"He was not free," with countenance still fixed, Quoth Yudhi-sthira; "he was true and fast And wise; yet wisdom made him proud; he hid One little hurt of soul, but now it kills."
So saying, he strode on, Kunti's strong son, And Bhima; and Arjuna followed him, And Nakalu and the hound; leaving behind Sahadev in the sands. But Nakalu, Weakened and grieved to see Sahadev fall-- His dear-loved brother--lagged and stayed; and then Prone on his face he fell, that noble face Which had no match for beauty in the land,-- Glorious and godlike Nakalu! Then sighed Bhima anew: "Brother and Lord! the man Who never erred from virtue, never broke Our fellowship, and never in the world Was matched for goodly perfectness of form Or gracious feature,--Nakalu has fallen!"
But Yudhi-sthira, holding fixed his eyes,-- That changeless, faithful, all-wise king,--replied: "Yea, but he erred! The god-like form he wore Beguiled him to believe none like to him, And he alone desirable, and things Unlovely, to be slighted. Self-love slays Our noble brother. Bhima, follow! Each Pays what his debt was."
Which Arjuna heard, Weeping to see them fall; and that stout son Of Pandu, that destroyer of his foes, That Prince, who drove through crimson waves of war, In old days, with his milk-white chariot-steeds, Him, the arch hero, sank! Beholding this,-- The yielding of that soul unconquerable,
Fearless, divine, from Sakra's self derived, Arjuna's--Bhima cried aloud: "O King! This man was surely perfect. Never once, Not even in slumber, when the lips are loosed, Spake he one word that was not true as truth. Ah, heart of gold! why art thou broke? O King! Whence falleth he?"
And Yudhi-sthira said, Not pausing: "Once he lied, a lordly lie! He bragged--our brother--that a single day Should see him utterly consume, alone, All those his enemies,--which could not be. Yet from a great heart sprang the unmeasured speech, Howbeit a finished hero should not shame Himself in such a wise, nor his enemy, If he will faultless fight and blameless die: This was Arjuna's sin. Follow thou me!"
So the King still went on. But Bhima next Fainted, and stayed upon the way, and sank; But, sinking, cried behind the steadfast Prince: "Ah, Brother, see! I die! Look upon me, Thy well beloved! Wherefore falter I, Who strove to stand?"