thus employed, O Partha, he inadvertently slew, without
witting it, the Homa cow of a certain utterer of Brahma
who daily performed his Agnihotra rite. Knowing
that he had perpetrated that act from inadvertence,
he informed the Brahmana of it. Indeed Karna,
for the object of gratifying the owner, repeatedly
said, ’O holy one, I have killed this thy cow
without wilting it. Forgive me the act!’
Filled with wrath, the Brahmana, rebuking him, said
these words, ’O thou of wicked conduct, thou
deservest to be killed. Let the fruit of this
act be thine, O thou of wicked soul. While fighting
him, O wretch whom thou always challengest, and for
whose sake thou strivest so much every day, the earth
shall swallow the wheel of thy car! And while
the wheel of thy car shall thus be swallowed up by
the earth, thy foe, putting forth his prowess, will
cut off thy head, thyself being stupefied the while!
Leave me, O vile man! As thou hast heedlessly
slain this my cow, even so wilt thy foe cut off thy
head while thou shalt be heedless!’ Though cursed,
Karna still sought to gratify that foremost of Brahmanas
by offering him kine and wealth and gems. The
latter, however, once more answered him, ’All
the words will not succeed in falsifying the words
spoken by me! Go hence or remain, do whatever
thou likest.’ Thus addressed by the Brahmana,
Karna, hanging down his head from cheerlessness, returned
timidly to Rama, reflecting on that matter.’
“Narada said, ’That tiger of Bhrigu’s
race (viz., Rama), was well-pleased with the might
of Karna’s arms, his affection (for him), his
self-restraint, and the services he did unto his preceptor.
Observant of ascetic penances, Rama cheerfully communicated,
with due forms, unto his penance-observing disciple,
everything about the Brahma weapon with the mantras
for withdrawing it. Having acquired a knowledge
of that weapon, Karna began to pass his days happily
in Bhrigu’s retreat, and endued with wonderful
prowess, he devoted himself with great ardour to the
science of weapons. One day Rama of great intelligence,
while roving with Karna in the vicinity or his retreat,
felt very weak in consequence of the fasts he had
undergone. From affection begotten by confidence,
the tired son of Jamadagni placing his head on Karna’s
lap, slept soundly, White his preceptor was thus sleeping
(with head) on his lap, a frightful worm, whose bite
was very painful and which subsisted on phlegm and
fat and flesh and blood, approached the presence of
Karna. That blood-sucking worm, approaching Karna’s
thigh, began to pierce it. Through fear of (awaking)
his preceptor, Karna became unable to either throw
away or kill that worm. Though his limb was bored
through by that worm, O Bharata, the son of Surya,
lest his preceptor should awake, suffered it to do
its pleasure. Though the pain was intolerable,
Karna bore it with heroic patience, and continued
to hold Bhrigu’s son on his lap, without quivering
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