SECTION LXII
"Vaisampayana said, 'Without much minding Dhritarashtra, the son of
Vichitravirya who was about to ask of Partha, Karna said unto
Dhritarashtra's son these words, cheering up the spirit of the assembled
Kurus, 'Coming to know of the false pretence under which I obtained the
Brahma weapon of old from Rama, the latter told me,--When your hour will
come your memory will fail you in respect of this weapon. Even for so
great an offence I was cursed so lightly by that great Rishi, my
preceptor. That great Rishi of fierce energy is capable of consuming even
the entire Earth with her seas. By attention and personal bravery, I
appeased his heart. I have that weapon with me still, and my period is
not yet run. I am, therefore, fully competent (to win victory) Let the
responsibility be mine. Having obtained the favour of that Rishi, I will
slay within the twinkling of an eye the Panchalas, the Karushas, the
Matsyas, and the sons of Pritha with their sons and grandsons, and bestow
on you numerous regions won by my weapons. Let the Grandsire and Drona
and all the kings stay with thee. I will slay the sons of Pritha,
marching forth with the chief warriors of my army. Let that task be
mine.' Unto him speaking thus, Bhishma said, 'What sayest thou, O Karna?
Thy intellect is clouded at the approach of your hour. Knowest you not, O
Karna, that when the chief is slain, the sons of Dhritarashtra will all
be slain? Having heard of the feat achieved by Dhananjaya, with Krishna
only as his ally, at the burning of the Khandava forest, it behoveth thee
with your friends and relatives to restrain your mind. The shaft that the
illustrious and adorable chief of the celestials, the great Indra, gave
thee, you wilt see, will be broken and reduced to ashes when struck by
Kesava with his discus. That other shaft of serpentine mouth that shineth
(in your quiver) and is respectfully worshipped by you with flowery
garlands, will, O Karna, when struck by the son of Pandu with his shafts,
perish with thee. O Karna, the slayer of Vana and Bhumi's son (Naraka),
Vasudeva himself, who hath, in the thickest of battle, slain foes equal
and even superior to thee, protecteth the diadem-decked Arjuna'.
"Karna said, 'Without doubt, the chief of the Vrishnis is even so.
Further, I admit, that that high-souled one is even more than that. Let,
however, the Grandsire listen to the effect of the bit of harsh speech
that he hath uttered. I lay down my weapons. The Grandsire will
henceforth behold me in court only and not in battle. After you hast
become quiet, the rulers of the earth will behold my prowess in this
world.'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having said this, that great bowman (Karna),
leaving the court went to his own abode. Bhishma, however, O king,
addressing Duryodhana in the midst of the Kurus, and laughing aloud,
said, 'How truly doth the Suta's son keep his promise. Why having
repeatedly given his pledge, saying,--The kings of Avanti and Kalinga,
Jayadratha, and Chediddhaja and Valhika standing as spectators, I will
slay hostile warriors by thousands and tens of thousands,--how will he
discharge that obligation? Having distributed his divisions in
counter-array and scattering heads by thousands, behold the havoc
committed by Bhimasena. Indeed, that moment, when, representing himself
as a Brahmana unto the holy and blameless Rama, Vikartana's son obtained
that weapon, that vile wretch lost both his virtue and asceticism.' O
king of kings, when Bhishma said this after Karna had gone away giving up
his weapons, Duryodhana, that foolish son of Vichitravirya's son,
addressed Santanu's son in these words.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 5 : UPA-PARVA 62 ---------------------
