viz., the Suta’s son, staying in the hostile army, like Sakra encountering Vritra, O foremost of kings, I will, O Bharata, fight with the Suta’s son if he can be found in this battle today.  Come and behold me and the Suta’s son contending with each other in battle for victory.  There, the Prabhadrakas are rushing towards the face of a mighty bull.  There, O Bharata, 6,000 princes are sacrificing themselves in battle today, for the sake of heaven.  If, putting forth my strength, I do not, O king, slay Karna today with all his relatives while engaged in battle with him, then that end will be mine, O lion among kings, which is his that does not accomplish a vow taken by him.  I beg of thee, bless me, saying that victory will be mine in battle.  Yonder, the Dhartarashtras are about to devour Bhima.  I will, O lion among kings, slay the Suta’s son and his troops and all our foes!"’”

68

“Sanjaya said, ’Hearing that Karna of mighty energy was still alive, Pritha’s son Yudhishthira of immeasurable energy, exceedingly angry with Phalguna and burning with the shafts of Karna, said these words unto Dhananjaya, “O sire, thy army is fled and hath been beaten in a way that is scarcely honourable!  Inspired with fear and deserting Bhima, thou hast come hither since thou hast been unable to slay Karna.  Thou hast, by entering her womb, rendered the conception of Kunti abortive.  Thou hast acted improperly by deserting Bhima, because thou wert unable to slay the Suta’s son.  Thou hadst, O Partha, said unto me in the Dwaita woods that thou wouldst, on a single car, slay Karna.  Why, then, through fear of Karna hast come hither, avoiding Karna and deserting Bhima?  If in the Dwaita woods thou hadst said unto me, ’O king, I shall not be able to fight with Karna,’ we would then, O Partha, have made other arrangements suitable to the circumstances.  Having promised me the slaughter of Karna, thou hast not, O hero, kept that promise.  Bringing us into the midst of foes, why hast thou broken us into pieces by throwing us down on a hard soil?  Expecting diverse good things and benefits from thee, O Arjuna, we have always uttered blessings on thee.  All those expectations, however, O prince, have proved vain like those of persons expectant of fruit getting instead of a tree burthened only with flowers!  Like a fish-hook hid within a piece of meat, or poison overlaid with food, thou didst, for disappointing us at last, point out destruction in the shape of kingdom unto ourselves covetous of kingdom!  For these thirteen years, O Dhananjaya, we have, from hope, lived relying on thee, like seeds sown on earth in expectation of the showers sent by the gods in season!  Even these were the words that a voice in the skies had said unto Pritha on the seventh day after thy birth, O thou of foolish understanding!  ’This son of thine that is born will have the prowess of Vasava himself!  He will vanquish all his heroic foes!  Endued with superior energy, he will at Khandava vanquish