SECTION CXXIX
(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 your other sons with
care. If the wicked Duryodhana be accused, he may slay your remaining
sons. The great sage hath said that all your sons will be long-lived.
Therefore, Bhima will surely return and gladden your 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 you of mighty arms, the strength-giving liquor you hast
drunk will give you the might of ten thousand elephants! No one now will
be able to vanquish you in fight. O bull of Kuru's race, do you 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 you observe silence on this. Do not
speak of this to any one. From this day, protect the 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.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 1 : UPA-PARVA 129 ---------------------
