“And that one going about on the shoulders of men, on seeing Bhima stand desirous of fighting with sharpened shafts, said unto Dharma’s son, ’O Partha, all the creatures know thee as engaged in their good.  Do thou. therefore, with thy brothers fearlessly dwell on this summit of the mountain.  And, O Pandava, be thou not angry with Bhima.  These Yakshas and Rakshasas had already been slain by Destiny:  thy brother hath been the instrument merely.  And it is not necessary to feel shame for the act of impudence that hath been committed.  This destruction of the Rakshasas had been foreseen by the gods.  I entertain no anger towards Bhimasena.  Rather, O foremost of the Bharata a race, I am pleased with him; nay,—­even before coming here, I had been gratified with this deed of Bhima.’”

Vaisampayana said, “Having spoken thus unto the king, (Kuvera) said unto Bhimasena, ’O child, O best of the Kurus, I do not mind this, O Bhima, as in order to please Krishna, thou hast, disregarding the gods and me also, committed this rash act, namely, the destruction of the Yakshas and the Rakshasas, depending on the strength of thy arms, I am well-pleased with thee.  O Vrikodara, to-day I have been freed from a terrible curse.  For some offence, that great Rishi, Agastya, had cursed me in anger.  Thou hast delivered me by this act (of thine).  O Pandu’s son, my disgrace had ere this been fated.  No offence, therefore, in any way, attaches unto thee, O Pandava.’

“Yudhishthira said, ’O divine one, why wast thou cursed by the high-souled Agastya?  O god, I am curious to hear about the occasion of that imprecation.  I wonder that at that very moment, thou together with thy forces and attendants wast not consumed by the ire of that intelligent one.’

“Thereupon the lord of treasures said, ’At Kusasthali, O king, once there was held a conclave of the gods.  And surrounded by grimvisaged Yakshas, numbering three hundred maha-padmas, carrying various weapons, I was going to that place.  And on the way, I saw that foremost of sages, Agastya, engaged in the practice of severe austerities on the bank of the Yamuna, abounding in various birds and graced with blossoming trees.  And, O king, immediately on seeing that mass of energy, flaming and brilliant as fire, seated with upraised arms, facing the sun, my friend, the graceful lord of the Rakshasas, Maniman, from stupidity, foolishness, hauteur and ignorance discharged his excrement on the crown of that Maharshi.  Thereupon, as if burning all the cardinal points by his wrath, he said unto me, ’Since, O lord of treasures, in thy very presence, disregarding me, this thy friend hath thus affronted me, he, together with thy forces, shall meet with destruction at the hands of a mortal.  And, O wicked-minded one, thou also, being distressed on account of thy fallen soldiers, shalt be freed from thy sin, on beholding that mortal.  But if they follow thy behests, their (the soldier’s) powerful sons shall not incur by this dreadful curse.  This curse I received formerly from that foremost of Rishis.  Now, O mighty king, have I been delivered by thy brother Bhima.’”