81) “O best amongst the Brahmanas! I have five sons now. Let one of them fall into the mouth of the Rakshasa” – when she said thus the Brahmana replied – “I shall become a sinner by getting your son killed. Oh! How strong is your heart!”.
82) When the Brahmana said thus, Kunti replied – “My son has some special skills that even the Dikpalaka Devatas cannot tolerate. But he doesn’t use them even if elders advise him to do so. Still, even the leaders of the Devatas or Asuras cannot kill him”.
83) Having responded thus, Kunti came to Bhima and narrated everything to him. Listening to all she said , Bhima became immensely happy thinking that he had got a great opportunity to perform Swadharma. Dharmaraja returned with Arjuna and the others and, seeing Bhima’s wide and excited eyes, asked his mother.
84) “O mother! Why is he so excited?”. Kunti narrated everything that had happened to Yudhishthira. He asked her – “You have done a dangerous thing. Why are you getting Bhima killed, when he is the one whose strength we are all dependent upon?”.
85) “You are sending that very person to the mouth of the Rakshasa, upon whose strength of shoulders we are all chiefly dependent upon to obtain our Kingdom and to perform our Swadharma that is the destruction of our enemies. Please let me know quickly as to with what thinking you are doing thus”.
86) When he said thus, Kunti spoke with great discretion – “O son! It is not possible for either the Suras or Asuras to kill him. Didn’t he destroy the Shatashrunga mountain when he was born itself?”.
87) “He is verily Sri Vayu born in human form. Who in this world has the requisite strength to kill him?” – when she said thus Dharmaraja replied – “May it be so then”. The next day Bhima put together all the luxurious materials such as sandalpaste, garlands and others and set off in the cart.
88) Bhima quickly went to the forest of Baka and desired to eat all the excellent dishes, including the special payasas, good sweets and the milk filled pots, that were all together in a mountainous heap, before the cannibal Baka even touched them.
89) When Bhima started consuming that entire pile of delicacies, Bakasura picked up a tree and rushed towards him. Stopping the hits of Baka with just his left hand, Bhima finished all the dishes.
90) Without looking at the Rakshasa, Bhima finished all the milk, performed the achamana (for cleansing) and then engaged in battle. When Baka started hitting him with numerous big trees, rocks and boulders, Bhima grasped him and thrust him on the ground.
91) Bhima held one leg of the Rakshasa with his knees and grasped his other leg with both his hands. He pulled him apart splitting him into two. The hater of Vishnu died in this way and left for Andhantamas, from where there is no return.
92) Bhima, the one with infinite strength, thus killed Bakasura, who was destroying all the people. He had not been controlled by even Jarasandha. Before this, he had not been subjugated by either Narakasura or King Bharata. Having killed him thus, Bhima brought his body and hung it in front of the city.
93) Placing the corpse near the main gate of the city, Bhima took bath and went to meet his brothers. They (the brothers) felt greatly elated after listening to all the events, along with their mother. On the other hand, the residents of the city became frightened.
94) As soon as the citizens saw the huge corpse they were scared but eventually they realized that it was him (Baka) who had died by identifying several marks on the body. From the words of the Brahmana, they got to know that it was Bhima who had killed him and became greatly excited.
95) All of them offered tributes to Bhima in the form of food. He offered all of it to the Sri Narasimha form of Paramatma. After that, having received instructions from Sri Vyasa, they moved out of the city.
96) Sri Vyasa, the Guru and Lord of the world, narrated the details behind Draupadi’s birth and related incidents, and told them – “You go there”. After that, the other excellent Brahmanas too thought of them as Brahmanas and said – “Come with us. You will get excellent food there”.
97) Initially King Drupada heard the news of the burning of the wax palace and felt great sorrow in his heart. But later he thought that the words of Yaja and Upayaja are not worth discounting and hence decided that they (Pandavas) were still alive.
98) He thought that the Pandavas must have hid somewhere secretly and quickly arranged a Swayamvara for Arjuna and announced the same. He arranged for a bow, that no one (else) could lift, with the boon of Shiva.
99) At the same time, Sri Krishna, the son of Vasudeva, even though he knew everything that had happened due to his inherent omniscience, heard the news of the death of Pandavas and, in order to follow the customs of the lineage, left for Hastinapura along with his brother Balarama.
100) Having reached Hastinapura, Sri Krishna spoke words favourable to the Kauravas in order to mislead them. He engaged with Bhishma and others and acted as if he was mourning the Pandavas. The one who is the very personification of bliss and eternally joyous then returned to Dwaraka.
Anandatirtha Prathishtana 