The adventures of Bhímaparákrama after his separation from the prince.
When I was separated from you by the curse of the Nága, I wandered about in the wood until I reached a śalmali tree.[4] And I saw an image representing Gaṇeśa carved in the tree, which I worshipped, and then I sat down at the foot of the tree being tired, and I said to myself, “All this mischief has been brought about by me, by telling my master that time the incident of the Vetála which took place at night. So I will abandon here this my sinful body.” In this frame of mind I remained there, fasting, in front of the god. And after some days an old traveller came that way, and sat in the shade of that tree. And the good man, seeing me, questioned me with much persistence, saying, “Why do you remain in this solitary place, my son, with such a downcast face?” Then I told him my story, exactly as it took place, and the old traveller kindly said to me, to encourage me; “Why, being a man, are you killing yourself like a woman? Moreover, even women do not lose their courage in calamity; hear the following tale in proof of it.”