"Sanjaya said, 'Seeding his uncle thus addressed in harsh and insulting words by the Suta's son, Aswatthaman, uplifting his scimitar, furiously rushed towards the latter. Filled with fury, Drona's son rushed towards Karna, in the very sight of the Kuru king, like a lion at an infuriated elephant.
"And Aswatthaman said, 'O lowest of men, Kripa was speaking of the virtues truly possessed by Arjuna. Of wicked understanding as thou art, thou rebukest, however, my brave uncle from malice. Possessed with pride and insolence, thou braggest today of thy prowess, not regarding any of the world's bowmen in battle! 1 Where was thy prowess and where were thy weapons when vanquishing thee in battle the wielder of Gandiva slew Jayadratha in thy very sight? Vainly, O wretch of a Suta, dost thou indulge in thy mind the hope of vanquishing him who formerly contended in battle with Mahadeva himself. The very gods with the Asuras united together and with Indra at their head had failed to vanquish Arjuna, that foremost of all wielders of weapons, having Krishna only for his ally. How then, O Suta, hopest thou, aided by these kings, to vanquish that foremost of heroes in the world, viz., the unvanquished Arjuna, in battle? Behold, O Karna of wicked soul, (what I do to thee) today! O lowest of men, O thou of wretched understanding, I shall presently sever thy head from thy trunk.'
"Aswatthaman said, 'O son of a Suta, O thou of wicked understanding, this (thy fault) is pardoned by us. Phalguna, however, will quell this risen pride of thine.' "Duryodhana said, 'O Aswatthaman, quell thy wrath. It behoveth thee, O giver of honours, to forgive. Thou shouldst not, O sinless one, be angry with the Suta's son. Upon thee and Karna and Kripa and Drona and the ruler of the Madras and Suvala's son resteth a great burthen. Drive away thy wrath, O best of Brahmanas! Yonder, all the Pandava troops are approaching from desire of fight with Radha's son. Indeed, O Brahmana, yonder they come, challenging us all.' "Sanjaya continued, 'Thus pacified by the king, the high-souled son of Drona, O monarch, whose ire had been excited, suppressed his wrath and forgave (Karna). Then the preceptor Kripa, of noble heart, who is of a quite disposition, O monarch, and mild temper, therefore, returned soon unto him, said these words.' "Kripa, said, 'O Suta's son of wicked heart, this (thy fault) is pardoned by us. Phalguna, however, will quell this thy risen pride.' "Sanjaya continued, 'Then the Pandavas, O king, and the Panchalas, celebrated for their prowess, uniting together approached in thousands, uttering loud shouts; Karna also, that foremost of car-warriors, endued with great energy, surrounded by many foremost ones among the Kuru warriors and resembling Sakra in the midst of the celestials, waited, drawing his bow and relying on the might of his own arms. Then commenced a battle between Karna and the Pandavas. O king, that was exceedingly dreadful and characterised by loud leonine roars. Then Pandavas, O monarch, and the Panchalas, celebrated for their prowess, beholding the mighty-armed Karna, loudly shouted, saying, 'There is Karna,' 'Where is Karna in this fierce battle.'--'O thou of wicked understanding, O lowest of men, fight with us!'--Others, beholding the son of Radha said, with eyes expanded In wrath, 'Let this arrogant wretch of little understanding, this son of a Suta, be slain by the allied kings. He hath no need to live. This sinful man is always very hostile to the Parthas. Obedient to the counsels of Duryodhana, this one is the root of these evils. Slay him.' Uttering such words, great Kshatriya car-warriors, urged by Pandu's son, rushed towards him, covering him with a dense shower of arrows, for slaying him. Beholding all those mighty Pandavas thus (advancing), the Suta's son, trembled not, nor experienced any fear. Indeed, seeing that wonderful sea of troops, resembling Death himself, that benefactor of thy sons, viz., the mighty and fight-handed Karna, never vanquished in battle, O bull of Bharata's race, began, with clouds of shafts, to resist that force on all sides. The Pandavas "Dhritarashtra said, 'Beholding Phalguna excited with fury and looking like the Destroyer himself, as he appears at the end of the Yuga what, O Suta, did Vikartana's son Karna do next? Indeed, the mighty car-warrior Karna, the son of Vikartana, had always challenged Partha. Indeed, he had always said that he was competent to vanquish the terrible Vibhatsu. What then, O Suta, did that warrior do when he thus suddenly met his ever deadly foe?' 2 "Sanjaya continued, 'Beholding the son of Pandu rushing towards him like an elephant towards a rival elephant, Karna fearlessly proceeded
362:1 In the second line of 4, utsedha and not udvrita is the true reading. So also kanchit and not kinchit. The paraphrase, according to Nilakantha, in kanchit dhanurdharam na ganayan, etc. 364:1 147 is a triplet. 364:2 The Bengal reading sudakshinas at the end of 49 dose not seem to be correct. I adopt the Bombay reading sudarnnam.
Footnotes
