Preceptors are wise, and sinless, and very kind to
all creatures. They, however, should never be
consulted at times of peril. It is in luxurious
palaces, and assemblies and pleasure-gardens, that
learned men, capable of making speeches, seem to be
in their place. Performing many wonderful things,
in the assembly, it is there that learned men find
their place, or even there where sacrificial utensils
and their proper placing and washing are needed.
In a knowledge of the lapses of others, in studying
the characters of men, in the science of horses and
elephants and cars, in treating the diseases of asses
and camels and goats and sheeps and kine, in planning
buildings and gateways, and in pointing out the defects
of food and drink, the learned are truly in their
own sphere. Disregarding learned men that extol
the heroism of the foe, make ye such arrangements
that the foe may be destroyed. Placing the kine
securely, array the troops in order of battle.
Place guards in proper places so that we may fight
the foe.’”
“Karna said, ’I behold all these blessed
ones, looking as if alarmed and panic-struck and unresolved
and unwilling to fight. If he that is come is
the king of the Matsyas or Vibhatsu, even I will resist
him as the banks resist the swelling sea. Shot
from my bow these straight and flying arrows, like
gliding snakes, are all sure of aim. Discharged
by my light hands, these keen-edged arrows furnished
with golden wings shall cover Partha all over, like
locusts shrouding a tree. Strongly pressed by
these winged arrows, the bow-string will cause these
my leathern fences to produce sounds that will be
heard to resemble those of a couple of kettle-drums.
Having been engaged in ascetic austerities for the
(last) eight and five years, Vibhatsu will strike
me but mildly in this conflict, and the son of Kunti
having become a Brahmana endued with good qualities,
hath thus become a fit person to quietly receive shafts
by thousands shot by me. This mighty bowman is
indeed, celebrated over the three worlds. I,
too, am, by no means, inferior to Arjuna, that foremost
of human beings. With golden arrows furnished
with vulturine wings shot on all sides, let the firmament
seem today to swarm with fire-flies. Slaying
Arjuna in battle, I will discharge today that debt,
difficult of repayments, but promised of old by me
unto Dhritarashtra’s son. When man is there,
even amongst all the gods and the Asuras, that will
endure to stand in the teeth of the straight arrows
shot from my bow? Let my flying arrows, winged
and depressed at the middle, present the spectacle
of the coursing of the fire-flies through the welkin.
Hard though he be as Indra’s thunderbolt and
possessed of the energy of the chief of the celestials,
I will surely grind Partha, even as one afflicts an
elephant by means of burning brands. A heroic
and mighty car-warrior as he is, and the foremost
of all wielders of weapons I shall seize the unresisting
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