Alone that chastiser of foes vanquished in battle Chitrasena, the king of the Gandharvas and in a moment his invincible troops also.  Alone he overthrew in battle the fierce Nivatakavachas and the Kalakhanchas, that were both incapable of being slain by the gods themselves.  What, however, O Kama, hath been achieved by thee single-handed like any of the sons of Pandu, each of whom had alone subjugated many lords of earth?  Even Indra himself is unfit to encounter Partha in battle.  He, therefore, that desireth to fight with Arjuna should take a sedative.  As to thyself, thou desirest to take out the fangs of an angry snake of virulent poison by stretching forth thy right hand and extending thy forefinger.  Or, wandering alone in the forest thou desirest to ride an infuriate elephant and go to a boar without a hook in hand.  Or, rubbed over with clarified butter and dressed in silken robes, thou desirest to pass through the midst of a blazing fire fed with fat and tallow and clarified butter.  Who is there 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 Kama, 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 Kama, 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