Thursday, 18 July 2013

Bhima drinks Dushasana's blood

Day 16 - Bhima drinks Dushasana's blood
From Mahabharata, book 8: Karna Parva

Tearing open Dushasana's chest as he lay on the ground Bhima then drank his warm blood. Lopping off his head with his sword and tossing it away, Bhima drank his warm blood with conviction, eager to make good his vow. Quaffing it again and again as he glanced about, in rage he uttered these words:
"Better than a draft of mother's milk, honey or ghee, well made mead or divine water, than milk, curds or buttermilk! This liquor is better than all other drinks in this world which have the sweet taste of the gods' nectar! That's what I reckon, bloody as I am from my enemy!"
Then with his mind overwhelmed by anger ferocious Bhima looked at Dushasana breathing no more and, laughing loudly, said further, "What else can I do? Death protects you now."
Whoever then saw Bhima as he said this while running up again and guzzling deliriously, staggered in terror and collapsed. And weapons fell from the hands of those men who didn't stagger, and they screamed silently in terror and looked about everywhere with their eyes clamped shut. Everyone from all vantages who saw Bhima drinking Dushasana's blood there were seized by terror and fled, saying, "He's not human!" When Bhima took on this guise and the people saw him drinking blood, they fled sick with fear and declaring him a demon. . . .
(end quote)
- - - - - -
How's that for action! But what is very human for him is that when Dushasana's mother accuses Bhima of this cannibalism, he denies it.

The Death of Dushasana

As represented in the 1989 5-hour film adaptation of the Mahabharata by Peter Brook: After killing Dushasana, his cousin, the 2nd son of Dhritarashtra and the man he swore to kill at the dicing match after  watching Draupadi dragged into the gambling hall during her period, Bhima says,

We weren’t born to be happy; farewell.
–Mahabarata, Part III, 1:05:27




THE MAHABHARATA
OF
KRISHNA-DWAIPAYANA VYASA
Translated into English prose from the
original Sanskrit Text.
BY
PRATAP CHANDRA ROY, C. I. c.
VOL VII
KARNA, SALYA, SAUPTIKA and
STREE PARVAS
ORIENTAL PUBLISHING CO.
11D, ARPULI LANE
CALCUTTA-12


Page No. 243


Drawing then his whetted sword of keen edge, and trembling with rage, he placed his foot upon the throat of Dussasana, and ripping open the breast of his enemy stretched on the ground, quaffed his warm life-blood. Then throwing him down and cutting off, O king, with that sword the head of thy son, Bhima of great intelligence, desirous of accomplishing his vow, again quaffed his enemy's blood little by little, as if for enjoying its taste. Then looking at him with wrathful eyes, he said these words, 'I regard the taste of this blood of my enemy to be superior to that of my mother's milk, or honey, or clarified butter, or good wine that is prepared from honey, or excellent water, or milk, or curds, or skimmed milk, or all other kinds of drinks there are on earth that are sweet as ambrosia or nectar.' Once more, Bhima of fierce deeds, his heart filled with wrath, beholding Dussasana dead, laughed softly and said, 'What more can I do to thee ? Death has rescued thee from my hands.' They, O king, that saw Bhimasena, while he filled with joy at having quaffed the blood of his foe, was uttering those words and stalking on the field of battle, fell down in fear. They that did not fall down at the sight, saw their weapons drop from their han Is. Many, from fear, cried out feebly and looked at Bhima with half -shut eyes. Indeel all those that stood around Bhima an 1 beheld him drink the blood of Dussasana, fled away, overwhelmed  with fear, and saying unto one another, 'This one is no human being !' 

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