Janamejaya said,--“What, O Brahmana, was that great fear entertained by
Yudhishthira in respect of Karna, for which Lomasa had conveyed to the
son of Pandu a message of deep import from Indra in these words, That
intense fear of thine which thou dost never express to any one, I will
remove after Dhananjaya goeth from hence? And, O best of ascetics, why
was it that the virtuous Yudhishthira never expressed it to any one?”
Vaisampayana said, “As thou askest me, O tiger among kings, I will relate
that history unto thee! Do thou listen to my words, O best of the
Bharatas! After twelve years (of their exile) had passed away and the
thirteenth year had set in, Sakra, ever friendly to the sons of Pandu,
resolved to beg of Karna (his ear-rings). And, O mighty monarch,
ascertaining this intention of the great chief of the celestials about
(Karna’s) ear-rings, Surya, having effulgence for his wealth, went unto
Karna. And, O foremost of kings, while that hero devoted to the Brahmanas
and truthful in speech was lying down at night at his ease on a rich bed
overlaid with a costly sheet, the effulgent deity, filled with kindness
and affection for his son, showed himself, O Bharata, unto him in his
dreams. And assuming from ascetic power the form of a handsome Brahmana
versed in the Vedas, Surya sweetly said unto Karna these words for his
benefit, ‘O son, do thou O Karna, listen to these words of mine, O thou
foremost of truthful persons! O mighty-armed one, I tell thee to-day from
affection, what is for thy great good! With the object, O Karna, of
obtaining thy ear-rings, Sakra, moved by the desire of benefiting the
sons of Pandu, will come unto thee, disguised as a Brahmana! He, as Well
as all the world, knoweth thy character, viz., that when solicited by
pious people, thou givest away but never takest in gift! Thou, O son,
givest unto Brahmanas wealth or any other thing that is asked of thee and
never refusest anything to anybody. Knowing thee to be such, the subduer
himself of Paka will come to beg of thee thy ear-rings and coat of mail.
When he beggeth the ear-rings of thee, it behoveth thee not to give them
away, but to gratify him with sweet speeches to the best of thy power.
Even this, is for thy supreme good! While asking thee for the ear-rings,
thou shalt, with various reasons, repeatedly refuse Purandara who is
desirous of obtaining them, offering him, instead, various other kinds of
wealth, such as gems and women and kine, and citing various precedents.
If thou, O Kama, givest away thy beautiful ear-rings born with thee, thy
life being shortened, thou wilt meet with death! Arrayed in thy mail and
ear-rings, thou wilt, O bestower of honours, be incapable of being slain
by foes in battle! Do thou lay to heart these words of mine! Both these
jewelled ornaments have sprung from Amrita. Therefore, they should be
preserved by thee, if thy life is at all dear to thee.”
“Hearing these words, Kama said, ‘Who art thou that tellest me so,
showing me such kindness? If it pleaseth thee, tell me, O illustrious
one, who thou art in the guise of a Brahmana!’--The Brahmana thereupon
said, ‘O son, I am he of a thousand rays! Out of affection, I point out
to thee the path! Act thou according to my words, as it is for thy great
good to do so!’ Kama replied, ‘Surely, this itself is highly fortunate
for me that the god himself of splendour addresses me today, seeking my
welfare. Listen, however, to these words of mine! May it please thee, O
bestower of boons, it is only from affection that I tell thee this! If I
am dear to thee, I should not be dissuaded from the observance of my vow!
O thou that are possessed of the wealth of effulgence, the whole world
knoweth this to be my vow that, of a verity, I am prepared to give away
life itself unto superior Brahmanas! If, O best of all rangers of the
sky, Sakra cometh to me, disguised as a Brahmana, to beg for the benefit
of the sons of Pandu, I will, O chief of the celestials, give him the
ear-rings and the excellent mail, so that my fame which hath spread over
the three worlds may not suffer any diminution! For persons like us, it
is not fit to save life by a blame-worthy act. On the contrary, it is
even proper for us to meet death with the approbation of the world and
under circumstances bringing fame. Therefore, will I bestow upon Indra
the ear-rings with my coat of mail! If the slayer himself of Vala and
Vritra cometh to ask for the ear-rings for the benefit of the sons of
Pandu, that will conduce to my fame, leading at the same time to his
infamy! O thou possessed of splendour, I wish for fame in this world,
even if it is to be purchased with life itself, for they that have fame
enjoy the celestial regions, while they that are destitute of it are
lost. Fame keepeth people alive in this world even like a mother, while
infamy killeth men even though they may move about with bodies
undestroyed. O lord of the worlds, O thou possessed of the wealth of
effulgence, that fame is the life of men is evidenced by an ancient sloka
sung by the Creator himself,--In the next world it is fame that is the
chief support of a person, while in this world pure fame lengthens life.
Therefore, by giving away my ear-rings and mail with both of which I was
born I will win eternal fame! And by duly giving away the same to
Brahmanas according to the ordinance, by offering up my body (as a gift
to the gods) in the sacrifice of war, by achieving feats difficult of
performance, and by conquering my foes in fight, I will acquire nothing
but renown. And by dispelling on the field of battle the fears of the
affrighted that may beg for their lives, and relieving old men and boys
and Brahmanas from terror and anxiety, I will win excellent fame and the
highest heaven. My fame is to be protected with the sacrifice of even my
life. Even this, know thou, is my vow! By giving away such a valuable
gift to Maghavan disguised as a Brahmana, I will, O god, acquire in this
world the most exalted state.’”