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!’

“Vidura continued, ’Kirmira said unto Yudhishthira, “By good luck it is that fate hath accomplished today my long-accomplished desire!  With weapons upraised have I been continually ranging the entire earth with the object of slaying Bhima.  But Bhima I had found not.  By good luck it is that slayer of my brother, whom I had been seeking so long, hath come before me!  It was he who in the disguise of a Brahmana slew my dear brother Vaka in the Vetrakiya forest by virtue of his science.  He hath truly no strength of arms!  It is also this one of wicked soul who formerly slew my dear friend Hidimva, living in this forest and ravished his sister!  And that fool hath now come into this deep forest of mine, when the night is half spent, even at the time when we wander about!  Today I will wreak my long-cherished vengeance upon him, and I will today gratify (the manes of) Vaka with his blood in plenty!  By slaying this enemy of the Rakshasas, I shall today be freed from the debt I owe to my friend and my brother, and thereby attain supreme happiness!  If Bhimasena was let free formerly by Vaka, today, I will devour him in thy sight, O Yudhishthira!  And even as Agastya ate up and digested the mighty Asura (Vatapi) I will eat up and digest this Bhima!"’

“Vidura continued, ’Thus addressed by the Rakshasa, the virtuous Yudhishthira, steadfast in his pledges, said, “It can never be so,”—­and in anger rebuked the Rakshasa.  The mighty-armed Bhima then tore up in haste a tree of the length of ten Vyasas and stripped it of its leaves.  And in the space of a moment the ever-victorious Arjuna stringed his bow Gandiva possessing the force of the thunderbolt.  And, O Bharata, making Jishnu desist, Bhima approached that Rakshasa still roaring like the clouds and said unto him, “Stay!  Stay!” And thus addressing the cannibal, and tightening the cloth around his waist, and rubbing his palms, and biting his nether lip with his teeth, and armed with the tree, the powerful Bhima rushed