ark when it was broken and when replaced. The feat seemed to him to
be exceedingly wonderful. The son of Radha baffled with his own weapons
those of Savyasaci. Displaying also his own prowess, he seemed to get the
better of Dhananjaya at that time. Then Krishna, beholding Arjuna
afflicted with the weapons of Karna, said these words unto Partha:
"Approaching Karna, strike him with superior weapons." Then Dhananjaya,
filled with rage, inspiring with mantras another celestial weapon that
looked like fire and that resembled the poison of the snake and that was
as hard as the essence of adamant, and uniting the Raudra weapon with it,
became desirous of shooting it at his foe. At that time, O king, the
earth swallowed up one of wheels of Karna's car. Quickly alighting then
from his vehicle, he seized his sunken wheel with his two arms and
endeavoured to lift it up with a great effort. Drawn up with force by
Karna, the earth, which had swallowed up his wheel, rose up to a height
of four fingers' breadth, with her seven islands and her hills and waters
and forests. Seeing his wheel swallowed, the son of Radha shed tears from
wrath, and beholding Arjuna, filled with rage he said these words, "O
Partha, O Partha, wait for a moment, that is, till I lift this sunken
wheel. Beholding, O Partha, the left wheel of my car swallowed through
accident by the earth, abandon (instead of cherishing) this purpose (of
striking and slaying me) that is capable of being harboured by only a
coward. Brave warriors that are observant of the practices of the
righteous, never shoot their weapons at persons with dishevelled hair, or
at those that have turned their faces from battle, or at a Brahmana, or
at him who joins his palms, or at him who yields himself up or beggeth
for quarter or at one who has put up his weapon, or at one whose arrows
are exhausted, or at one whose armour is displaced, or at one whose
weapon has fallen off or been broken! Thou art the bravest of men in the
world. Thou art also of righteous behaviour, O son of Pandu! Thou art
well-acquainted with the rules of battle. For these reasons, excuse me
for a moment, that is, till I extricate my wheel, O Dhananjaya, from the
earth. Thyself staying on thy car and myself standing weak and languid on
the earth, it behoveth thee not to slay me now. Neither Vasudeva, nor
thou, O son of Pandu, inspirest me with the slightest fear. Thou art born
in the Kshatriya order. Thou art the perpetuator o