one, he further said, ’Rise up, O king!  Why dost thou lie down?  Why dost thou grieve, O slayer of foes?  Having afflicted thy enemies by thy prowess, why dost thou wish for death?  Or (perhaps) fear hath possessed thee at the sight of Arjuna’s prowess.  I truly promise unto thee that I will slay Arjuna in battle.  O lord of men, I swear by my weapon that when the three and ten years shall have passed away, I will bring the sons of Pritha under thy subjection.’  Thus addressed by Karna, and remembering the words of the Daityas and supplications made by them (his brothers), Suyodhana rose up.  And having heard those words of the Daityas that tiger among men, with a firm resolve in his heart arrayed his army, abounding in horses and elephants and cars and infantry.  And, O monarch, immensely swarming with white umbrellas, and pennons, and white Chamaras, and cars, and elephants, and foot-soldiers, that mighty army, as it moved like the waters of the Ganga, looked graceful like the firmament, at a season when the clouds have dispersed and the signs of autumn have been but partially developed.  And, O foremost of kings, eulogised like a monarch by the best of the Brahmanas blessing with victory, that lord of men Suyodhana, Dhritarashtra’s son, receiving honours paid with innumerable joined palms, and flaming in exceeding splendour, went in the front, accompanied by Karna, and that gambler, the son of Suvala.  And all his brothers with Dussasana at their head, and Bhurisrava, and Somadatta, and the mighty king Vahlika, followed that lion among kings on his way, with cars of various forms, and horses, and the best of elephants.  And, O prime among monarchs, in a short time, those perpetuators of the Kuru race entered their own city.”

SECTION CCLI

Janamejaya said, “When the high-souled sons of Pritha were living in the forest, what did those foremost of men and mighty archers—­the sons of Dhritarashtra—­do?  And what did the offspring of the Sun, Karna, and the mighty Sakuni, and Bhishma, and Drona, and Kripa do?  It behoveth thee to relate this unto me.”

Vaisampayana said, “When, O mighty king, in this manner the Pandavas had gone, leaving Suyodhana, and when, having been liberated by Pandu’s sons, he had come to Hastinapura, Bhishma said these words to the son of Dhritarashtra, ’O child, I had told thee before, when thou wert intent upon going to the hermitage that thy journey did not please me.  But thou didst do so.  And as a consequence, O hero, wert thou forcibly taken captive by the enemy, and wert delivered by the Pandavas versed in morality.  Yet art thou not ashamed.  Even in the presence of thee, O son of Gandhari, together with thy army, did the Suta’s son, struck with panic, fly from the battle of the Gandharvas, O king.  And, O foremost of kings, O son of the monarch! while thou with thy army wert crying distressfully, thou didst witness the prowess of the high-souled Pandavas, and also, O mighty-armed one, of the wicked son of the Suta, Karna.  O best of kings, whether in the science of arms, or heroism, or morality, Karna, O thou devoted to virtue, is not a fourth part of the Pandavas.  Therefore, for the welfare of this race, the conclusion of peace is, I think, desirable with the high-souled Pandavas.’