“Sanjaya said, ‘Beholding that vast host of the Pandavas swelling with
rage and regarding it to be incapable of being resisted, thy son
Duryodhana, addressing Karna, said these words, “O thou that art devoted
to friends, that hour hath now come in respect of thy friends (when thy
help is most needed). O Karna, save in battle all my warriors. Our
combatants are now encompassed on all sides by the Panchalas, the
Kaikeyas, the Matsyas, and the mighty car-warriors of the Pandavas, all
filled with rage and resembling hissing snakes. Yonder the Pandavas,
solicitous of victory, are roaring in joy. The vast car-force of the
Panchalas is possessed of the prowess of Sakra himself.”
“‘Karna replied, “If Purandara himself were to come hither for saving
Partha, quickly vanquishing even him, I would slay that son of Pandu. I
tell thee truly. Be cheered, O Bharata! I will slay the son of Pandu and
all the assembled Panchalas, I will give thee victory, like Pavaka’s son
giving victory unto Vasava. I shall do what is agreeable to thee in this
battle that has begun. Amongst all the Parthas, Phalguna is the
strongest. At him I will hurl the fatal dart of Sakra’s workmanship. Upon
the death of that great bowman, his brothers, O giver of honour, will
either surrender themselves unto thee or once more retire into the
forest. When I am alive, O Kauravya, never indulge in any grief. I will
vanquish in battle all the Pandavas united together and all the
Panchalas, the Kaikeyas, and the Vrishnis assembled together. Making
porcupines of them by means of my arrowy showers, I will give thee the
earth.”’
“Sanjaya continued, ‘While Karna was uttering those words, Kripa, the
mighty armed son of Saradwat, smiling the while, addressed the Suta’s son
in these words, “Thy speech is fair, O Karna! If words alone could lead
to success, then with thee, O son of Radha, as his protector, this bull
among the Kurus would be considered to have the amplest measure of
protection. Thou boastest much, O Karna, in the presence of the Kuru
chief, but thy prowess is seldom witnessed, nor, indeed, any result (of
thy boastful speeches). Many a time have we seen thee encounter the sons
of Pandu in battle. On every one of those occasions, O Suta’s son, thou
hast been vanquished by the Pandavas. While Dhritarashtra’s son was being
taken away (as a captive) by the Gandharvas, all the troops fought on
that occasion except thy single self, who was the first to fly away. In
Virata’s city also, all the Kauravas, united together, including thyself
and thy younger brother were vanquished by Partha in battle. Thou art not
a match for even one of the sons of Pandu, viz., Phalguna, on the field
of battle. How then canst thou venture to vanquish all the sons of Pandu
with Krishna at their head? Thou indulgest in too much brag, O Suta’s
son! Engage thyself in battle without saying anything. To put forth
prowess without indulging in brag is the duty of good men. Ever roaring
aloud, O Suta’s son like the dry clouds of autumn, thou showest thyself,
O Karna to be without substance. The king, however, does not understand
it. Thou roarest, O son of Radha, as long as thou seest not the son of
Pritha. These thy roars disappear when thou seest Partha near. Indeed,
thou roarest as long as thou art out of the range of Phalguna’s shafts.
Those roars of thine disappear when thou art pierced with Partha’s
shafts. Kshatriyas evince their eminence by means of their arms;
Brahmanas, by means of speech; Arjuna evinces his by means of the bow;
but Karna, by the castles he builds in the air. Who is there that will
resist that Partha who gratified Rudra himself (in battle)?” Thus railed
at by Saradwat’s son, Karna, that foremost of smiters, answered Kripa in
the following strain, “Heroes always roar like clouds in the season of
rains, and like steeds put in the soil, quickly yield fruits. I do not
see any fault in heroes that take great burdens on their shoulders,
indulging in boastful speeches on the field of battle. When a person
mentally resolves to bear a burden, Destiny itself aids him in the
execution. Wishing in my heart bear a great burden, I always summon
sufficient resolution. If, slaying the sons of Pandu with Krishna and
Satwatas in battle, I indulge in such roars, what is it to thee, O
Brahmana? They that are heroes never roar fruitlessly like autumnal
clouds. Conscious of their own might, the wise indulge in roars! In my
heart I am determined to vanquish in battle today Krishna and Partha
united together and fighting with resolution! It is for this that I roar,
O son of Gotama! Behold the fruit of these my roars, O Brahmana! Slaying
the son of Pandu in battle, with all their followers, Krishna and
Satwatas, I will bestow on Duryodhana the whole earth without a thorn in
it.”
“‘Kripa said, “Little do I reckon, O Suta’s son, these delirious sayings of
thine discovering thy thoughts, not deeds. Thou always speakest in
depreciation of the two Krishnas and king Yudhishthira the just. He, O
Karna, is certain, to have the victory who hath on his side those two
heroes skilled in battle. Indeed, Krishna and Arjuna are incapable of
being defeated by the celestials, the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, human
beings, the Nagas, and the birds, all clad in mail. Yudhishthira, the son
of Dharma is devoted to the Brahmanas. He is truthful in speech and
self-restrained. He reverences the Pitris and the deities. He is devoted
to the practice of truth and righteousness. He is, again, skilled in
weapons. Possessed of great intelligence, he is also grateful. His
brothers are all endued with great might and well-practised in all
weapons. They are devoted to the service of their seniors. Possessed of
wisdom and fame, they are also righteous in their practices. Their
kinsmen and relatives are all endued with the prowess of Indra. Effectual
smiters, they are all exceedingly devoted to the Pandavas.
Dhrishtadyumna, and Sikhandin and Janamejaya, the son of Durmuksha and
Chandrasen, and Madrasen, and Kritavarman, Dhruva, and Dhara and
Vasuchandra, and Sutejana, the sons of Drupada, and Drupada himself,
conversant with high and mighty weapons, and the king of the Matsyas
also, with his younger brothers, all resolutely struggling for their
sake, and Gajanika, and Virabhadra, and Sudarsana, and Srutadhwaja, and
Valanika, and Jayanika, and Jayaprya, and Vijaya and Labhalaksha, and
Jayaswa, and Kamaratha, and the handsome brothers of Virata, and the
twins (Nakula and Sahadeva), and the (five) sons of Draupadi, and the
Rakshasa Ghatotkacha, are all fighting for the Pandavas. The sons of
Pandu, therefore, will not meet with destruction. These and many other
hosts (of heroes) are for the sons of Pandu. Without doubt, the entire
universe, with the celestials, Asuras, and human beings, with all the
tribes of Yaksha and Rakshas and with all the elephants and snakes and
other creatures, can be annihilated by Bhima and Phalguna by the prowess
of their weapons. As regards Yudhishthira also, he can, with angry eyes
only, consume the whole world. How, O Karna, canst thou venture to
vanquish those foes in battle for whom Sauri of immeasurable might hath
clad himself in mail? This, O Suta’s son, is a great folly on thy part,
since thou always venturest to contend with Sauri himself in battle.”’
“Sanjaya continued, ‘Thus addressed (by Kripa), Karna the son of Radha, O
bull of Bharata’s race, smiling the while, said these words unto the
preceptor Kripa, the son of Saradwat, “The words thou hast spoken about
the Pandavas, O Brahmana, are all true. These and many other virtues are
to be seen in the sons of Pandu. It is true also that the Parthas are
incapable of being vanquished by the very gods with Vasava at their head,
and the Daityas, the Yakshas, and the Rakshasas. For all that I will
vanquish the Parthas with the help of the dart given me by Vasava. Thou
knowest, O Brahmana, that the dart given by Sakra is incapable of being
baffled. With that I will slay Savyasachin in battle. Upon Arjuna’s fall,
Krishna and the uterine brothers of Arjuna will never be able to enjoy
the (sovereignty of the) earth without Arjuna (to aid them). All of them,
therefore, will perish. This earth then, with her seas, will remain
subject to the chief of the Kurus, O Gautama, without costing him any
efforts. In this world everything, without doubt, becomes attainable by
policy. Knowing this, I indulge in these roars, O Gautama! As regards
thyself, thou art old, a Brahmana by birth, and unskilled in battle. Thou
bearest much love for the Pandavas. It is for this thou insultest me
thus. If, O Brahmana, thou tellest me again such words as these, I shall,
then, drawing out my scimitar, cut off thy tongue, O wretch! Thou
desirest, O Brahmana, to applaud the Pandavas, for frightening all the
troops and the Kauravas, O thou of wretched understanding! As regards
this also, O Gautama, listen to what I say. Duryodhana, and Drona, and
Sakuni, and Durmukha, and Jaya, and Duhsasana, and Vrishasena, and the
ruler of the Madras, and thyself too and Somadatta and Drona’s son, and
Vivinsati,--all these heroes skilled in battle,--are here, clad in mail.
What foe is there, endued with even the prowess of Sakra, that would
vanquish these in battle? All those I have named are heroes, skilled in
weapons, endued with great might, solicitous of admission into heaven,
conversant with morality, and skilled in battle. They would stay the very
gods in fight. These will take their places on the field for slaying the
Pandavas, clad in mail on behalf of Duryodhana desirous of victory. I
regard victory to be dependent on destiny, even in the case of the
foremost of mighty men. When the mighty-armed Bhishma himself lieth
pierced with a hundred arrows, as also Vikarna, and Jayadratha, and
Bhurisravas, and Jaya, and Jalasandha, and Sudakshina, and Sala, that
foremost of car-warriors, and Bhagadatta of great energy, I say, when
these and many others, incapable of being easily vanquished by the very
gods, heroes all and mightier (than the Pandavas), lie on the field of
battle, slain by the Pandavas, what dost thou think, O wretch among men,
but that all this is the result of destiny? As regards them also, viz.,
the foes of Duryodhana, whom thou adorest, O Brahmana, brave warriors of
theirs, in hundreds and thousands, have been slain. The armies of both
the Kurus and the Pandavas are diminishing in numbers; I do not, in this,
behold the prowess of the Pandavas! With them, O lowest of men, whom thou
always regardest to be so mighty, I shall strive, to the utmost extent of
my might, to contend in battle, for Duryodhana’s good. As regards
victory, that depends on destiny.”’”