By Sri Chiraan 2009/02/13
When ninth lord is debilitated and 10th lord and 3rd lord are weak, the subject will go begging for the food.
Vedvyasa took all the Pandava's to Ekchakra nagar to a bramhin, and told him that these were his disciples and He should give them shelter. bramhin agreed as per the Lord’s words. Pandavas and Kunti devi were living in the house of bramhins. Pandava's were engaged in study of Vedas and lived by Bhiksha.
Kshatriyas should not ask Bhiksha. Bhima was param Bhagavata and hence would never go against Dharma, but here there was no option but to beg. How to save themselves from defaulting Dharma?
Just then a potters house got caught fire from all the sides. Bheemasen, standing a few feet's away from the house amidst fire, kicked hard in the ground. By the force of his kick, the house on the other side emerged out of the ground, along with the earth beneath it. Bheemasena lifted entire house by his hands, and put it out of fire on to the other side.
Indebted potter created a earthen vessel as big as the village itself and gifted it to Yudhisthira. Now Bheemasena taking the earthen vessel just roared into the air, panicked by his roar, villagers gave away Bhiksha into the vessel even without their asking for it. This was akin to Kings giving their wealth as a tax to Indraprastha for the fear of losing kingdom and acceptance of Pandava supremacy.
But Yudhisthira said, this type of roar and eating vessel full of meals would alert Duryodhana, and his friends about their whereabouts, and thus requested Bheema to stay away from Bhikshashan, and eat whatever they would bring for him. Bheema was happy to save his dharma.
One day the bramhin and his family were bereaving and loud cry’s were heard. Bheema asked Kunti to find out the reason for the distress of their host. He could have gone himself, but woman in the family would get uncomfortable at the sight of another man, thus he sent his mother.
Kunti standing by the wall heard their conversation before asking them.
The bramhin said, "oh my wife, I had already told to leave this place, you were not ready look, now its time for embracing death. I shall go from my family and embrace death".
Wife said "oh my lord, let me go into the mouth of death, for I would attain good lokas for having saved you".
Daughter said "a daughter is of no use, why not let me go to the den of Bakasur ?"
Father said "Shruti [Vedas] say a daughter is the one who graces the dynasties of both father and husband by her deeds and good virtue, a son only uplifts one family. Birth of a daughter is more auspicious, sending you will only put me further into naraka, so as worthy son of my lineage let me take on death".
The child in the family tottered, and with a small twig in the hand said "oh father, I will kill Bakasur with this twig let me go".
Taking these words of child as good omen [Bheemasena her child would break Bakasura as easily as a twig], Kunti entered to ask bramhin for their plight.
Bramhin said "there is a demon named Bakasur in the vicinity, who demands a cart full of food, milk, animal, birds and a human as bali. Every thirteen years a family has to send a human from their family to satisfy the demon . Its now their turn". Kunti said "she has five sons and would send one of her sons". Bramhin says "it will be a sin to take someone else’s life to save oneself". Kunti assured that her son has a VIDYA which cannot be confronted by devatas and demons and hence she is not afraid.
Kunti came back and told Bheema about the Bakasura. Bakasura was a demon and maternal uncle of Ravana. By the fear of RAMABANA of Lord Rama had hidden in the caves. After Ramayana, he came out and was not defeated by Bharath, Jarasndha, Narakasura etc. and was freely creating havoc. Now Bheemasena killing him would have an opportunity to please Lord.
Yudhisthira and others came back from Bhiksha and seeing Bheema in a very happy mood asked Kunti "Ma, why is Bheema so happy?", Kunti said "he is going tomorrow to Bakasura’s den". Yudhisthir panicked said "what a bad decision, we are all living by the hope of Bheema, owing to his strength and protection, we are dreaming of gaining back our kingdom, now Bakasura is living giant from Tretayuga, how will we live without Bheema?"
Kunti said, "let there not be a doubt about Bheema' s strength, even as a child he powered the entire mountain range Shatashrunga. NO [MAI KA LAAL] among devatas and demons can kill him as he is very VAYU himself ".
Thus next day Bheemasen set out with the cart full of food and milk. He thought to finish the meals even before demon touches it and makes it impure. As demon saw him eating his food, he became angry and uprooted a tree to hit the Bheema. Bheema stopping the tree with his left hand, drank all the milk and then did ACHAMAAN. [This implies that food should be eaten in a pure manner untouched by others, and achamaan should be done after meals].
Bakasura threw a mountain on the Bheema, it broke to pieces, after long battle, Bheema set his foot on one foot of Bakasura, and he held the other feet with his palms and slit him through middle like a sugarcane. Thus Bakasura was killed. He brought the dead body to the village gate and left it. People afraid of the giant body ran here and there in fear. After bramhin assured them about his death, villagers became happy and agreed to pay the cart full of meals to Bheema from then. But Bheema asked them to offer it Lord Narsimha in the village temple.
Thus from there Pandava's went to Draupadi swayamvar.
Krishnarpana
