Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/487

Vaisampayana continued, "Hearing those words of hers, Yudhish-thira suddenly rose up and Arjuna also and Nakula and Sahadeva of great energy. And they beheld Bhima and the Rakshasa already engaged in fight, eager to overcome each other and dragging each other with great force, like two lions endued with great might. The dust raised by their feet in consequence of that encounter looked like the smoke of a forest-conflagration. And covered with the dust their huge bodies resembled two tall cliffs enveloped in mist. Then Arjuna, beholding Bhima rather oppressed in the fight by the Rakshasa, slowly said, with smiles on his lips, 'Fear not, O Bhima of mighty arms! (We had been asleep) and (therefore) knew not that thou wast engaged with a terrible Rakshasa and tired in fight! Here do I stand to help thee. Let me slay the Rakshasa, and let Nakula and Sahadeva protect our mother.' Hearing him, Bhima said, 'Look on this encounter, O brother, like a stranger! Fear not for the result! Having come within the reach of my arms, he shall not escape with life.' Then Arjuna said, 'What need, O Bhima, for keeping this Rakshasa alive so long? O thou oppressor of all enemies, we are to go hence, and cannot stay, here longer. The east is reddening, the morning twilight is about to set in. Rakshasas become stronger by break of day. Therefore, hasten, O Bhima! Play not (with thy victim), but slay the terrible Rakshasa soon. During the two twilights Rakshasas always put forth their powers of deception. Use all the strength of thy arms.'"

Vaisampayana continued, "At this speech of Arjuna, Bhima, flaming up with anger, summoned the might that (his father) Vayu puts forth at the time of the universal dissolution. And filled with rage, he quickly raised high in the air the Rakshasa's body blue as the clouds of heaven and whirled it an hundred times. Then addressing the cannibal Bhima said, 'O Rakshasa, thy intelligence was given thee in vain, and in vain hast thou grown and thrived on unsanctified meat! Thou deservest, therefore, an unholy death and I shall reduce thee today to nothing! I shall, make this forest blessed today, like one without prickly