desire of benefiting his own son Arjuna, assumed the guise of a
Brahmana, came to him, and begged of the hero his ear-rings and natural
armour. And the hero taking off his ear-rings and armour gave them unto
the Brahmana. And Sakra (accepting the gift) presented to the giver a
dart, surprised (at his open handedness), and addressed him in these
words, 'O invincible one, amongst the celestials, Asuras, men,
Gandharvas, Nagas, and Rakshasas, he at whom thou hurlest (this weapon),
that one shall certainly be slain.' And the son of Surya was at first
known in the world by the name of Vasusena. But, for his deeds, he
subsequently came to be called Karna. And because that hero of great fame
had taken off his natural armour, therefore was he--the first son of
Pritha--called Kama. And, O best of kings, the hero began to grow up in
the Suta caste. And, O king, know thou that Kama--the first of all
exalted men--the foremost of all wielders of weapons--the slayer of
foes--and the best portion of the maker of day--was the friend and
counsellor of Duryodhana. And he, called Vasudeva, endued with great
valour, was among men a portion of him called Narayana--the god of
gods--eternal. And Valadeva of exceeding strength was a portion of the
Naga, Sesha. And, O monarch, know that Pradyumna of great energy was
Sanatkumara. And in this way the portion of various other dwellers in
heaven became exalted men in the race of Vasudeva, increasing the glory
thereof. And, O king, the portions of the tribe of Apsaras which I have
mentioned already, also became incarnate on earth according to Indra's
commands--And sixteen thousand portions of those goddesses became, O
king, in this world of men, the wives of Vasudeva. And a portion of Sri
herself became incarnate on earth, for the gratification of Narayana, in
the line of Bhishmaka. And she was by name the chaste Rukmini. And the
faultless Draupadi, slender-waisted like the wasp, was born of a portion
of Sachi (the queen of the celestials), in the line of Drupada. And she
was neither low nor tall in stature. And she was of the fragrance of the
blue lotus, of eyes large as lotus-petals, of thighs fair and round, of
dense masses of black curly hair. And endued with every auspicious
feature and of complexion like that of the emerald, she became the
charmer of the hearts of five foremost of men. And the two goddesses
Siddhi and Dhriti became the mothers of those five, and were called Kunti
and Madri. And