03.012
Core-Pancharatra: In the forest of Kamyaka, Bhima kills Kirmira, brother of Baka.
Dhritarashtra said.
O charioteer, I wish to hear about the slaying of Kirmira. Please tell me how Bhimasena encountered the rakshasa. (3-12-1)
Vidura said.
Listen to this deed of Bhīma, which is a superhuman act; I have heard of these again and again at the ends of stories. (3-12-2)
O king, from here the Pāṇḍavas, having been defeated in dice, departed and in three days and nights reached the forest called Kāmyaka. (3-12-3)
O king, at night, when midnight had passed and darkness prevailed, at the half-time, the man-eating rākṣasas of terrible deeds were moving about. (3-12-4)
It is said that the ascetics and other forest-dwellers always avoided that forest from a distance because of the fearlessness of the man. (3-12-5)
As they were entering there, O Bhārata, a terrible rākṣasa with blazing eyes and a club appeared, blocking the path. (3-12-6)
Having formed great arms and a dreadful mouth, he stood blocking the path by which the heroes of the Kurus pass. (3-12-7)
With lips and tusks bitten, coppery eyes, blazing hair standing upward on the head, encircled by rays of the sun and flashes of lightning, and with cranes, he appeared like a cloud. (3-12-8)
He was creating a demonic illusion with a great roaring, emitting a vast sound like a raincloud. (3-12-9)
Frightened by his sound, the birds in all directions, having lost their cries, flew together—those born on land along with those born in water. (3-12-10)
That forest, filled with deer, tigers, buffaloes, and bears running in all directions, seemed as if it had been set in motion by his sound. (3-12-11)
The branches with coppery leaves, struck by his strong wind, and the creepers that had grown far, together embraced the trees. (3-12-12)
At that moment, then, a very fierce wind blew; the sky, covered with dust by it, lost its stars. (3-12-13)
The great enemy of the five sons of Pāṇḍu was unknown; but for the five senses, the force of grief is like an incomparable foe. (3-12-14)
Seeing the Pāṇḍavas from a distance, dressed in black antelope skins, he covered the entrance to the forest like the mountain Maināka. (3-12-15)
As she approached him, the terrified Kṛṣṇā, whose eyes were like lotuses, closed her eyes out of fear of something she had never seen before. (3-12-16)
Her hair, scattered and cast off by Duḥśāsana's hand, she, situated among the five mountains, became agitated like a river in distress. (3-12-17)
The five Pāṇḍavas, being greatly deluded, seized her there, just as the senses, when attached to objects, delight. (3-12-18)
Then Dhaumya, the powerful sage, destroyed that demoness, who had arisen by magic and had a terrible appearance, by properly applying various demon-destroying mantras, in the sight of the sons of Pandu. (3-12-19)
He, whose illusion had vanished, who was exceedingly strong, with eyes widened in anger, assuming the form of desire, mean and like Yama himself, appeared. (3-12-20)
Then the wise king Yudhishthira said to him: "Who are you? Whose are you? Or what is it that should be done for you? Let your task be told." (3-12-21)
Then that demon spoke to Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira: "I am Kirmīra, the brother of Baka, and thus I am well-known." (3-12-22)
I dwell in this empty Kamyaka forest, free from fever; in battle, always obtaining food by conquering men. (3-12-23)
Who are you that have come here, having become my food and come near me? In battle, having conquered all of you, I will eat you, now that my fever is gone. (3-12-24)
But Yudhishthira, having heard those words of the evil-minded one, then declared all the lineage names and so on, O Bhārata. (3-12-25)
I am the Pāṇḍava, king of dharma; if this has reached your ear, I am together with all my brothers, including Bhīmasena, Arjuna, and others. (3-12-26)
Having lost his kingdom, he resolved to dwell in the forest; then he came to this terrible forest, your abode. (3-12-27)
But Kirmira said to him: "By the favor of the gods, what I have long desired in my mind has today been accomplished here." (3-12-28)
Indeed, always keeping my weapon raised for the purpose of killing Bhīmasena, I wander the whole earth, yet I am unable to find him. (3-12-29)
He, this brother-killer whom I have long desired, has fortunately been found; by him indeed my dear brother Baka has been slain. (3-12-30)
O king, in the house of Vetrakīya, he, assuming the guise of a brāhmaṇa, relied on the power of knowledge; he does not possess physical strength. (3-12-31)
Hiḍimba, my dear friend who dwelled in the forest, was killed by this evil-minded one; and his sister was carried off by him in the past. (3-12-32)
This fool has come to my dense forest, just as we were stationed for our patrol at midnight. (3-12-33)
Today I will torment him and settle that long-standing enmity; I will also satisfy Baka with his copious blood. (3-12-34)
Today, having fulfilled my obligations to my brother and friend alike, and having slain the scourge of the Rākṣasas, I have attained supreme peace. (3-12-35)
If Bhīmasena was formerly released by Baka, then today I will eat him before your eyes, Yudhiṣṭhira. (3-12-36)
Today, after killing this Vṛkodara of great life-force, I will devour and digest him, just as Agastya digested the great asura. (3-12-37)
When thus addressed, the righteous and truthful Yudhishthira, with anger, rebuked the demon, saying, "This is not so." (3-12-38)
Then Bhima, the mighty-armed, forcefully uprooted a tree ten vyamas long and stripped it of its leaves at that time. (3-12-39)
He strung the Gandiva bow, which had the weight of a thunderbolt's impact; and in the blink of an eye, Arjuna likewise readied the Vijaya bow. (3-12-40)
Having restrained him, Bhima addressed the victorious one, but that rākṣasa, terrible in appearance, rushed forward and said, "Stand, stand," O Bhārata. (3-12-41)
Having thus spoken, the greatly enraged son of Pāṇḍu pressed him at the waist, crushed his hand with his own, and, biting his lips in anger, the strong Bhīma, wielding a tree as a weapon, then rushed at him with great speed. (3-12-42)
Then, having the appearance of Yama's staff, he caused that thunderbolt to fall with speed on his head, like Maghavan (Indra). (3-12-43)
But that rākṣasa, unagitated, was seen in battle; he hurled a blazing firebrand, like a burning thunderbolt. (3-12-44)
But Bhima, the best among strikers, hurled that raised and impure thing with his left foot; the demon again returned. (3-12-45)
Kirmira, suddenly uprooting a tree, fought against the Pāṇḍava in battle, like an angry one wielding a staff. (3-12-46)
That battle with trees between the two brothers, Vali and Sugriva, became a destruction of trees, just as it once happened between those who sought prosperity. (3-12-47)
The trees that fell from the heads of those two were broken into many pieces, just as the lotuses and water-lilies are by two intoxicated elephants. (3-12-48)
Many trees there had become tattered like muñja grass; their scattered leaves fluttered like rags in the great forest. (3-12-49)
O lord of men, that tree-battle between the chief of the rākṣasas and the best among men lasted for a good while. (3-12-50)
Then, the angry Rākṣasa, having lifted up a stone, hurled it at Bhīma who was standing in battle; Bhīmasena was shaken indeed. (3-12-51)
The demon, with his arm scattering rays, ran around the one stupefied by the blow of a stone, just as Svarbhanu (the eclipse demon) circles the sun. (3-12-52)
Those two, having tightly embraced each other and dragging one another, both shone as they fought, like two battling bulls. (3-12-53)
There was a very tumultuous and fierce combat between the two, like that of two proud tigers armed with claws and fangs. (3-12-54)
Vṛkodara (Bhīma), made proud by Duryodhana's insult and his own strength, and upon seeing Kṛṣṇa's arrival, grew in spirit. (3-12-55)
Then, having approached in anger, he seized the other with both arms, like an elephant with a broken tusk seizing another elephant. (3-12-56)
Then, the powerful demon seized him; but Bhimasena, the best among the strong, hurled him away with his strength. (3-12-57)
Then, from the crushing together of the arms of those two strong warriors, a terrible sound arose in battle, like the crack of bamboo. (3-12-58)
Then Vṛkodara (Bhīma), having seized him by force and grasped him in the midst, shook him rapidly like the fierce wind shakes a tree. (3-12-59)
He, weak and overpowered by the strong Bhīma in battle, struggled for his life and dragged the Pāṇḍava. (3-12-60)
Then, seeing him completely exhausted, Vṛkodara (Bhīma) bound him with his arms, just as one would tie an animal with a rope. (3-12-61)
Uttering a great sound like the noise of broken kettledrums, he whirled the unconscious, quivering body for a long time. (3-12-62)
Having understood that the demon was despairing, the son of Pāṇḍu seized the animal-slaying sword with both arms and killed him. (3-12-63)
Having attacked the vilest of the rākṣasas at the waist with his knee, Vṛkodara (Bhīma) pressed down his neck with his arms. (3-12-64)
Then, having made him with all his limbs insensible and his eyes turned away and fierce, fall to the ground, he indeed spoke this speech. (3-12-65)
You will not wipe the tears for the sins of Hiḍimbā and Baka; you have gone towards the abode of Yama. (3-12-66)
Having thus spoken, the foremost of men, his eyes wide with anger, released the lifeless demon, whose garments and ornaments were loosened, who was trembling and whose mind was agitated. (3-12-67)
When he of cloud-like form was slain, the sons of the king, placing Kṛṣṇā in front, praised Bhīma for his many virtues, and then, joyful, they went to Dvaitavana. (3-12-68)
Thus, O Kaurava, Kirmira was slain in battle by Bhima at the command of Dharmaraja, O king of men. (3-12-69)
Then, having cleared the forest of thorns, the undefeated one, together with Draupadī, who knew dharma, lived in that dwelling. (3-12-70)
After consoling Draupadī, all the Bharata chiefs, their minds delighted and with affection, praised Vṛkodara. (3-12-71)
After the rākṣasa was destroyed, crushed by Bhima's mighty arms, the heroes entered that forest, now safe and free from danger. (3-12-72)
While I was going on the path, I saw in the great forest a wicked-souled being, scattered and fearsome, arrogant due to his terrible strength. (3-12-73)
O Bhārata, there I heard this act of Bhīma from the Brāhmaṇas who were assembled there and narrating it. (3-12-74)
Vaiśampāyana said.
Thus, when the king, absorbed in meditation, heard that Kirmira, the foremost of the rākṣasas, had been slain in battle, he sighed deeply like one in distress. (3-12-75)
