battle. Subsequently I have come to know, O best of
regenerate ones, that he was my uterine brother. Indeed, at Pritha's
words I have come to know that Karna was the eldest born! Having caused
my brother to be slain, my heart is burning exceedingly. If I had both
Karna and Arjuna for aiding me, I could have vanquished Vasudeva himself.
Whilst I was tortured in the midst of the assembly by the wicked-souled
sons of Dhritarashtra, my wrath, suddenly provoked, became cooled at
sight of Karna. Even while listening to the harsh and bitter words of
Karna himself on that occasion of our match at dice, to the words, that
Karna uttered from desire of doing what was agreeable to Duryodhana, my
wrath became cooled at sight of Karna's feet. It seemed to me that
Karna's feet resembled the feet of our mother Kunti. Desirous of finding
out the reason of that resemblance between him and our mother, I
reflected for a long time. With even my best exertions I failed to find
the cause. Why, indeed, did the earth swallow up the wheels of his car at
the time of battle? Why was my brother cursed? It behoveth thee to recite
all this to me. I desire to hear everything from thee, O holy one! Thou
art acquainted with everything in this world and thou knowest both the
past and the future!"'"

SECTION II

"Vaisampayana said, 'That foremost of speakers, the sage Narada, thus
questioned, narrated everything about the manner in which he who was
believed to be a Suta's son had been cursed (in former days).'

"'Narada said, "It is even so, O mighty armed one, as thou sayest, O
Bharata! Nothing could resist Karna and Arjuna in battle. This, O sinless
one, that I am about to tell thee is unknown to the very gods. Listen to
me, O mighty-armed one, as it befell in former days. How all the
Kshatriyas, cleansed by weapons should attain to regions of bliss, was
the question. For this, a child was conceived by Kunti in her maidenhood,
capable of provoking a general war. Endued with great energy, that child
came to have the status of a Suta. He subsequently acquired the science
of weapons from the preceptor (Drona), that foremost descendant of
Angirasa's race. Thinking of the might of Bhimasena, the quickness of
Arjuna in the use of weapons, the intelligence of thyself, O king, the
humility of the twins, the friendship, from earliest years, between
Vasudeva and the wielder of Gandiva, and the affection of the people for
you all, that young man burnt with e