love, let those wicked persons bow down unto ye.  Let Karna and Arjuna be named in the same breath as Rama and Janardana.  If you two are united together, what cannot be accomplished in the world?  O Karna, surrounded by thy brothers, thou wilt, without doubt, blaze forth like Brahma Himself, surrounded by the gods on the platform of a great sacrifice.  Endued with every virtue, thou art the first of all my relations.  Let not the epithet Suta’s son attach to thee.  Thou art a Partha, endued with great energy.’”

SECTION CXLVI

“Vaisampayana said (After Kunti had said this), Karna heard an affectionate voice issued out of the solar circle.  Coming from a great distance, that voice was uttered by Surya himself with paternal affection. (And it said)—­The words said by Pritha are true.  O Karna, act according to the words of thy mother.  O tiger among men, great good will result to thee if thou fully followest those words.’

“Vaisampayana continued, ’Though, thus addressed by his mother, and by also his father Surya himself, Karna’s heart did not yet waver, for he was firmly devoted to truth.  And he said, ’O Kshatriya lady, I cannot admit what thou hast said, viz., that obedience to thy commands constituteth (in my case) the highest of my duties.  O mother, I was abandoned by thee as soon as I was born.  This great injury, involving risk to life itself, that thou didst me, hath been destructive of my achievements and fame.  If, indeed, I am a Kshatriya, I have, for thee, been deprived of all the rites of a Kshatriya.  What enemy would have done me a greater injury?  Without showing me mercy, when thou shouldst have shown it, and having kept me divested of all the rites (that are obligatory in consequence of the order of my birth), thou wouldst however, lay thy command on me today!  Thou hadst never before sought my good as a mother should.  Thou addressest me today, however, desiring to do good to thyself.  Who is there that would not be afraid of Dhananjaya having Krishna with him (for the driver of his car)?  If, therefore, I go today unto the Parthas, who is there that would not regard me as doing so from fright?  Hitherto, nobody knew me to be their brother.  If, giving out on the eve of battle that I am their brother, I go to the Pandavas, what would all the Kshatriyas say?  Furnished with every object of desire, and worshipped by them with a view to make me happy, how can I render that friendship of Dhritarashtra’s sons utterly futile?  Having provoked hostilities with others, they always wait on me respectfully, and always bow down to me, as the Vasus bow down to Vasava.  They think that aided by my might, they are capable of encountering the foe.  How can I then frustrate that cherished hope of theirs?  With me as their boat, they desire to cross the impassable ocean of battle.  How can I then abandon them that are desirous of crossing that ocean which hath no other