कर्ण पर्व — कर्ण और शल्य का संवाद

Sanjaya said Listening to those unpleasant words and not being convinced the high-souled car-warrior, the king of Madra, said to Shalya "I know well what Vasudeva and Arjuna are.

Even now I know well the skill of Shouri in the management of cars and the power and great weapons of Arjuna, the son of Pandu. But you have no practical knowledge of them, O Shalya.

I shall fearlessly fight with those two Krishnas, the foremost of the wielders of weapons. The course of Rama, the foremost of Brahmanas, pains me greatly.

I lived formerly with Rama in the disguise of a Brahmana with a view to obtain the celestial weapons from him. At that time, O Shalya, the king of gods, wishing to do a good office by Phalguna, put in an impediment by approaching my thigh and piercing it in the form of a dreadful worm. When my preceptor slept placing his head on my thigh that worm began to bore it through.

On account of this boring of my thigh a pool of thick blood gushed out of my body. For fear of my preceptor I did not move my limb. The Brahmana, on waking, saw it.

O Shalya, Beholding my patience he said-"you are never a Brahmana. Tell me truly who you are." I then gave him the true information about myself and said that I was a Suta.

Hearing this the great ascetic, worked up with anger, imprecated a curse on me, saying-"On account of the deception O charioteer, by which you have got this weapon it will never come to your mind at the time of necessity.

When the hour of your death will arrive. Brahmastra can never live in one who is not a Brahmana. I have forgotten that great weapon in this fierce and dreadful encounter.

O Shalya, that descendant of Bharatas who is highly dreadful, the destroyer of all the grinders of foes and powerful, will, me-thinks, grind many Kshatriya heroes.

Know however, O Shalya, I will kill in battle today that terrible bowman and the foremost of warriors, the son of Pandu, Dhananjaya, who is highly energetic and ascetic-a hero whose promises and always carried out.

I have at least that weapon with me with which I will be able to kill a goodly number of enemies. I will kill in battle, that grinder of weapons, that powerful heroes, the master of weapons, that dreadful bowman of incomparable energy, that ruthless and dreadful hero who can resist his enemies-(I mean) Dhananjaya.

The limitless deep, the king of waters dashes on impetuously for overwhelming numberless creatures. The continent flow over holds and restrains him.

I will today, in this world, withstand in fight the son of Kunti the foremost of archers while he will ceaselessly discharge his winged arrows capable of killing heroes and penetrating into every limb and none of which becomes futile.

Like the bank of an ocean restraining it I will withstand Partha that foremost strongest of the strong the great hero owning many weapons, resembling the ocean itself and having many dreadful and far-reaching arrows like unto the waves of the ocean while he will be engaged in assailing the kings.

Witness my highly dreadful encounter with him today in baitle, who, methinks, has not equal amongst men, using bows and who vanquished the gods and demons in battle.

The Pandava is exceedingly haughty. Desirous of fighting he will approach me with superhuman and powerful weapons. Counteracting his weapons with mine in battle I will fell Partha with my excellent arrows.

He burns down his enemies like the sun of fiery rays and shines in his fame. As the clouds gather round the dispeller of darkness, so I shall cover Dhananjaya with my shafts,

As the clouds with showers extinguish the powerful fire burning with smoking flames and as if consuming the whole worlds, so I will with showers of my arrows, put down the son of Kunti.

With my darts I will put down the son of Kunti in battle who is like a dreadful and fierce snake of sharpened fang, who burns in effulgence and anger and consumes those who work him evil.

As the Himalaya holds the powerful, crushing and all-striking wind-god so I will, without perturbation, withstand the angry and vindictive Dhananjaya.

I will withstand in battle Dhananjaya the foremost of all the archers in the world who knows well all the car-tracks, who is always in the van, competent and heroic in battle.

Today, I will encounter in battle the man, who, in my view, is non-pariel amongst the archers and who conquered the entire earth.

What man, save me, who wishes to keep his life, will fight with Savyasachin who defeated all creatures, including even the celestials in the country called Khandava.

He is proud, holds his weapons firmly, is light-handed, knows the use of celestial weapons, has white horses and is capable of smiting all. Today shall I with sharpened shafts sever the head of such a great warrior from his body.

O Shalya, keeping either death or victory before me, I will fight with Dhananjaya today. There is none else but me who can fight on a single car with that Pandava resembling Death himself.

I will myself with pleasure speak of the prowess of Pandava in battle before the assembly of the Kshatriyas. Why do you, a fool as you are, speak of the prowess of Phalguna to me?

The forgiving always forgive a mean and a cruel person who performs unpleasant deeds. I can slay a hundred like you, but I forgive you for my forgiving nature and the necessity of the time.

You are the perpetrator of evil deeds. You have, like a fool, for the sake of the Pandavas, remonstrated with me and spoken many unpleasant things. You have said these to me who am innocent. Cursed you are, an injurer of friendship is seven paced.

The present moment, that has arrived, is really dreadful for Duryodhona has come to battle. I always wish to see his ends accomplished. But you are acting in such a vay that it appears you have no friendship for the Kuru king.

He is a friend who gladdens his friend, pleases him, protects him, honors him and shares in his joy. I have got all these qualities; the king himself knows it.

Whereas he who destroys, remonstrates with, sharpens his weapons, makes us to sigh and cheerless and wrongs us in many ways is our enemy. All these marks are to be seen in you and you display them all against us.

For the sake of Duryodhana, for the sake of doing what is agreeable to you, for the sake of fame, for the sake of myself and the God, I will vigorously fight with Partha and Vasudeva. Behold today my feats.

Behold today all my excellent weapons, Brahma, celestial and human, I will like today that highly powerful heroes like an infuriate elephants slaying another such.

For my victory I will hurl today that highly powerful Brahma weapon at Partha will my mind alone. Arjuna will never be able to escape that weapon if only the wheels of my car do not sink in the earth in battle today.

Know this, O Shalya, that I will not even fear Yama armed with his rod or Varuna armed with his noose, or Kubera armed with his mace, or Vasava armed with his thunder-bolt or any other cnemy who may come forward to kill me.

There I have no fear from Partha or Janardana. There shall take place an encounter between me and them both in the battle.

O king, while wandering about to set arrows my Vijaya bow I myself unconsciously killed with an arrows the calf of a Brahmana's Homa I began discharging dreadful shafts while it was roaming in the dense forest. The Brahmana then addressed me, saying-

Since you have carelessly killed the offspring of my Homa cow, the wheel of your car will sink into the earth and at the time of war your heart will be possessed by fear.

I always stand in great fear of these words of the Brahmana. The kings of the Lunar dynasty, the lords of people's happiness and on COW as misery, offered him a thousand kine and six hundred bovine bulls. Still with such a gift O Shalya, O king Madra, the Brahmana was not grated.

I then offered him seven hundred elephants of huge tusks and many hundreds of male and female slaves. And still that best of Brahmanas was not satisfied.

Offering him then full fourteen thousand black kine each with a white calf I could not obtain the grace of that best of Brahmanas.

Then I offered him a beautiful palace abounding in all objects of desire, in fact, whatever riches I had but still he refused to accept the gift.

He then said to nie who had offered him and thus implored his forgiveness.” What I have said, O Suta, will surely take place. It can never be otherwise.

False words will destroy creatures and the sin will come upon me. Therefore for preserving virtue I dare not speak an untruth.

You shall not destroy the means of Brahmana's livelihood. There is none on earth who can falsify my words. Accept my words and this will be an atonement for your sin,

Although chastised by you still for your friendship I have spoken out all this to you. I know you who are chastising me thus. Be silent and hear what I will speak 11OW. know you who are chastising me thus. Be silent and hear what I will speak 11OW.