sweet words fraught with
virtue and profit, and discourse fully on the subject so as to attract
his heart. All of us, O Krishna, would rather in humiliation follow
Duryodhana submissively, but, oh, let not the Bharatas be annihilated. O
Vasudeva, act in such a way that we may rather live as strangers to the
Kurus than incurring the sin of bringing about the destruction of the
whole race should touch them, O Krishna, let the aged Grandsire and the
other counsellors of the Kurus be asked to bring about brotherly feelings
between brothers and to pacify the son of Dhritarashtra. Even this is
what I say. King Yudhishthira also approveth of this, and Arjuna too is
averse to war, for there is great compassion in him.'"

SECTION LXXV

Vaisampayana said, "Hearing these words from Bhima, that were fraught
with such mildness and that were, as unexpected as if the hills had lost
their weight and fire had become cold, Rama's younger brother Kesava of
Sura's race and mighty arms, wielding the bow called Saranga, laughed
aloud, and as if to stimulate Bhima by his words, like the breeze fanning
a fire, addressed him who was then so overwhelmed by the impulse of
kindness, saying, 'At other times, O Bhimasena, thou applaudest war only,
desirous of crushing the wicked sons of Dhritarashtra that take delight
in the destruction of others. O chastiser of foes, thou dost not sleep
but wakest the whole night, sitting up face downwards. Thou often
utterest frightful exclamation of wrath, indicative of the storm within
thy heart. Inflamed with the fire of thy own fury, thou sighest, O Bhima
with an unquiet heart, like a flame of fire mixed with smoke. Withdrawing
from company thou liest down breathing hot sighs, like a weak man pressed
down by a heavy load. They, who do not know the cause regard thee as
insane. As an elephant breaking into fragments uprooted trees lying on
the ground grunteth in rage while trampling them under his feet, so thou
also, O Bhima, runnest on, breathing deep sighs and shaking the earth
under thy tread. Here in the region thou takest no delight in company but
passest thy time in privacy. Night or day, nothing pleases thee so much
as seclusion. Sitting apart thou sometimes laughest aloud all on a
sudden, and sometimes placing thy head between thy two knees, thou
continuest in that posture for a long time with closed eyes. At the other
times, O Bhima, contracting thy brows frequently and biting thy lips,
thou stare