Vidura Narrates the Pandavas' Encounter with Kirmira

Vidura began his account. "Having been vanquished in the game with dice, the Pandavas left Hastinapura. They travelled for three days and three nights and arrived at the forest known as Kamyaka. O king, it was the dead of night — the midnight hour had passed. That is the time when man-eating rakshasas, whose deeds are terrible, begin to roam. Ascetics, cowherds, and others who go to the forest always maintain a distance from it at that hour, out of fear." The Pandavas did not know this. They entered the forest in darkness, with Draupadi among them, and found their path blocked. He stood before them — a rakshasa whose eyes blazed like fire. He held a blazing brand in his hand. His arms were outstretched, his face fearful. Eight teeth jutted from his mouth. His eyes were copper-red. The hair on his head blazed and stood up erect. He looked like a monsoon cloud tinged with the rays of the sun and lightning, adorned with a flock of cranes. He let out a mighty roar — the maya of rakshasas, the terrible sound they use to paralyze their prey. It was like the roar of clouds filled with rain. Frightened, birds fled in all directions. Animals on the ground and in the water cried out in fear. Deer, elephants, buffaloes, and bears fled, and it seemed as if the entire forest was running away from that roar. The wind generated by his thighs made creepers laden with copper-red blossoms embrace the tall trees. A terrible wind began to blow. Dust filled the sky until it lost all bearing. From a distance, the rakshasa saw the Pandavas, attired in black deerskins. Like Mount Mainaka, he obstructed their entry into the forest. Draupadi — the lotus-eyed Krishna — approached and saw something she had never seen before. She was terrified and closed her eyes. She whose hair had been dishevelled by Duhshasana's hand now stood there, like a river that had overrun its banks between five mountains. On seeing her lose her senses, the five Pandavas grasped her, like the five senses are attached to objects of pleasure. Dhoumya, their priest, stepped forward. In the sight of the five sons of Pandu, he accurately used many types of mantras to destroy the maya created by the rakshasa. On seeing his maya destroyed, the immensely strong one widened his eyes in anger. The cruel one, who could assume any form at will, appeared like Yama himself. Then Yudhishthira spoke. He was greatly wise, and his voice was calm. "Who are you? Whom do you belong to? Tell us what we can do for you." The rakshasa replied, "I am Baka's brother. I am known by the name of Kirmira. Without any worries, I live in this deserted Kamyaka forest. I always defeat men in battle and then eat them up. Who are you who have appeared before me as food? Without any worries, I will defeat all of you in battle and then eat you up." Yudhishthira told him everything — his name, his lineage. "You may have heard about me. I am Pandu's son, Dharmaraja. I am with all my brothers — Bhimasena, Arjuna, and the others. I have been robbed of my kingdom and now wish to live in this forest. It is for this reason that I have come to this terrible forest that is your territory." Kirmira's face twisted with satisfaction. "This is my good fortune. Today, after a long time, the gods have granted me the wish I have had. With my weapons always raised, I have roamed the earth with the intention of killing Bhimasena. But I could not find him. Through good fortune, I have come upon my brother's killer, fulfilling a long-cherished desire. O king! It was he who, in the disguise of a brahmana, killed my beloved brother Baka in Vetrakriyagriha. Bhima has no strength in his chest. Therefore, he resorted to the strength of skills. My friend Hidimba used to live in the forest. He was earlier killed by this evil-hearted one, and he then abducted his sister. That fool has now come to me in this deep forest in the middle of the night, at a time when we roam around. Today, I will wreak the vengeance that I have sought for a long time. I will make large offerings of blood to Baka. Today, I will free myself of the debts I owe to my brother and to my friend. I will obtain supreme peace by removing this thorn of the rakshasas. O Yudhishthira! If Bhimasena was earlier freed from Baka, I will today devour him before your eyes. His life is long. But today, I will kill Vrikodara. I will eat him up and digest him, the way Agastya did the great asura." Yudhishthira, devoted to truth and with dharma in his soul, angrily censured the rakshasa. He said this could not happen. But Bhima had already moved. The mighty-armed Bhima swiftly uprooted a tree. It was ten vyamas long — the span of two outstretched arms, ten times over. He stripped it of its leaves. In an instant, Arjuna strung the Gandiva, with a force like that of the vajra (Indra's thunderbolt). But Bhima restrained him. "Stay! Stay!" Bhima shouted, and rushed at the terrible-looking rakshasa. He tightened the cloth around his waist. He rubbed one hand against the other and bit his lips. With the tree as a weapon, Bhima dashed forward with great force. Like Maghavan (Indra) hurling his thunder, he brought the tree down on Kirmira's head — like Yama's staff. But the rakshasa stood completely unmoved. Like flaming thunder, Kirmira hurled his blazing brand. Bhima, supreme among warriors, kicked the brand back at the rakshasa with his left foot. Kirmira then suddenly uprooted a tree and rushed at the Pandava in battle, like Dandapani (Yama, staff in hand). A battle began with trees — such that all the trees in the vicinity were destroyed. It was like the ancient battle between the brothers Vali and Sugriva, in their desire for fortune. Like lotuses hurled at rutting elephants, the ends of the fallen trees splintered into many fragments. In that great forest, many trees were crushed like reeds and lay scattered like rags. That fight with trees between the chief of the rakshasas and the supreme among men lasted but an instant. Then Kirmira hurled a rock. Bhima staggered, numbed by the force. The rakshasa rushed at him, like Svarbhanu (the asura Rahu) dashing at the sun and dispersing the rays with his arms. They grappled. They dragged each other in different ways. They seemed like two fighting bulls. The fight between them was great, violent, and terrible — like that between two proud tigers armed with fangs and claws. Vrikodara (Bhima) was proud of the strength of his arms. He saw Krishna's eyes look towards him. He remembered Duryodhana's oppression. His vigour increased. Intolerantly, he grabbed Kirmira in his arms — like an elephant whose rutting glands have burst, falling upon another elephant. The mighty rakshasa grasped him in return. But Bhimasena, supremely strong among the strong ones, violently threw him down. As those two mighty warriors tried to crush each other with their arms, a terrible sound was heard — like shattering bamboo. Then Vrikodara forcibly threw him down. Grabbing him by the waist, he shook him, like a violent wind shakes a tree. Having been thus seized by the mighty Bhima, Kirmira weakened. He trembled and panted, but still dragged the Pandava. Noticing that the rakshasa was exhausted, Vrikodara entwined him in his arms, like an animal caught in a snare. The end came swiftly after that. Bhima killed Kirmira — the brother of Baka, the friend of Hidimba — and the forest was freed of his terror. The Pandavas, with Draupadi at the forefront, proceeded to the Dvaita forest. Vidura finished his account. "I saw the body myself," he said quietly. "It lay where Bhima had left it."