Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/508

him double with great force. The cannibal then roared frights fully. And, O. monarch, the Rakshasa also began to vomit blood while he was being broken on Bhima's knee."

Thus ends the hundred and sixty-fifth Section in the Vaka-badha of the Adi Parva.

Vaisampayana said, "Then Vaka, huge as a mountain, thus broken (on Bhima's knee), died uttering frightful yells. Terrified by those sounds, the relatives of that Rakshasa came out, O king, with their attendants. Then Bhima—that foremost of smiters—seeing them so terrified and deprived of reason—comforted them, and made them promise (to give up cannibalism) saying, 'Do not ye ever again kill human beings. If ye kill men, ye will have to die even as Vaka!' Those Rakshasas hearing this speech of Bhima said, 'So be it,' and gave, O king, the desired promise. From that day, O Bharata, the Rakshasas (of that region) were seen by the inhabitants of that town to be very peaceful towards mankind. Then Bhima, dragging the lifeless cannibal placed him at one of the gates of the town and went away unobserved by any one. The kinsmen of Vaka, beholding him slain by the might of Bhima, became frightened and fled in different directions.

"Meanwhile Bhima, having slain the Rakshasa, returned to the Brahmana's abode and recited to Yudhish-thira all that had happened in detail. The next morning the inhabitants of the town in coming out saw the Rakshasa lying dead on the ground, his body covered with blood. And beholding that terrible cannibal, huge as a mountain cliff, thus mangled and lying on the ground, the hairs of the spectators stood erect. Returning to Ekachakra they soon gave the intelligence. Then, O king, the citizens by thousands, accompanied by their wives, the aged, and the young, began to come to the spot for beholding Vaka. And they were all amazed at seeing that superhuman feat. Instantly, O monarch, they