Karna Parva — The words of Arjuna

Sanjaya said Hearing, O Bharata, these (reassuring) words of Keshava, Vibhatsu, instantly shaking off his sorrowful countenance, took heart again.

And grating his bowstring and stretching it at length, he took hold of his Gandiva with a view to make away with Karna and addressing Keshava, thus expressed himself.

Since you-O Govinda, who, (fathoming the mysteries of fate) see through events, past and future, since you are so kindly disposed towards me, under your (able) generalship, I may well be certain of gaining the day.

O Krishna, with you at my elbow, bidding defiance to all the three worlds, marshalled in array, I can well launch them (on and all), into eternity, what speak you of Karna then.

O Janardana, I witness how the Panchala hordes are beating their retreats (from the field) and I also seen how Karna with his lofty bearing domineering in the battle.

The sight of the Bhargava weapon, let loose by Karna and floating on the air like the great thunder of Shakra, meets also my view,

But in today's battle I will give no quarter to Karna and all the world will proclaim the fact till as long as it will last.

Today, O Krishna, pointed arrows flung from Gandiva and sped by my arms, will sent Karna to his last account.

And king Dhritarashtra, today will hurl malediction on his evil genius under the inspiration of which he placed the diadem on the brow of Duryodhana, who was least deserving of sovereignty.

O large-arined one, today King Dhritarashtra will be deprived of his sovereignty and happiness, wealth and dominion, capital and sons.

O Sri Krishna! The king who keep envy within heart for meritorious and offers throne to wicked person, regrets on the consequences when these are ripen. He thus, suffers at last from agony.

O Janaradana! As a man regrets on the consequences for deforestation of mango trees when these arise subsequent to such evil act committed, king Duryodhana will become helpless on the death of Karna, the son of charioteer. arrows

Most assuredly do I tell you, O Krishna, the Karna's doom being (thus) sealed today, Duryodhana, goaded to desperation will lose all hope of both his life and sovereignty.

As in days of yore, in the contest between the Devas and the Asuras, Indra rent in twain the body of the demon Vritra, so beholding the body of Karna, all cut into pieces with the inflicted through my hands, let Duryodhana today recall to mind the proposal you made, O Lordly Being, when suing for peace.

Let the son of Subal realize today, O Krishna, that my arrows happen to be my dice, my Gandiva is my gaming board and my chariot, my chequered cloth.

O Govinda, striking today the death knell of Karna with keen shafts, I will remove the long lost sleep of the son of Kunti.

On my hastening the departure of Suta's son to the other world will raise the drooping spirit of the royal descendant of Kunti and he, taking life easily, will enjoy eternal happiness.

O Keshava, I will fling today such an irresistible arrow, unique of its kind, that will surely make Karna shuffle off his mortal coil.

And such was the vow of that wretch of human beings about taking my life, that "until I put an end to the existence of Phalguna, I will not have my feet washed.” Giving a lie to the words of honor of that vile creature, O Madhusudan, I will, hitting him straight with my arrows, throw off his body from his car.

The Earth today will drink the blood of that son of Suta, who, in battle, defies all mortals of this sphere.

In addressing Krishna, that Karna, the son of Suta, vaunting of his own superiority, with the approbation of Dhritarashtra, had indulged himself (in the expression), "O Krishna, you are now without a husband.” My sharpened arrows will falsify today that vile expression of his and like the foaming snake, surcharged with active poison, will feast on his blood.

My cloth-yard shafts, dazzling with the splendour of lightning, let loose by my capacious arms and from off the strings of Gandiva, will lead Karna to his eternal goal.

The contumely which the son of Radha gave expression to, in addressing the Princess of Panchala in the open court, vilifying the Pandavas, will today make him repent of his misdemeanour.

After the fall of the son of Suta the vicioussouled Karna, also called Vaikartan, those words that were at one time sesame seeds without grain, will turn out today to be the reverse.

While addressing the sons of Dhritarashtra Karna let fall from his lips these words, full of sound and fury-"I will save you of the sons of Pandu," today my keen shafts will belie even those imperious words of his.

In the presence of all the assembled archers, today, I will take the life out of that Karna, who dared to have said, “I will put all the Pandavas to death with their sons."

O Madhusudana, today, I will cause the slaughter of that Karna, the son of Radha, confident of whose prowess the haughty son of Dhritarashtra, full of wicked design and evil passion, slighted us all along.

I will satisfy my brother Yudhishthira by killing Karna today in the battle-field on whose power, Duryodhana is confident to the extent that he insults us since beginning. He is wicked, stubborn and shrewd and Karna was his blind supporter.

I will frighten the soldiers of enemy through attack with different type of arrows. I will make the battle-field gracious with a pile of chariots and elephants collapsed/killed by the arrows enhancing the state of Yama shot from bow stretched up to the ear length.

And as a deer, afraid of the lion, turns its tail, so, O Krishna, let all the Dhartarashtras, today, with the fall of Karna, beat a hasty retreat.

Let king Duryodhana also indulge himself in grief, today, as Karna falls a victim to my arms in company with all his sons and relations.

Seeing Karna meeting his death today through my arrows, O Krishna, let the savage son of Dhritarashtra acknowledge me to be the peerless archer in the field.

I will make king Dhritarashtra, with all his descendants, counsellors and followers, shelterless today.

O Keshava, today, vulture and other birds of prey will roam about the body of Karna, cut into pieces with the shafts of my arrows.

O Madhusudana, today, I will in the presence of all the archers, marshaled in array, dissever the head of Karna of Radha's womb.

With sharp-pointed Vipathas and other razor-edged arrows, today, I will pierce through the body of that wicked soul, Karna.

The mighty king Yudhishthira will shake off today his great suffering due to his long cherished mental anguish.

O Krishna, I will cheer up king Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, by slaying today the son of Radha with all his tribe.

O Krishna, with shafts blazing like fire, or resembling venomous serpents, today, I will devour all the sunken hosts of Karna.

O Govinda, with shafts adorned with the feathers of vultures, I will deluge the earth, today, with the scattered bodies of potentates, all armoured with shields of gold.

O Madhusudana, with sharp-pointed arrows, I will, today, striking down all the enemies of Abhimanyu dissever their heads and disjoint their body.'

O Keshava, today, either I will, making the earth devoid of Dhartarashtras, make a gift of her unto my brothers, or you shall have to traverse this ground shorn of Arjuna.

O Krishna, I will acquit myself, today, of the obligations I owe to all the bowmen, to my avenging spirit, to the Kurus, to my shafts and to Gandiva.

And like Maghavat causing the slaughter of Shambara, I will O Krishna, killing Karna, today in battle, shake off the heavy affliction I have been cherishing these thirteen long years.

With the fall of Karna in battle, today, let the mighty car-warriors of the line of Somakas, all anxious for the interests of their allies, rest assured of the issue of this, their engagement.

And O Madhava, I cannot conceive even of the great joy which the descendants of Sini will experience today, when Karna will be no more and after I have won the battle.

Slaying Karna in battle and his mighty carwarrior son, I will clear the hearts of Bhima and the Twins, as also of Satyaki.

Taking away the life of Karna, today in great battle, O Madhava, I will free myself of the very many obligations I am under the Panchalas, as also under Dhristadyumna and Shikhandin.

Let them all witness today the scene of the furious Dhananjaya, encountering all the Kaurava forces in the field, give a death-blow unto the son of Suta.

Let me, once again, indulge myself in the luxury of singing my own praise in your presence. In all this wide world I have no rival in archery. And who is there to match me in prowess? Then again what soul is there that can equal me in mercy? While in fire and fury I yield to none.

With the bow in my hand and with the strength of my capacious arms, I can outlive the Asuras, the celestials and all the other creatures grouped together, know it for certain, that my prowess surpasses to that of the most powerful.

And like a spark of fire in a heap of dried grass at the end of winder, I, too, alone, am well capable of setting fire to all the Kurus and the Balhikas, as also their followers with my flashing arrows flung from Gandiva.

My palms bear the marks of these arrows and this superb and out-stretched bow with its string trimmed with arrow; the soles of my feet also bear the marks of a car and a standard; and so when a person (with all these marks on) goes to battle, he, least of all, can be triumphed over."

Saying this much to Achyuta that hero of heroes and destroyer of enemies, rushed to battle with a view to rescue Bhima and dissever Karna.