men, Krishna is like the wind. Hearing the blare
of Panchajanya and the twang of Gandiva all the Kaurava
troops, O Bharata, will be filled with fear. O
hero, without thee, the kings will never be able to
bear the rattle of the ape-bannered car belonging
to that grinder of foes, when he will advance (upon
them). Who amongst the kings, save thyself, is
competent to battle with that Arjuna whose feats,
as described by the wise, are all superhuman?
Superhuman was the battle that he fought with the high-souled
(Mahadeva) of three eyes. From him he obtained
a boon that is unattainable by persons of unsanctified
souls. Delighted in battle, that son of Pandu
is protected by Madhava. Who is there that is
competent to vanquish him who could not be vanquished
by thee before, although thou, endued with great energy,
hadst vanquished Rama himself in battle, that fierce
destroyer of the Kshatriya race, worshipped, besides,
by the gods and the Danavas? Incapable of putting
up with that son of Pandu, that foremost of heroes
in battle, even I, with thy permission, am competent
to slay, with the force of my weapons, that brave
and fierce warrior who resembleth a snake of virulent
poison and who slayeth his foes with his glances alone!’”
“Sanjaya said, ’Unto him who was talking
thus, the aged Kuru grandsire with a cheerful heart,
said these words adapted to both time and place:
’Like the ocean unto rivers, like the Sun unto
all luminous bodies, like the righteous unto Truth,
like a fertile soil unto seeds, like the clouds unto
all creatures, be thou the refuge of thy relatives
and friends! Like the celestials upon him of
a thousand eyes, let thy kinsmen depend on thee.
Be thou the humiliator of thy foes, and the enhancer
of the joys of thy friends. Be thou unto the
Kauravas as Vishnu unto the dwellers of heaven.
Desirous of doing what was agreeable to Dhritarashtra’s
son, thou didst with the might and prowess of own
arms, O Karna, vanquish the Kamvojas having proceeded
to Rajpura. Many kings, amongst whom Nagnajit
was the foremost, while staying in Girivraja, as also
the Amvashthas, the Videhas, and the Gandharvas, were
all vanquished by thee. The Kiratas, fierce in
battle, dwelling in the fastness of Himavat, were formerly,
O Karna, made by thee to own Duryodhana’s sway.
And so also, the Utpalas, the Mekalas, the Paundras,
the Kalingas, the Andhras, the Nishadas, the Trigartas,
and the Valhikas, were all vanquished by thee, O Karna,
in battle. In many other countries, O Karna,
impelled by the desire of doing good to Duryodhana,
thou didst, O hero, vanquish many races and kings of
great energy. Like Duryodhana, O child, with his
kinsmen, and relatives, and friends, be thou also
the refuge of all the Kauravas. In auspicious
words I command thee, go and fight with the enemy.
Lead the Kurus in battle, and give victory unto Duryodhana.
Thou art to us our grandson even as Duryodhana is.
According to the ordinance, all of us also are as
much thine as Duryodhana’s![7]The wise, O foremost
of men, say that the companionship of the righteous
with the righteous is a superior relationship to that
born of the same womb. Without falsifying, therefore,
thy relationship with Kurus, protect thou the Kaurava
host like Duryodhana, regarding it as thy own.
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