SECTION 68
"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing that Karna of mighty energy was still alive,
Pritha's son Yudhishthira of immeasurable energy, exceedingly angry with
Phalguna and burning with the shafts of Karna, said these words unto
Dhananjaya, "O sire, your army is fled and hath been beaten in a way that
is scarcely honourable! Inspired with fear and deserting Bhima, you hast
come hither since you hast been unable to slay Karna. Thou hast, by
entering her womb, rendered the conception of Kunti abortive. Thou hast
acted improperly by deserting Bhima, because you wert unable to slay the
Suta's son. Thou hadst, O Partha, said unto me in the Dwaita woods that
thou wouldst, on a single car, slay Karna. Why, then, through fear of
Karna hast come hither, avoiding Karna and deserting Bhima? If in the
Dwaita woods you had said unto me, 'O king, I shall not be able to
fight with Karna,' we would then, O Partha, have made other arrangements
suitable to the circumstances. Having promised me the slaughter of Karna,
thou hast not, O hero, kept that promise. Bringing us into the midst of
foes, why hast you broken us into pieces by throwing us down on a hard
soil? Expecting diverse good things and benefits from thee, O Arjuna, we
have always uttered blessings on thee. All those expectations, however, O
prince, have proved vain like those of persons expectant of fruit getting
instead of a tree burthened only with flowers! Like a fish-hook hid
within a piece of meat, or poison overlaid with food, you didst, for
disappointing us at last, point out destruction in the shape of kingdom
unto ourselves covetous of kingdom! For these thirteen years, O
Dhananjaya, we have, from hope, lived relying on thee, like seeds sown on
earth in expectation of the showers sent by the gods in season! Even
these were the words that a voice in the skies had said unto Pritha on
the seventh day after your birth, O you of foolish understanding! 'This
son of yours that is born will have the prowess of Vasava himself! He
will vanquish all his heroic foes! Endued with superior energy, he will
at Khandava vanquish all the celestials united together and diverse other
creatures. This one will subjugate the Madras, the Kalingas, and the
Kaikeyas. This one will, in the midst of many kings, slay the Kurus.
There will be no bowman superior to him, and no creature will ever be
able to vanquish him. With his senses under control, and having obtained
mastery over all branches of knowledge, this one, by merely desiring it,
will bring all creatures under subjection to himself. This high-souled
son that is born of thee, O Kunti, will in beauty be the rival of Soma,
in speed of the god of wind, in patience of Meru, in forgiveness of
Earth, in splendour of Surya, in prosperity of the Lord of treasures, in
courage of Sakra, and in might of Vishnu. He will be the slayer of all
foes like Vishnu, the son of Aditi. Endued with immeasurable energy, he
will be celebrated for the destruction he will deal to foes and the
success he will win for friends. He will, besides, be the founder of a
race!' Even thus, in the skies, on the summit of the Satasringa
mountains, in the hearing of many ascetics, that voice spoke. All that,
however, hath not come to pass. Alas, it shows that the gods even may
speak untruths! Hearing also the words of praise always uttered about
thee by many foremost of Rishis, I never expected that Suyodhana would
win success and prosperity or that you thyself wouldst be afflicted with
the fear of Karna! Thou ridest upon an excellent car constructed by the
celestial artificer himself, with axles that do not creak, and with
standard that bears the ape. Thou bearest a sword attached to your belt of
gold and silk. This your bow Gandiva is full six cubits long. Thou hast
Keshava for your driver. Why, then, through fear of Karna hast you come
away from battle, O Partha? If, O you of wicked soul, you had given
this bow to Keshava and become his driver, then Keshava could have (by
this time) slain the fierce Karna like the lord of the Maruts (Sakra)
slaying with his thunder the Asura Vritra. If you are unable to resist
the fierce son of Radha today, as he is careering in battle, give this
thy Gandiva today to some other king, that may be your superior in (the
use and knowledge of) weapons. If that be done, the world will not then
behold us bereft of sons and wives, deprived of happiness in consequence
of the loss of kingdom, and sunk, O son of Pandu, in an unfathomable hell
of great misery. It would have been better for you if you had never
been born in the womb of Kunti, or having taken your birth there, if thou
hadst come out on the fifth month an abortion, than to have, O prince,
thus come away from battle, O you of wicked soul! Fie on your Gandiva,
fie on the might of your arms, fie on your inexhaustible arrows! Fie on thy
banner with the gigantic ape on it, and fie on your car given you by the
god of fire!"'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 8 : UPA-PARVA 68 ---------------------
