weapons under Indra. Alone vanquishing all foes he
hath spread the fame of the Kurus. Alone that chastiser of foes
vanquished in battle Chitrasena, the king of the Gandharvas and in a
moment his invincible troops also. Alone he overthrew in battle the
fierce Nivatakavachas and the Kalakhanchas, that were both incapable of
being slain by the gods themselves. What, however, O Karna, hath been
achieved by thee single-handed like any of the sons of Pandu, each of
whom had alone subjugated many lords of earth? Even Indra himself is
unfit to encounter Partha in battle. He, therefore, that desireth to
fight with Arjuna should take a sedative. As to thyself, thou desirest to
take out the fangs of an angry snake of virulent poison by stretching
forth thy right hand and extending thy forefinger. Or, wandering alone in
the forest thou desirest to ride an infuriate elephant and go to a boar
without a hook in hand. Or, rubbed over with clarified butter and dressed
in silken robes, thou desirest to pass through the midst of a blazing
fire fed with fat and tallow and clarified butter. Who is there that
would, binding his own hands and feet and tying a huge stone unto his
neck, cross the ocean swimming with his bare arms? What manliness is
there in such an act? O Karna, he is a fool that would, without skill in
weapons and without strength, desire to fight with Partha who is so
mighty and skilled in weapons? Dishonestly deceived by us and liberated
from thirteen years' exile, will not the illustrious hero annihilate us?
Having ignorantly come to a place where Partha lay concealed like fire
hidden in a well, we have, indeed, exposed to a great danger. But
irresistible though he be in battle, we should fight against him. Let,
therefore, our troops, clad in mail, stand here arrayed in ranks and
ready to strike. Let Drona and Duryodhana and Bhishma and thyself and
Drona's son and ourselves, all fight with the son of Pritha. Do not O
Karna, act so rashly as to fight alone. If we six car-warriors be united,
we can then be a match for and fight with that son of Pritha who is
resolved to fight and who is as fierce as the wielder of the thunderbolt.
Aided by our troops arrayed in ranks, ourselves--great bowmen--standing
carefully will fight with Arjuna even as the Danavas encounter Vasava in
battle.'"

SECTION L

"Aswatthaman said, 'The kine, O Karna, have not yet been won, nor have
they yet crossed the boundary (of their owner's dominion