Chapter 75

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Hearing these words from Bhima, that were fraughtwith such mildness and that were, as unexpected as if the hills had losttheir weight and fire had become cold, Rama’s younger brother Kesava ofSura’s race and mighty arms, wielding the bow called Saranga, laughedaloud, and as if to stimulate Bhima by his words, like the breeze fanninga fire, addressed him who was then so overwhelmed by the impulse ofkindness, saying, ‘At other times, O Bhimasena, thou applaudest war only,desirous of crushing the wicked sons of Dhritarashtra that take delightin the destruction of others. O chastiser of foes, thou dost not steepbut wakest the whole night, sitting up face downwards. Thou oftenutterest frightful exclamation of wrath, indicative of the storm withinthy heart. Inflamed with the fire of thy own fury, thou sighest, O Bhimawith an unquiet heart, like a flame of fire mixed with smoke. Withdrawingfrom company thou liest down breathing hot sighs, like a weak man presseddown by a heavy load. They, who do not know the cause regard thee asinsane. As an elephant breaking into fragments uprooted trees lying onthe ground grunteth in rage while trampling them under his feet, so thoualso, O Bhima, runnest on, breathing deep sighs and shaking the earthunder the tread. Here in the region thou takest no delight in company butpassest thy time in privacy. Night or day, Nothing pleases thee so muchas seclusion. Sitting apart thou sometimes laughest aloud all on asudden, and sometimes placing thy head between thy two knees, thoucontinuest in that posture for a long time with closed eyes. At the othertimes, O Bhima, contracting thy brows frequently and biting thy lips,thou starest fiercely before thee. All this is indicative of wrath. Atone time, thou hadst, in the midst of thy brothers, grasped the mace,uttering this oath, ‘As the sun is seen rising in the east displaying hisradiance, and as he truly setteth in the west journeying around the Meru,so do I swear that I will certainly slay insolent Duryodhana with thismace of mine, and this oath of mine will never be untrue.’ How then doththat same heart of thine, O chastiser of foes, now follow the counsels ofpeace? Alas, when fear entereth thy heart, O Bhima, it is certain thatthe hearts of all who desire war are upset when war becometh actuallyimminent. Asleep or awake, thou beholdest, O son of Pritha, inauspiciousomens. Perhaps, it is this for which thou desirest peace. Alas, like aeunuch, thou dost not display any sign indicative of manliness in thee.Thou art overwhelmed by panic, and it is for this that thy heart isupset. The heart trembleth, thy mind is overwhelmed by despair, thythighs tremble, and it is for this that thou desirest peace. The heartsof mortals, O Partha, are surely as inconstant as the pods of the Salmaliseed exposed to the force of the wind. This frame of thy mind is asstrange as articulate speech in kine. Indeed, the hearts of thy brothersare about to sink in an ocean of despair,–like swimmers in the seawithout a raft to rescue them. That thou, O Bhimasena, shouldst utterwords so unexpected of thee is as strange as the shifting of a hill.Recollecting thy own deeds and the race also in which thou art born,arise, O Bharata, yield not, to grief, O hero, and be firm. Such langour,O repressor of foes, is not worthy of thee, for a Kshatriya neverenjoyeth that which he doth not acquire through prowess.'”