(Vaka-vadha Parva continued)
"'Having heard these words of his mother, Yudhishthira said, "What thou, O
mother, hast deliberately done, moved by compassion for the afflicted
Brahmana, is, indeed, excellent. Bhima will certainly come back with life,
after having slain the cannibal, inasmuch as thou art, O mother, always
compassionate unto Brahmanas. But tell the Brahmana, O mother, that he
doth not do anything whereby the dwellers in this town may know all about
it, and make him promise to keep thy request."'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Then, when the night passed away, Bhimasena, the
son of Pandu, taking with him the Rakshasa's food set out for the place
where the cannibal lived. The mighty son of Pandu, approaching the forest
where the Rakshasa dwelt, began to eat himself the food he carried,
calling loudly to the Rakshasa by name. The Rakshasa, inflamed with anger
at Bhima's words, came out and approached the place where Bhima was.
"'Of huge body and great strength, of red eyes, red beard, and red hair, he
was terrible to behold, and he came, pressing deep the earth with his
tread. The opening of his mouth, was from ear to ear and his ears
themselves were straight as arrows. Of grim visage, he had a forehead
furrowed into three lines. Beholding Bhima eating his food, the Rakshasa
advanced, biting his nether lip and expanding his eyes in wrath. And
addressing Bhima he said, "Who is this fool, who desiring to go to the
abode of Yama, eateth in my very sight the food intended for me?" Hearing
these words, Bhima, O Bharata, smiled in derision and disregarding the
Rakshasa, continued eating with averted face. Beholding this, the cannibal
uttered a frightful yell and with both arms upraised ran at Bhima desiring
to kill him, there and then. Even then disregarding the Rakshasa and
casting only a single glance at him, Vrikodara, that slayer of hostile
heroes continued to eat the Rakshasa's food. Filled with wrath at this,
the Rakshasa struck from behind with both his arms a heavy blow on the
back of Vrikodara, the son of Kunti. But Bhima, though struck heavily by
the mighty Rakshasa, with both his hands, did not even look up at the
Rakshasa but continued to eat as before. Then the mighty Rakshasa,
inflamed with wrath, tore up a tree and ran at Bhima for striking him
again. Meanwhile the mighty Bhima, that bull among men had leisurely eaten
up the whole of that food and washing himself stood cheerfully for fight.
Then, O Bharata, possessed of great energy, Bhima, smiling in derision,
caught with his left hand the tree hurled at him by the Rakshasa in wrath.
Then that mighty Rakshasa, tearing up many more trees, hurled them at
Bhima, and the Pandava also hurled as many at the Rakshasa. Then, O king,
the combat with trees between that human being and the Rakshasa, became so
terrible that the region around soon became destitute of trees. Then the
Rakshasa, saying that he was none else than Vaka, sprang upon the Pandava
and seized the mighty Bhima with his arms. That mighty hero also clasping
with his own strong arms the strong-armed Rakshasa, and exerting himself
actively, began to drag him violently. Dragged by Bhima and dragging Bhima
also, the cannibal was overcome with great fatigue. The earth began to
tremble in consequence of the strength they both exerted, and large trees
that stood there broke in pieces. Then Bhima, beholding the cannibal
overcome with fatigue, pressed him down on the earth with his knees and
began to strike him with great force. Then placing one knee on the middle
of the Rakshasa's back, Bhima seized his neck with his right hand and the
cloth on his waist with his left, and bent him double with great force.
The cannibal then roared frightfully. And, O monarch, he also began to
vomit blood while he was being thus broken on Bhima's knee.'"