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of Narayen. Jarasandha, the instant he saw them, knew by their 

 speech, the marks of their bodies, and by Arjoon's thumb, (worn 

 by the bow-string,) that they were not Brahmins, but princes of 

 some kingdom; yet he said to them, " O Brahmins ! whatever ye 

 desire, whatever the hand of mendicity can grasp at, be it a Geda 

 or even a whole kingdom, I shall not turn from your demand . 

 but, as Rajah Bali was driven by the foot of the Bamun-Avatar 

 beneath the earth, yet did not turn his face from Dherme, although 

 warned by Sookra that his suppliant was not a Brahmin ; so I, too, 

 fully persuaded that ye are not Brahmins, will yet bestow on you 

 whatever you request." Creeshna stepped forward and demanded 

 Sengram : " And if," said he, " thou dost not perfectly know us, 

 lo ! this is Bheema, and this Arjoon, and I am their cousin." Ja- 

 rasandha looked towards his courtiers and smiled, bidding them 

 admire the insolence of this cowherd, whom he had already so often 

 caused to run away, happy to have saved his life, and who now 

 demanded another battle. " Well," said he, " I will give you Sen- 

 gram. You formerly escaped from my hand, and saved your life 

 in the sea ; but whither will you now go to save it ? Yet it is a dis- 

 grace to me to fight with one whom I have already defeated. As 

 to Arjoon, delicately formed as he is, he will certainly never pretend 

 to cope with me in battle ; but Bheema seems in vigour and good 

 case, if he hath but courage to meet me." Jarasandha then sum- 

 moned his whole army, and, divesting Bheema of his Brahmin's 

 dress, asked him with what weapon he chose to engage. Bheema 

 chose the mace. Jarasandha immediately put one into his hand 

 and armed himself with another : and now, first addressing Nemes- 

 kar to himself, (as to a god,) and then kissing his hand, he ad- 

 vanced towards Bheema, and the engagement commenced. They 

 were equal in strength, and their maces so violently crashed together 

 as they fought, that the concave of heaven was rent by the sound. 



