that would, binding his own hands and feet and tying a huge stone unto his neck, cross the ocean swimming with his bare arms?  What manliness is there in such an act?  O Karna, he is a fool that would, without skill in weapons and without strength, desire to fight with Partha who is so mighty and skilled in weapons.  Dishonestly deceived by us and liberated from thirteen years’ exile, will not the illustrious hero annihilate us?  Having ignorantly come to a place where Partha lay concealed like fire hidden in a well, we have, indeed, exposed to a great danger.  But irresistible though he be in battle, we should fight against him.  Let, therefore, our troops, clad in mail, stand here arrayed in ranks and ready to strike.  Let Drona and Duryodhana and Bhishma and thyself and Drona’s son and ourselves, all fight with the son of Pritha.  Do not, O Karna, act so rashly as to fight alone.  If we six car-warriors be united, we can then be a match for and fight with that son of Pritha who is resolved to fight and who is as fierce as the wielder of the thunderbolt.  Aided by our troops arrayed in ranks, ourselves—­great bowmen—­standing carefully will fight with Arjuna even as the Danavas encounter Vasava in battle.’”

SECTION L

“Aswatthaman said, ’The kine, O Karna, have not yet been won, nor have they yet crossed the boundary (of their owner’s dominions), nor have they yet reached Hastinapura.  Why dost thou, therefore, boast of thyself?  Having won numerous battles, and acquired enormous wealth, and vanquished hostile hosts, men of true heroism speak not a word of their prowess.  Fire burneth mutely and mutely doth the sun shine.  Mutely also doth the Earth bear creatures, both mobile and immobile.  The Self-existent hath sanctioned such offices for the four orders that having recourse to them each may acquire wealth without being censurable.  A Brahmana, having studied the Vedas, should perform sacrifices himself, and officiate at the sacrifices of others.  And a Kshatriya, depending upon the bow, should perform sacrifices himself but should never officiate at the sacrifices of others.  And a Vaisya, having earned wealth, should cause the rites enjoined in the Vedas to be performed for himself.  A Sudra should always wait upon and serve the other three orders.  As regards those that live by practising the profession of flowers and vendors of meat, they may earn wealth by expedients fraught with deceit and fraud.  Always acting according to the dictates of the scriptures, the exalted sons of Pandu acquired the sovereignty of the whole earth, and they always act respectfully towards their superiors, even if the latter prove hostile to them.  What Kshatriya is there that expressed delight at having obtained a kingdom by means of dice, like this wicked and shameless son of Dhritarashtra?  Having acquired wealth in this way by deceit and fraud like a vendor of meat, who that is wise boast of it?  In what