Vaishampayana said "After all the warriors had been massacred, king Yudhishthira heard that his uncle Dhritarashtra had left the city of Hastinapura.

Afflicted with grief consequent on the death of his sons, Yudhishthira, O king, accompanied by his brothers, set out for meeting his uncle who was filled with sorrow for the death of his (hundred) sons.

The son of Kunti was followed by the great and heroic Krishna of Dasharha's race, by Yuyudhana, as also by Yuyutsu.

The princess Draupadi also, laden with grief, and accompanied by those Panchala ladies that were with her, sorrowfully followed her husband.

Yudhishthira saw near the banks of the Ganges, O king, the crowd of Bharata ladies afflicted with sorrow and crying like a light of she-ospreys.

The king was soon surrounded by those thousands of ladies who with arms raised up in grief, were bewailing aloud and uttering all sorts of words, agreeable and disagreeable.

Where, indeed, in that righteousness of the king, where his truth and pity, since he has killed sires and brothers and preceptors and sons and friends.

How, O mighty-armed one, had your heart become tranquil after killing Drona, and your grandsire Bhishma, and Jayadratha.

What is the use of sovereignty to you, after have your seen your sires and brothers, O Bharata, and the irresistible Abhimanyu and the sons of Draupadi, thus killed.

Leaving those ladies crying like a fight of she-ospreys, the mighty-armed king Yudhishthira the just bowed to the feet of his eldest uncle.

Having saluted their sire duly, those slayer of foes, viz., the Pandavas, announced themselves to him, each uttering his own name.

Greatly stricken with grief for the slaughter of his sons, Dhritarashtra unwillingly embraced the eldest son of Pandu, who was the cause of that slaughter.

Having embraced Yudhishthira and spoken a few solacing words to him, O Bharata, the wicked Dhritarashtra sought for Bhima, like a burning fire ready to burn everything that would approach it.

Indeed, the fire of his anger, fanned by the wind of his grief, seemed then to be ready to consume the Bhima-forest.

Understanding the wicked intentions towards Bhima, Krishna, dragging away the real Bhima, prusented an iron statue of the second son of Pandu to the old king.

The highly intelligent, Krishna had, in the very beginning understood the object of Dhritarashtra, and had, therefore, kept such a contrivance ready for baffling them.

Holding with his two arms that iron Bhima, the power king Dhritarashtra, endued with great strength, broke it into pieces, taking it for the real Bhima.

Possessed of the strength of ten thousands elephants, the king broke that statue into pieces. His own breast, however, was considerably bruised and he began to vomit blood.

Covered with blood the king dropped down on the ground like a blossoming Parijata tree.

His learned charioteer, Sanjaya the son of Gavalgana raised the king and soothing and comforting him, said'Do not act so.'

Having cast off his wrath and regained his true nature the king then became filled with grief and began to weep aloud, saying, 'Alas, Oh Bhima, Alas, Oh Bhima!'

Knowing that he was no longer under the influence of anger, and that he was truly sorry for having (as he believed) slain Bhima, Vasudeva, that foremost of men, said,-'Do not grieve, O Dhritarashtra, for you have not killed Bhimasena. That is an iron statue, O king, whica has been broken by you.

Knowing that you were filled with anger, O foremost of Bharata's race, I dragged Bhima away from within the jaws of Death.

O best of kings, there is none equal to you in physical strength. Who is there, O mightyarmed one, that would bear pressure of your arms.

As no one can escape alive from a struggle with Death himself, so no body can come out safe from within your embrace.

Therefore that iron statue of Bhima, which had been made by your son, had been kept ready for you.

On account of the sorrow for the death of your sons, your mind has been filled with spite. Therefore, O great king, you seek kill Bhimasena.

The destruction of Bhima, however, O king, would do you no good. Your sons, O king, would not be revived by it.

Therefore, approve of what we have done to secure peace, and do not grieve any longer."