18. Vasuki, the king of the serpent country, embraces Bhim

Some distance away, the battle was still raging. The snakes would have numbered to several hundreds. But, by now, most preferred to slip into crevices in the watery rocks. During this time, the huge frame of Vasuki could be seen approaching from the west. It did not take long for Bhim to take notice of the towering figure. For a moment, Bhim did feel that this fight may not be an easy one. However, as it was to be, Vasuki’s appearance itself had a calming influence on everyone present, including Bhim. The fierce combat stopped. Looking at the graceful, charming and presently gravely injured Bhim, Basuki was suddenly flooded with tender feelings and he said:

 

‘Young man, you seem to be a prince. What’s your name? Tell me, how did you land here?’

Although generally aggressive, Bhim was touched by the affection. He responded:

‘I am Bhim, son of queen Kunti’.

Curious and beginning to understand the reasons for his attraction for the young lad, Vasuki said,

‘Kunti!  You mean the daughter of King Kunti Bhoj?’

‘Yes Sir. Precisely so. Do you know her?’

Vasuki rushed and embraced Bhim and said,

‘Very much dear. She is my granddaughter. I am so happy that I ‘m meeting her son today. Son! Come closer, give me a hug.’

17. Snakes run away ftom Bhim, rushes to Vasuki

With hundreds of poisonous snakes wriggling around his body hissing in anger and biting without relent, any one else would have been mortally afraid. But Bhim knew no fear. His first action was to tear asunder the ropes that restricted his mobility. Then caught hold of some of his enemies by their tail, tossed them around and threw away. Yet some others were simply crushed to death. The snakes were already upset that the venom, their most potent weapon, was of no use against this strange enemy. On top of that they were least prepared for a full-scale physical assault. Soon they were discomfited, left the field and rushed to Vasuki, their revered king.  

As they began to narrate their ordeal, their voices quivered in fear:

‘Your highness, the lord of the Nagaloka! …No less than a wonder that we are able to present ourselves to your majesty, our body and soul together,... not an iota of exaggeration this, Master, believe us...’.

The huge frame of the king was calm, while he learned about the extraordinary boy with amused attention.

‘We had to exercise all tricks at our command to escape from that boy. He verily looks the incarnation of death and has been causing mayhem in your peaceful kingdom. We submit your majesty visit the place – that backyard of death without delay.’

16. Bhim in the country of serpents

Both the land and sky were enveloped by the darkness of the night. This added to the mystery of the river womb, which also came under the spell of the night and seemed to have turned black. However, the continuous stream of water kept moving southwards as if in a procession bound for the sea. As Bhim, with his hands and legs securely tied, was drifting towards the riverbed, the streams passing across seemed to caress his body and say, ‘Son, you are safe here’.

For long he remained unconscious under the influence of a strong poison administered to him through the eatables. After landing in the riverbed, he started regaining consciousness amidst painful feelings of being bitten all over by sharp teeth of some creatures. Opening eyes he discovered that angry-looking snakes of various sizes and hues surrounded him. He did not know while landing on the riverbed his body fell over a medley of baby snakes literally mauling them. The cries of these babies had attracted the elders who were furious at this unwanted visitor. They unleashed their anger by biting his huge body all over. The venom their sting carried worked for a contrary purpose, as was destined. The earlier poison in his body was counteracted and Bhim came back from the jaws of death.

15. FRANTIC SEARCH FOR BHIM, NO RESULT

In the dying sunlight, Yudhisthir and his brothers were frantically searching for Bhim on the bank of the Ganges. The bonhomie, the celebration, and the feasting that enlivened the place hours ago were now replaced by an eerie silence. On that vast expanse of land there was no soul other than they four. Even servants had left after cleaning the site. Soon, the last trace of the day was devoured by the enigmatic night, which would not approve of any further searches. The brothers too were realizing it was pointless to keep groping in the darkness, yet they could not abandon their mission. But when the face of the lone, helpless, anxious mother flashed in their mind they decided to give in. Back home, the family huddled together discussing what was to be done now.

 All these days Kunti had a nagging fear that Duryodhan and some of his brothers might harm her sons, especially Bhim, whom they hated as they could never match his strength. Now that the search failed to trace Bhim, Kunti started feeling nervous. She suspected Duryodhan to have played a grave mischief but she also knew it would be of no use telling Dhritarashtra or Gandhari of her suspicion. The couple were blind in their affection for their son. Yudhisthir agreed to Kunti’s assessment. The family then brooded for some time as to what should be done now. Then they stumbled on the idea of meeting Bidur whom they reckoned was genuinely concerned about their welfare.

14. Bhim tied and drowned in the river

At the palace, Kunti had good reason to worry. The day was wearing out. Both Pandava and Kaurava children had returned home. But, Bhim was not to be seen anywhere. She started growing restive.

 Sensing his Mother’s tension, and assessing the situation, Yudhishthir with his brothers left for the riverbank to see if Bhim was still sleeping.

There at that spot, Duryadhan and Dushashan were busy executing the last leg of their plan. Duryadhan was tense. With keen eyes scanning all around, he spoke in hushed tones:

“Let us finish off quick. It will not be long before those four turn up searching here”.

Dushashan was busy tying up Bhim’s sleeping body. It was huge, and the light was dim. It was getting difficult and irritating for him. Somehow he coped with the enormous task and hapily announced:

“Almost done! Wont be long before we get rid of this monster, for ever”.

 In a moment, Duryadhan and Dushashan together dragged Bhim’s tied body to the shore of Ganges and dropped it in the water. With that, Duryadhan heaved a big sigh of relief. The duo then silently disappeared from the scene.

13. Kaurava brothers attempt to kill Bhim

At the Hastinapuri palace, the Kaurava brothers spent that night amidst intense scheming. In the next few days, they seemed to be unduly keen on creating a friendly vibe with their cousins. They reckoned this a necessity to dispel any doubt in the senior royalties about their role in the ghastly scheme that was to be commissioned soon.

An impeccably planned plot started unfurling on a pleasant day in the bank of the river Ganges. Duryadhan had organized a huge feast. There was great festivity, all young princes participating in plenty of sports. Such was the bonhomie that the hostility seemed to never have existed between the two groups!

During lunch, while all were enjoying varieties of dishes, a scheming Duryodhan had Bhim’s meal poisoned secretly. The deadly toxin was to take effect slowly, through the day. Bhim, a lover of food, ate a lot and fell asleep.

None of the Pandavas smelt any foul play. They enjoyed thoroughly and at the end of the day started returning home one by one. They decided not to disturb Bhim who seemed to be in deep sleep – they thought he would return on his own once awake.

12. Karna and Parashuram

Parashuram was renowned for his anger that consumed the awesome Kartaviryarjun. Strength personified, he had been living on the Mahendra parvat ever since he last won the earth from the kshatriyas. On seeing Karna, he was impressed. The young man in every inch looked like a god from the heavens, determination and austerity overflowing from his personality. As he prepared to rise from his seat, Karna lay prostrated at his feet.

The sage said in a voice that sounded affectionate yet thunderous:

‘Get up my boy – I don’t remember having seen you earlier. Tell me. Who are you? What brings you here, at a place where even the gods fear coming?’

‘Pray, My Lord – I am from the far off plains. My home is on the bank of the holy Ganges in the land of the Kurus. Your glory is great. You are the slayer of the mighty Kartaviryarjun. You are the guru of Bhishma and Drona. I come with the desire of being taught by you, Master - if you grant me the privilege of addressing you thus. I have walked for days, whose count I have lost, to seek your blessings. Please be kind to take me as your student’.

‘But, tell me, why are you so keen to be my student?’

‘Because my Lord, I want to be the greatest archer of the planet.’

‘I appreciate the spirit, son. But you must know I have nearly stopped teaching and do not consider any body for a disciple unless sure of his background and capabilities. Which family do you come from?’

After a very brief silence that did not seem to have happened at all, Karna spoke, ‘My Lord, I am the son of a Brahmin but my soul craves to be a warrior, better than the best. I am sure I can fulfill my dream if you bless and accept me as your student’. Karna preferred not to disclose his identity because he feared rejection if the sage knew of his modest pedigree, and thus, consider him unfit for the art of warfare.

The young man seemed to deserve a special hearing. Had it been someone else, Parashuram would have dismissed him at once. In a tone that suggested the stranger’s request was under consideration, the sage said:

‘Let me see. Meet me in the morning tomorrow.’

The next morning a test was conducted. And Parashuram did not take long to agree to take the young man as his student.

Over the next few years, Karna grew, grew immensely under Parashuram’s watchful eyes. The Guru was happy to teach Karna array of divaystras including the Brahmastra, weapon of Lord Brahma, potent enough to destroy the entire creation.

Thus began the story of a hero who was to dominate the world with the prowess of his archery.