Krishnavatara IV: The Book of Bhima by Munshi K M

Author:Munshi K M [K M, Munshi]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
Published: 2020-10-21T04:00:00+00:00

15. SHADOWS OF THE COMING STRIFE

The Most Venerable Mother had been feeling depressed because of the difficulties of the situation. Yet her mood brightened as soon as she saw her giant of a great-grandson coming in like a happy, overgrown boy. She welcomed him with a smile on her lips and an affectionate sparkle in her eyes.

When Bhima prostrated himself before her, the Mother departed from her usual custom of giving a blessing with her right hand extended and patted him heartily on the back instead.

‘What have you been doing all this time, Bhima?’ she asked. ‘You ran away from the burning house, married a Rakshasi without my consent, begot a son whom you have never brought before me and, by your unfraternal conduct, deprived Duryodhana of Draupadi. What a wicked boy you are!’

‘Oh, Mother, you have many more eyes than a thousand eyes of Lord Indra, the God of Rain. You have more wisdom than all the ancient Seven Sages1 put together. But still you never see the good things that I do,’ Bhima said, and heaved a sigh. ‘It is just my luck, dogged as I am by sinister planets.’

‘And you ran away from the procession and came to me only after you had been to Baliya,’ the Mother commented. ‘When will you learn, my son, to behave like a Kuru prince?’

Bhima looked up and said: ‘Mother, I have been wondering all the time: when will the other Kuru princes learn to behave like me?’ Then with merry twinkle in his eyes he added: ‘If I had not gone to Baliya, he would have died before he saw me return hale and hearty.’

‘You mean,’ said the Mother, trying to suppress an outburst of laughter, ‘that I am not going to die even though all of you wish me to?’

‘Oh, Mother, don’t talk like that. I know that the God of Death is so afraid of you that he would not dare to approach you. We are all helpless in the matter.’

The Venerable Mother could not contain her laughter. Then she became serious: ‘Bhima, you know that Grandfather feels very unhappy that he should have banished you to Varanavata in a moment of weakness and sent you to your deaths. He thinks it was the Great God alone, in His mercy, who kept you alive. He now wants to set the wrong to right and install Yudhishthira as King.’

‘I know that Grandfather loves us; besides, he is very just,’ said Bhima. ‘But he wants to avoid strife between us and our cousins.’

‘Is it not natural for him to feel like that?’ asked the Mother.

Bhima laughed. ‘Oh, Mother, can’t you see that there can be no end to the strife between Duryodhana and me? He is adharma; I am Dharma,’ he said boastfully.

The Mother could not help smiling. ‘O Bhima, you are a great boaster.’ Then she added playfully: ‘But, please, for once, tell me the truth: Are you not a quarrelsome fellow?’

‘Even you say that, Mother!’ exclaimed Bhima in

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