“Sanjaya said, ‘Beholding Hidimva’s son slain and lying like a riven
mountain, all the Pandavas became filled with grief and began to shed
copious tears. Only Vasudeva filled with transports of delight, began to
utter leonine shouts, grieving the Pandavas. Indeed, uttering loud shouts
he embraced Arjuna. Tying the steeds and uttering loud roars, he began to
dance in a transport of joy, like a tree shaken by a tempest. Then
embracing Arjuna once more, and repeatedly slapping his own armpits,
Achyuta endued with great intelligence once more began to shout, standing
on the terrace of the car. Beholding those tokens of delight that Kesava
manifested, Dhananjaya, O king, with heart in grief, addressed him,
saying, “O slayer of Madhu, thou showest great joy at a time scarcely fit
for it, indeed on an occasion for sorrow caused by the death of Hidimva’s
son. Our troops are flying away, beholding Ghatotkacha slain. We also are
filled with anxiety in consequence of the fall of Hidimva’s son. O
Janardana, the cause must be very grave when at such a time thou feelest
such joy. Therefore, O foremost of truthful men, asked by me, tell me
truly (what that cause is). Indeed, if it be not a secret, it behoveth
thee, O chastiser of foes, to say it unto me. O slayer of Madhu, tell me
what has removed thy gravity today. This act of thine, O Janardana, this
lightness of heart, seems to me like the drying up of the ocean or the
locomotion of Meru.”’
“‘Vasudeva said, “Great is the joy I feel. Listen to me, Dhananjaya! This
that I will tell thee will immediately dispel thy sorrow and infuse
delight into thy heart. O thou of great splendour, know, O Dhananjaya,
that Karna, his dart being baffled through Ghatotkacha, is already slain
in battle. The man does not exist in this world that could not stay
before Karna armed with that dart and looking like Kartikeya in battle.
By good luck, his (natural) armour had been taken away. By good luck, his
earrings also had been taken away. By good luck, his infallible dart also
is now baffled, through Ghatotkacha. Clad in (natural) coat of mail and
decked with his (natural) ear-rings, Karna, who had his senses under
control, could singly vanquish the three worlds with the very gods.
Neither Vasava, nor Varuna the lord of the waters, nor Yama, could
venture to approach him. Indeed, if that bull among men had his armour
and ear-rings, neither thyself, bending the Gandiva, nor myself,
uplifting my discus, called Sudarsana, could vanquish him in battle. For
thy good, Karna was divested of his ear-rings by Sakra with the help of
an illusion. Similarly was that subjugator of hostile towns deprived of
his (natural) armour. Indeed, because Karna, cutting off his (natural)
armour and his brilliant ear-rings, gave them unto Sakra, it is for that
he came to be called Vaikartana. Karna now seems to me to be like an
angry snake of virulent poison stupefied by power of incantation, or like
a fire of mild flames. From that time, O mighty-armed one, when the
high-souled Sakra gave that dart unto Karna in exchange for the latter’s
ear-rings, and celestial armour, that dart, viz., which has slain
Ghatotkacha, from that time, Vrisha, having obtained it, had always
regarded thee as slain in battle! But though deprived of that dart, O
sinless one, I swear to thee that hero is still incapable of being slain
by anybody else save thee. Devoted to Brahmanas, truthful in speech,
engaged in penances, observant of vows, kind even unto foes, for these
reasons Karna is called Vrisha. Heroic in battle, possessed of mighty
arms and with bow always uplifted, like the lion in the forest depriving
leaders of elephantine herds of their pride, Karna always deprives the
greatest car-warriors of their pride on the field of battle, and
resembles the mid-day sun at whom none can gaze. Contending with all the
illustrious and foremost of warriors of thy army, O tiger among men,
Karna, while shooting his arrowy showers, looked like the autumnal sun
with his thousand rays. Indeed, incessantly shooting showers of shafts
like the clouds pouring torrents of rain at the end of summer, Karna is
like a pouring cloud charged with celestial weapons. He is incapable of
being vanquished in battle by the gods, he would mangle them in such a
way that their flesh and blood would fall copiously on the field.
Deprived, however, of his armour as also of his car-rings, O son of
Pandu, and divested also of the dart given him by Vasava, Karna is now
like a man (and no longer like a god). There will occur one opportunity
for his slaughter. When his car-wheels will sink in the earth, availing
thyself of that opportunity, thou shouldst slay him in that distressful
situation. I will make thee a sign beforehand. Warned by it, thou
shouldst act. The vanquisher of Vala himself, that foremost of heroes,
wielding his thunder, is incapable of slaying the invincible Karna while
the latter stands weapon in hand. Indeed, O Arjuna, for thy good, with
the aid of diverse contrivances I have slain, one after another,
Jarasandha and the illustrious ruler of the Chedis and the mighty-armed
Nishada of the name of Ekalavya. Other great Rakshasas having Hidimva and
Kirmira and Vaka for their foremost, as also Alayudha, that grinder of
hostile troops, and Ghatotkacha, that crusher of foes and warrior of
fierce deeds, have all been slain.”’”