near regarding his brother, Bhima, the doer of dreadful
deeds in battle, saying, ’O Panchali, is Bhima
intent upon performing some great feat, or hath that
one delighting in daring deeds already achieved some
brave deed? Portending some great danger, these
omens have appeared all around, indicating a fearful
battle.’ When Yudhishthira said this, his
beloved queen, the high-minded Krishna of sweet smiles,
answered him, in order to remove his anxiety.
’O king, that Saugandhika lotus which to-day
had been brought by the wind, I had out of love duly
shown unto Bhimasena; and I had also said unto that
hero, If thou canst find many of this species, procuring
even all of them, do thou return speedily,—O
Pandava, that mighty armed one, with the view of gratifying
my desire, may have gone towards the north-east to
bring them.’ Having heard these words of
hers, the king said unto the twins, ’Let us together
follow the path taken by Vrikodara. Let the Rakshasas
carry those Brahmanas that are fatigued and weak.
O Ghatotkacha, O thou like unto a celestial, do thou
carry Krishna. I am convinced and it is plain
that Bhima hath dived into the forest; for it is long
since he hath gone, and in speed he resembleth the
wind, and in clearing over the ground, he is swift
like unto Vinata’s son, and he will ever leap
into the sky, and alight at his will. O Rakshasas,
we shall follow him through your prowess. He will
not at first do any wrong to the Siddhas versed in
the Vedas.’ O best of the Bharatas, saying,
‘So be it,’ Hidimva’s son and the
other Rakshasas who knew the quarter where the lotus
lake of Kuvera was situated, started cheerfully with
Lomasa, bearing the Pandavas, and many of the Brahmanas.
Having shortly reached that spot, they saw that romantic
lake covered with Saugandhika and other lotuses and
surrounded by beautiful woods. And on its shores
they beheld the high-souled and vehement Bhima, as
also the slaughtered Yakshas of large eyes, with their
bodies, eyes, arms and thighs smashed, and their heads
crushed. And on seeing the high-souled Bhima,
standing on the shore of that lake in an angry mood,
and with steadfast eyes, and biting his lip, and stationed
on the shore of the lake with his mace upraised by
his two hands, like unto Yama with his mace in his
hand at the time of the universal dissolution, Yudhishthira
the just, embraced him again and again, and said in
sweet words, ’O Kaunteya, what hast thou done?
Good betide thee! If thou wishest to do good
unto me, thou shouldst never again commit such a rash
act, nor offend the gods.’ Having thus instructed
the son of Kunti, and taken the flowers those god-like
ones began to sport in that very lake. At this
instant, the huge-bodied warders of the gardens, equipped
with rocks for weapons, presented themselves at the
spot. And seeing Yudhishthira the just and the
great sage Lomasa and Nakula and Sahadeva and also
the other foremost of Brahmanas, they all bowed themselves
down in humility. And being pacified by Yudhishthira
the just, the Rakshasas became satisfied. And
with the knowledge of Kuvera, those foremost of Kurus
for a short time dwelt pleasantly at that spot on the
slopes of the Gandhamadana, expecting Arjuna.”