desire to slay in fierce fight even one enemy of mine, who roareth fiercely and is hot as fire, and of whom I am in fear!’ At this, Indra said, ’Thou shall slay such a roaring and powerful foe in battle.  But that one whom thou seekest to slay, is protected by an illustrious personage.  Even He whom persons versed in the Vedas call ’the invincible Boar,’ and ‘the incomprehensible Narayana,’ even that Krishna himself, is protecting him!’ Thereupon Karna replied, ’Even if this be so, do thou, O illustrious one give me the weapon that will destroy only one powerful foe!  I shall, on my part, bestow on thee my mail and ear-rings, cutting them off my person.  Do thou, however, grant that my body, thus wounded, may not be unsightly!’ Hearing this, Indra said, ’As thou, O Karna, art bent upon observing the truth, thy person shall not be unsightly, or shall any scar remain on it.  And, O thou best of those that are graced with speech, O Karna, thou shall be possessed of complexion and energy of thy father himself.  And if, maddened by wrath, thou hurlest this dart, while there are still other weapons with thee, and when thy life also is not in imminent peril, it will fall even on thyself.’  Karna answered, ’As thou directest me, O Sakra, I shall hurl this Vasavi dart only when I am in imminent peril!  Truly I tell thee this!’”

Vaisampayana continued, “Thereupon, O king, taking the blazing dart, Karna began to peel off his natural mail.  And beholding Karna cutting his own body, the entire host of celestials and men and Danavas set up a leonine roar.  And Karna betrayed no contortions of face while peeling his mail.  And beholding that hero among men thus cutting his body with an weapon, smiling ever and anon, celestial kettle-drums began to be played upon and celestial flowers began to be showered on him.  And Karna cutting off the excellent mail from his person, gave it to Vasava, still dripping.  And cutting off his ear-rings also from off his ears, he made them over to Indra.  And it is for this fact that he came to be called Karna.  And Sakra, having thus beguiled Karna that made him famous in the world, thought with a smile that the business of the sons of Pandu had already been completed.  And having done all this, he ascended to heaven.  And hearing that Karna had been beguiled, all the sons of Dhritarashtra became distressed and shorn of pride.  And the sons of Pritha, on the other hand, learning that such plight had befallen the son of the charioteer, were filled with joy.”

Janamejaya said, “When were those heroes, the sons of Pandu, at that time?  And from whom did they hear this welcome news?  And what also did they do, when the twelfth year of their exile passed away?  Do thou, O illustrious one, tell me all this!”

Vaisampayana said, “Having defeated the chief of the Saindhavas, and rescued Krishna, and having outlived the entire term of their painful exile in the woods, and having listened to the ancient stories about gods and Rishis recited by Markandeya, those heroes among men returned from their asylum in Kamyaka to the sacred Dwaitavana, with all their cars, and followers, and accompanied by their charioteers, their kine, and the citizens who had followed them.”