ged her there)!"

Vaisampayana continued, "Having thus spoken unto the king, Karna and
Sakuni both remained silent, O Janamejaya, after their discourse was
over."

SECTION CCXXXVI

Vaisampayana said, "Having heard these words of Karna, king Duryodhana
became highly pleased. Soon after, however, the prince became melancholy
and addressing the speaker said, 'What thou tellest me, O Karna, is
always before my mind. I shall not, however, obtain permission to repair
to the place where the Pandavas are residing. King Dhritarashtra is
always grieving for those heroes. Indeed, the king regarded the sons of
Pandu to have become more powerful than before in consequence of their
ascetic austerities. Or, if the king understands our motives, he will
never, having regard to the future, grant us permission, for, O thou of
great effulgence, we can have no other business in the woods of
Dwaitavana than the destruction of the Pandavas in exile! Thou knowest
the words that Kshatri spoke to me to thyself, and to the son of Suvala,
at the time of the match at dice! Reflecting upon all those words as also
upon all those lamentations (that he and others indulged in), I cannot
make up my mind as to whether I should or should not go! I shall
certainly be highly pleased if I cast my eyes on Bhima and Phalguna
passing their days in pain with Krishna in the woods. The joy that I may
feel in obtaining the sovereignty of the entire earth is nothing to that
which will be mine upon beholding the sons of Pandu attired in barks of
trees and deer-skins. What joy can be greater, O Karna, that will be mine
upon beholding the daughter of Drupada dressed in red rags in the woods?
If king Yudhishthira and Bhima, the sons of Pandu, behold me graced with
great affluence, then only shall I have attained the great end of my
life! I do not, however, see the means by which I may repair to those
woods, by which, in fact, I may obtain the king's permission to go
thither! Contrive thou, therefore, some skilful plan, with Suvala's son
and Dussasana, by which we may go to those woods! I also, making up my
mind today as to whether I should go or not, approach the presence of the
king tomorrow. And when I shall be sitting with Bhishma--that best of the
Kurus--thou wilt, with Sakuni propose the pretext which thou mayst have
contrived. Hearing then the words of Bhishma and of the king on the
subject of our journey, I will settle everything beseeching our
grandfather.