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!"''"

SECTION IV

"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."

"'Hearing these words of his, Vikartana's son Karna, reverentially
saluting Bhishma's feet, (bade him farewell) and came to that spot where
all the Kaurava bowme