(Sambhava Parva continued)
"Vaisampayana said, 'Meanwhile the Kauravas and the Pandavas, after having
thus sported there, set out, without Bhima, for Hastinapura, some on
horses, some on elephants, while others preferred cars and other
conveyances. And on their way they said to one another, "Perhaps, Bhima
hath gone before us." And the wicked Duryodhana was glad at heart to miss
Bhima, and entered the city with his brothers in joy.
"'The virtuous Yudhishthira, himself unacquainted with vice and wickedness,
regarded others to be as honest as himself. The eldest son of Pritha,
filled with fraternal love, going unto his mother, said, after making
obeisance to her, "O mother, hath Bhima come? O good mother, I don't find
him here. Where may he have gone? We long sought for him everywhere in the
gardens and the beautiful woods; but found him nowhere. At length, we
thought that the heroic Bhima preceded us all. O illustrious dame, we came
hither in great anxiety. Arrived here, where hath he gone? Have you sent
him anywhere? O tell me, I am full of doubts respecting the mighty Bhima.
He had been asleep and hath not come. I conclude he is no more."
"'Hearing these words of the highly intelligent Yudhishthira, Kunti
shrieked, in alarm, and said, "Dear son, I have not seen Bhima. He did not
come to me. O, return in haste, and with your brothers search for him."
"'Having said this in affliction to her eldest son, she summoned Vidura,
and said, "O illustrious Kshattri, Bhimasena is missing! Where has he
gone? The other brothers have all come back from the gardens, only Bhima
of mighty arms does not come home! Duryodhana likes him not. The Kaurava
is crooked and malicious and low-minded and imprudent. He coveteth the
throne openly. I am afraid he may have in a fit of anger slain my darling.
This afflicts me sorely, indeed, it burns my heart."
"'Vidura replied, "Blessed dame, say not so! Protect thy other sons with
care. If the wicked Duryodhana be accused, he may slay thy remaining sons.
The great sage hath said that all thy sons will be long-lived. Therefore,
Bhima will surely return and gladden thy heart."'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'The wise Vidura, having said this unto Kunti,
returned to his abode, while Kunti, in great anxiety, continued to stay at
home with her children.
"'Meanwhile, Bhimasena awoke from that slumber on the eighth day, and felt
strong beyond measure in consequence of the nectar he had taken having
been all digested. Seeing him awake, the Nagas began to console and cheer
him, saying, "O thou of mighty arms, the strength-giving liquor thou hast
drunk will give thee the might of ten thousand elephants! No one now will
be able to vanquish thee in fight. O bull of Kuru's race, do thou bath in
this holy and auspicious water and return home. Thy brothers are
disconsolate because of thee."
"'Then Bhima purified himself with a bath in those waters, and decked in
white robes and flowery garlands of the same hue, ate of the paramanna
(rice and sugar pudding) offered to him by the Nagas. Then that oppressor
of all foes, decked in celestial ornaments, received the adorations and
blessings of the snakes, and saluting them in return, rose from the nether
region. Bearing up the lotus-eyed Pandava from under the waters, the Nagas
placed him in the selfsame gardens wherein he had been sporting, and
vanished in his very sight.
"'The mighty Bhimasena, arrived on the surface of the earth, ran with speed
to his mother. And bowing down unto her and his eldest brother, and
smelling the heads of his younger brothers, that oppressor of all foes was
himself embraced by his mother and every one of those bulls among men.
Affectionate unto one another, they all repeatedly exclaimed, "What is our
joy today, O what joy!"
"'Then Bhima, endued with great strength and prowess, related to his
brothers everything about the villainy of Duryodhana, and the lucky and
unlucky incidents that had befallen him in the world of the Serpents.
Thereupon Yudhishthira said, "Do thou observe silence on this. Do not
speak of this to any one. From this day, protect ye all one another with
care." Thus cautioned by the righteous Yudhishthira, they all, with
Yudhishthira himself, became very vigilant from that day. And lest
negligence might occur on the part of the sons of Kunti, Vidura
continually offered them sage advice.
"'Some time after, Duryodhana again mixed in the food of Bhima a poison
that was fresh, virulent, and very deadly. But Yuyutsu (Dhritarashtra's
son by a Vaisya wife), moved by his friendship for the Pandavas, informed
them of this. Vrikodara, however, swallowed it without any hesitation, and
digested it completely. And, though virulent the poison produced no
effects on Bhima.
"'When that terrible poison intended for the destruction of Bhima failed of
its effect, Duryodhana, Karna and Sakuni, without giving up their wicked
design had recourse to numerous other contrivances for accomplishing the
death of the Pandavas. And though every one of these contrivances was
fully known to the Pandavas, yet in accordance with the advice of Vidura
they suppressed their indignation.
"'Meanwhile, the king (Dhritarashtra), beholding the Kuru princes passing
their time in idleness and growing naughty, appointed Gautama as their
preceptor and sent them unto him for instruction. Born among a clump of
heath, Gautama was well-skilled in the Vedas and it was under him (also
called Kripa) that the Kuru princes began to learn the use of arms.'"