"Kripa said, 'O Radheya, thy crooked heart always inclineth to war. Thou
knowest not the true nature of things; nor dost thou take into account
their after-consequences. There are various kinds of expedients
inferrable from the scriptures. Of these, a battle hath been regarded by
those acquainted with the past, as the most sinful. It is only when time
and place are favourable that military operations can lead to success.
In the present instance, however, the time being unfavourable, no good
results will be deprived. A display of prowess in proper time and place
becometh beneficial. It is by the favourableness or otherwise (of time
and place) that the opportuneness of an act is determined. Learned men
can never act according to the ideas of a car-maker. Considering all
this, an encounter with Partha is not advisible for us. Alone he saved
the Kurus (from the _Gandharvas_), and alone he satiated Agni. Alone he
led the life of a _Brahmacharin_ for five years (on the breast of
Himavat). Taking up Subhadra on his car, alone he challenged Krishna to
single combat. Alone he fought with Rudra who stood before him as a
forester. It was in this very forest that Partha rescued Krishna while
she was being taken away (by Jayadratha). It is he alone that hath, for
five years, studied the science of weapons under Indra. Alone
vanquishing all foes he hath spread the fame of the Kurus. Alone that
chastiser of foes vanquished in battle Chitrasena, the king of the
_Gandharvas_ and in a moment his invincible troops also. Alone he
overthrew in battle the fierce _Nivatakavachas_ and the _Kalakhanchas_,
that were both incapable of being slain by the gods themselves. What,
however, O Karna, hath been achieved by thee single-handed like any of
the sons of Pandu, each of whom had alone subjugated many lords of
earth? Even Indra himself is unfit to encounter Partha in battle. He,
therefore, that desireth to fight with Arjuna should take a sedative. As
to thyself, thou desirest to take out the fangs of an angry snake of
virulent poison by stretching forth thy right hand and extending thy
forefinger. Or, wandering alone in the forest thou desirest to ride an
infuriate elephant and go to a boar without a hook in hand. Or, rubbed
over with clarified butter and dressed in silken robes, thou desirest to
pass through the midst of a blazing fire fed with fat and tallow and
clarified butter. Who is there that would, binding his own hands and
feet and tying a huge stone unto his neck, cross the ocean swimming with
his bare arms? What manliness is there in such an act? O Karna, he is a
fool that would, without skill in weapons and without strength, desire
to fight with Partha who is so mighty and skilled in weapons.
Dishonestly deceived by us and liberated from thirteen years' exile,
will not the illustrious hero annihilate us? Having ignorantly come to a
place where Partha lay concealed like fire hidden in a well, we have,
indeed, exposed to a great danger. But irresistible though he be in
battle, we should fight against him. Let, therefore, our troops, clad in
mail, stand here arrayed in ranks and ready to strike. Let Drona and
Duryodhana and Bhishma and thyself and Drona's son and ourselves, all
fight with the son of Pritha. Do not, O Karna, act so rashly as to fight
alone. If we six car-warriors be united, we can then be a match for and
fight with that son of Pritha who is resolved to fight and who is as
fierce as the wielder of the thunderbolt. Aided by our troops arrayed in
ranks, ourselves--great bowmen--standing carefully will fight with
Arjuna even as the _Danavas_ encounter Vasava in battle.'"