of the foe, and afflicted by me, they will fly away
in all directions. I shall today pluck up by
the roots the long-existing dart in Duryodhana’s
heart by throwing Arjuna down from his car. The
Kauravas will today behold Partha with his car broken,
his horses killed, his valour gone, and himself sighing
like a snake. Let the Kauravas, following their
own will go away taking this wealth of kine, or, if
they wish, let them stay on their cars and witness
my combat.’”
“Kripa said, ’O Radheya, thy crooked heart
always inclineth to war. Thou knowest not the
true nature of things; nor dost thou take into account
their after-consequences. There are various kinds
of expedients inferrable from the scriptures.
Of these, a battle hath been regarded by those acquainted
with the past, as the most sinful. It is only
when time and place are favourable that military operations
can lead to success. In the present instance,
however, the time being unfavourable, no good results
will be deprived. A display of prowess in proper
time and place becometh beneficial. It is by
the favourableness or otherwise (of time and place)
that the opportuneness of an act is determined.
Learned men can never act according to the ideas of
a car-maker. Considering all this, an encounter
with Partha is not advisible for us. Alone he
saved the Kurus (from the Gandharvas), and
alone he satiated Agni. Alone he led the life
of a Brahmacharin for five years (on the breast
of Himavat). Taking up Subhadra on his car, alone
he challenged Krishna to single combat. Alone
he fought with Rudra who stood before him as a forester.
It was in this very forest that Partha rescued Krishna
while she was being taken away (by Jayadratha).
It is he alone that hath, for five years, studied
the science of weapons under Indra. Alone vanquishing
all foes he hath spread the fame of the Kurus.
Alone that chastiser of foes vanquished in battle
Chitrasena, the king of the Gandharvas and
in a moment his invincible troops also. Alone
he overthrew in battle the fierce Nivatakavachas
and the Kalakhanchas, that were both incapable
of being slain by the gods themselves. What,
however, O Karna, hath been achieved by thee single-handed
like any of the sons of Pandu, each of whom had alone
subjugated many lords of earth? Even Indra himself
is unfit to encounter Partha in battle. He, therefore,
that desireth to fight with Arjuna should take a sedative.
As to thyself, thou desirest to take out the fangs
of an angry snake of virulent poison by stretching
forth thy right hand and extending thy forefinger.
Or, wandering alone in the forest thou desirest to
ride an infuriate elephant and go to a boar without
a hook in hand. Or, rubbed over with clarified
butter and dressed in silken robes, thou desirest to
pass through the midst of a blazing fire fed with fat
and tallow and clarified butter. Who is there
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