f a high race.
Recollecting the teachings of righteousness, excuse me for a moment, O
son of Pandu!"'"

91

"Sanjaya said, 'Then Vasudeva, stationed on the car, addressed Karna,
saying, "By good luck it is, O son of Radha, that thou rememberest
virtue! It is generally seen that they that are mean, when they sink into
distress, rail at Providence but never at their own misdeeds. Thyself and
Suyodhana and Duhshasana and Shakuni, the son of Subala, had caused
Draupadi, clad in a single piece of raiment, to be brought into the midst
of the assembly. On that occasion, O Karna, this virtue of thine did not
manifest itself. When at the assembly Shakuni, an adept in dice,
vanquished Kunti's son Yudhishthira who was unacquainted with it, whither
had this virtue of thine gone? When the Kuru king (Duryodhana), acting
under thy counsels, treated Bhimasena in that way with the aid of snakes
and poisoned food, whither had this virtue of thine then gone? When the
period of exile into the woods was over as also the thirteenth year, thou
didst not make over to the Pandavas their kingdom. Whither had this
virtue of thine then gone? Thou didst set fire to the house of lac at
Varanavata for burning to death the sleeping Pandavas. Whither then, O
son of Radha, had this virtue of thine gone? Thou laughedest at Krishna
while she stood in the midst of the assembly, scantily dressed because in
her season and obedient to Duhshasana's will, whither, then, O Karna, had
this virtue of thine gone? When from the apartment reserved for the
females innocent Krishna was dragged, thou didst not interfere. Whither,
O son of Radha, had this virtue of thine gone? Thyself addressing the
princess Draupadi, that lady whose tread is as dignified as that of the
elephant, in these words, viz., 'The Pandavas, O Krishna, are lost. They
have sunk into eternal hell. Do thou choose another husband!' thou
lookedest on the scene with delight. Whither then, O Karna, had this
virtue of thine gone? Covetous of kingdom and relying on the ruler of the
Gandharas, thou summonedest the Pandavas (to a match of dice). Whither
then had this virtue of thine gone? When many mighty car-warriors,
encompassing the boy Abhimanyu in battle, slew him, whither had this
virtue of thine then gone? If this virtue that thou now invokest was
nowhere on those occasions, what is the use then of parching thy palate
now, by uttering that word? Thou art now for the practice of virtue, O
Suta,