Bheem Meets Hanumaan

Badrik Aashram was so beautiful that it was not possible to describe its beauty in any way. Draupadee was sitting there looking out the beautiful scenery, that a flower came flying towards her. It was so beautiful. She took it in her hand and smelled it for long time. Just then Bheem came, Draupadee showed him the flower and asked if he could bring her more of that flower. Bheem was too happy to do anything for Draupadee so he set out in search of that flower. He followed the scent and came out far from his place. He blew his conch which roused all the lions in their caves. 

Now in that forest lived Hanumaan. He was sleeping that the sound of Bheem's conch woke him up. He shook his tail and dashed it against the ground. Bheem also heard this sound. He hurried towards the direction from where this sound came. He was going taking long strides, that he saw a huge monkey whose tail was lying across the road. He had never seen such a huge monkey before. Bheem didn't like to cross his tail, so he asked him politely to move it from his way. But the Vaanar said - "Why do you make so much noise? I was taking rest, the sound of your conch woke me up. All the human beings here are kind to animals, so you seem to be a stranger to this place. Where do you come from? Who are you? Beyond this point this forest is impenetrable. I tell you the truth."

Bheem replied to this strange monkey who could talk like a human being - "May I know who are you? Because you don't look like an ordinary monkey. You must be some Devtaa who has taken the form of a monkey. As for me, I am the son of Vaayu and Kuntee and my name is Bheemsen, Bheem for short. I am one of Paandav who are in exile now-a-days. We have come here to receive our brother Arjun." The monkey said - "So my tail is in your way, I am not able to move. You take my advice and return the way you came. Bheem's anger was to rise soon, because he was getting impatient, he said - "I don't need your advice. I am in hurry, I want to go, so please move out of my way." The monkey said - "I told you I am too old to move, so if you have to go, you can go by leaping across my body."

Bheem said - "You are elder to me, it is not right for me to leap over your body, it will be disrespect to you, but if you insist I will leap over your body as Hanumaan did when he crossed the sea." The monkey said - "Who is this Hanumaan you are talking about?" Bheem said curtly - "You are a monkey and you don't know about Hanumaan?" He further said smilingly - "Hanumaan is the greatest of all monkeys. He is my brother, he is a great scholar and he is famous for his great deeds for Raam. I am just nothing in comparison to him, but I am strong enough to fight with you if I have to. So let me go to inside the forest otherwise I have to kill you although I don't want to."

The monkey said again - "I told you that I can't move it myself, see my age. Move my tail yourself from your way and then go." Bheem then tried to move it with his left hand but he could not. Then he tried with his both hands, but he could not. He was frowned at his failure. He tried again and again but he could not do so. Then Bheem went to him and asked for his forgiveness for his disrespectful behavior. His eyes were wet. He asked - "Please tell me who you are? You look like a king of monkeys." The monkey smiled and said - "I am also anxious to tell you who I am. I am also the son of Vaayu and my name is Hanumaan."

As soon as Hanumaan said these words both embraced each other. They spent a long time talking to each other. Hanumaan said - "I want to give you a Var as a mark of appreciation of your strength and in the memory of our meeting." Bheem could not think of anything so he said - "When you are with us then Kaurav's death is certain." Hanumaan said - "I will sit on Arjun's chariot's flag when the war begins. I will always be with you. Now you proceed on your way, the path is difficult and dangerous, so be careful." And both brothers departed.

Bheem Comes to Kuber's Garden

Bheem proceeded northward in search of flowers. Suddenly he came upon a river. There bloomed thousands of flowers on the surface of that river. It was the garden of Kuber. Many Raakshas were guarding it. He just walked in. The guards asked him as who he was and why did he enter it. Bheem said - "I am Bheem, one of the Paandav. My wife Draupadee found one of these flowers and she wanted some more of them." Guards said - "They belong to the king, you should go and ask his permission to take them." Bheem said - "Why should I take the permission? I am a Kshatriya, I cannot ask favors from others. I will pluck these Saugandhikaa flowers for Draupadee and nobody can stop me."

He plucked as many flowers as he could take, nobody could stop him. When Kuber came to know about this incident, he said _ "He must be Bheem. let him take those flowers, he is our friend." Bheem got pleased with Kuber's behavior.

In the meantime Yudhishthir got worried about Bheem so he and Ghatotkach set out to search him and soon came to Kuber's gardens. They found him sitting his arms full of flowers. Kuber also came there and requested them to stay there for a few days, which they did. Yudhishthir wanted to go further than that point but a Heavenly voice (Aakaashvaanee) said - "You are not to go further than this. You must return to Badree, you will find Arjun on the Earth very soon." So they went back to Badree and waited for Arjun to come.