about in all directions, it seemed as if the forest itself was in motion.  And swayed by the wind raised by the sighs of the Rakshasa, creepers growing at a great distance seemed to embrace the trees with their arms of coppery leaves.  And at that moment, a violent wind began to blow, and the sky became darkened with the dust that covered it.  And as grief is the greatest enemy of the object of the five senses, even so appeared before the Pandavas that unknown foe of theirs.  And beholding the Pandavas from a distance clad in black deer-skins, the Rakshasa obstructed their passage through the forest even like the Mainaka mountain.  And at the sight of him never seen before the lotus-eyed Krishna, agitated with fear, closed her eyes.  And she whose braids had been dishevelled by the hand of Dussasana, stationed in the midst of the five Pandavas, looked like a stream chafing amid five hills.  And seeing her overwhelmed with fear the five Pandavas supported her as the five senses influenced by desire adhere to the pleasures relating to their objects.  And Dhaumya of great (ascetic) energy, in the presence of the sons of Pandu, destroyed the fearful illusion that had been spread by the Rakshasa, by applying various mantras, calculated to destroy the Rakshasa.  And beholding his illusion dispelled, the mighty Rakshasa of crooked ways, capable of assuming any form at will, expanded his eyes in wrath and seemed like death himself.  Then king Yudhishthira, endued with great wisdom, addressed him saying, ’Who art thou, and whose (son)?  Tell us what we should do for thee.’  The Rakshasa thus addressed, answered Yudhishthira the just, saying, ’I am the brother of Vaka, the celebrated Kirmira.  I live at ease in these deserted woods of Kamyaka, daily procuring my food by vanquishing men in fight.  Who are ye that have come near me in the shape of my food?  Defeating ye all in fight, I will eat ye with pleasure.’

“Vaisampayana continued, ’O Bharata, hearing these words of the wretch, Yudhishthira announced his own name and lineage, saying, ’I am king Yudhishthira the just, the son of Pandu, of whom thou mayst have heard.  Deprived of my kingdom, I have with my brothers Bhimasena and Arjuna and the others, in course of my wanderings, come into this terrible forest which is thy dominion, desirous of passing my period of exile here!’