ot the epithet Suta's son attach to thee. Thou art a
Partha, endued with great energy.'"

SECTION CXLVI

Vaisampayana said, "(After Kunti had said this), Karna heard an
affectionate voice issued out of the solar circle. Coming from a great
distance, that voice was uttered by Surya himself with paternal
affection. (And it said)--'The words said by Pritha are true. O Karna, act
according to the words of thy mother. O tiger among men, great good will
result to thee if thou fully followest those words.'"

Vaisampayana continued, "Though, thus addressed by his mother, and by
also his father Surya himself, Karna's heart did not yet waver, for he
was firmly devoted to truth. And he said, 'O Kshatriya lady, I cannot
admit what thou hast said, viz., that obedience to thy commands
constituteth (in my case) the highest of my duties. O mother, I was
abandoned by thee as soon as I was born. This great injury, involving
risk to life itself, that thou didst me, hath been destructive of my
achievements and fame. If, indeed, I am a Kshatriya, I have, for thee,
been deprived of all the rites of a Kshatriya. What enemy would have done
me a greater injury? Without showing me mercy, when thou shouldst have
shown it, and having kept me divested of all the rites (that are
obligatory in consequence of the order of my birth), thou wouldst
however, lay thy command on me today! Thou hadst never before sought my
good as a mother should. Thou addressest me today, however, desiring to
do good to thyself. Who is there that would not be afraid of Dhananjaya
having Krishna with him (for the driver of his car)? If, therefore, I go
today unto the Parthas, who is there that would not regard me as doing so
from fright? Hitherto, nobody knew me to be their brother. If, giving out
on the eve of battle that I am their brother, I go to the Pandavas, what
would all the Kshatriyas say? Furnished with every object of desire, and
worshipped by them with a view to make me happy, how can I render that
friendship of Dhritarashtra's sons utterly futile? Having provoked
hostilities with others, they always wait on me respectfully, and always
bow down to me, as the Vasus bow down to Vasava. They think that aided by
my might, they are capable of encountering the foe. How can I then
frustrate that cherished hope of theirs? With me as their boat, they
desire to cross the impassable ocean of battle. How can I then abandon
them that are desirous of crossing that ocean