“Surya said, ‘Never do, O Karna, anything that is harmful to thy self and
thy friends; thy sons, thy wives, thy father, and thy mother; O thou best
of those that bear life, people desire renown (in this world) and lasting
fame in heaven, without wishing to sacrifice their bodies. But as thou
desirest undying fame at the expense of thy life, she will, without
doubt, snatch away thy life! O bull among men, in this world, the father,
the mother, the son, and other relatives are of use only to him that is
alive. O tiger among men, as regard kings, it is only when they are alive
that prowess can be of any use to them. Do thou understand this? O thou
of exceeding splendour, fame is for the good of these only that are
alive! Of what use is fame to the dead whose bodies have been reduced to
ashes? One that is dead cannot enjoy renown. It is only when one is alive
that one can enjoy it. The fame of one that is dead is like a garland of
flowers around the neck of a corpse. As thou reverest me, I tell thee
this for thy benefit, because thou art a worshipper of mine! They that
worship me are always protected by me. That also is another reason for my
addressing thee thus! Thinking again, O mighty-armed one, that this one
revereth me with great reverence, I have been inspired with love for
thee! Do thou, therefore, act according to my words! There is, besides
some profound mystery in all this, ordained by fate. It is for this, that
I tell thee so. Do thou act without mistrust of any kind! O bull among
men, it is not fit for thee to know this which is a secret to the very
gods. Therefore, I do not reveal that secret unto thee. Thou wilt,
however, understand it in time. I repeat what I have already said. Do
thou, O Radha’s son, lay my words to heart! When the wielder of the
thunder-bolt asketh thee for them, do thou never give him thy ear-rings!
O thou of exceeding splendour, with thy handsome ear-rings, thou lookest
beautiful, even like the Moon himself in the clear firmament, between the
Visakha constellation! Dost thou know that fame availeth only the person
that is living. Therefore, when the lord of the celestials will ask the
ear-rings, thou shouldst, O son, refuse him! Repeating again and again
answers fraught with various reasons, thou wilt, O sinless one, be able
to remove the eagerness of the lord of the celestial for the possession
of the ear-rings. Do thou, O Karna, after Purandara’s purpose by urging
answers fraught with reason and grave import and adorned with sweetness
and suavity. Thou dost always, O tiger among men, challenge him that can
draw the bow with his left hand, and heroic Arjuna also will surely
encounter thee in fight. But when furnished with thy ear-rings, Arjuna
will never be able to vanquish thee in fight even if Indra himself comes
to his assistance. Therefore, O Karna, if thou wishest to vanquish Arjuna
in battle, these handsome ear-rings of thine should never be parted with
to Sakra.’”