men, Krishna is like the wind.  Hearing the blare of Panchajanya and the twang of Gandiva all the Kaurava troops, O Bharata, will be filled with fear.  O hero, without thee, the kings will never be able to bear the rattle of the ape-bannered car belonging to that grinder of foes, when he will advance (upon them).  Who amongst the kings, save thyself, is competent to battle with that Arjuna whose feats, as described by the wise, are all superhuman?  Superhuman was the battle that he fought with the high-souled (Mahadeva) of three eyes.  From him he obtained a boon that is unattainable by persons of unsanctified souls.  Delighted in battle, that son of Pandu is protected by Madhava.  Who is there that is competent to vanquish him who could not be vanquished by thee before, although thou, endued with great energy, hadst vanquished Rama himself in battle, that fierce destroyer of the Kshatriya race, worshipped, besides, by the gods and the Danavas?  Incapable of putting up with that son of Pandu, that foremost of heroes in battle, even I, with thy permission, am competent to slay, with the force of my weapons, that brave and fierce warrior who resembleth a snake of virulent poison and who slayeth his foes with his glances alone!’”

SECTION IV

“Sanjaya said, ’Unto him who was talking thus, the aged Kuru grandsire with a cheerful heart, said these words adapted to both time and place:  ’Like the ocean unto rivers, like the Sun unto all luminous bodies, like the righteous unto Truth, like a fertile soil unto seeds, like the clouds unto all creatures, be thou the refuge of thy relatives and friends!  Like the celestials upon him of a thousand eyes, let thy kinsmen depend on thee.  Be thou the humiliator of thy foes, and the enhancer of the joys of thy friends.  Be thou unto the Kauravas as Vishnu unto the dwellers of heaven.  Desirous of doing what was agreeable to Dhritarashtra’s son, thou didst with the might and prowess of own arms, O Karna, vanquish the Kamvojas having proceeded to Rajpura.  Many kings, amongst whom Nagnajit was the foremost, while staying in Girivraja, as also the Amvashthas, the Videhas, and the Gandharvas, were all vanquished by thee.  The Kiratas, fierce in battle, dwelling in the fastness of Himavat, were formerly, O Karna, made by thee to own Duryodhana’s sway.  And so also, the Utpalas, the Mekalas, the Paundras, the Kalingas, the Andhras, the Nishadas, the Trigartas, and the Valhikas, were all vanquished by thee, O Karna, in battle.  In many other countries, O Karna, impelled by the desire of doing good to Duryodhana, thou didst, O hero, vanquish many races and kings of great energy.  Like Duryodhana, O child, with his kinsmen, and relatives, and friends, be thou also the refuge of all the Kauravas.  In auspicious words I command thee, go and fight with the enemy.  Lead the Kurus in battle, and give victory unto Duryodhana.  Thou art to us our grandson even as Duryodhana is.  According to the ordinance, all of us also are as much thine as Duryodhana’s![7]The wise, O foremost of men, say that the companionship of the righteous with the righteous is a superior relationship to that born of the same womb.  Without falsifying, therefore, thy relationship with Kurus, protect thou the Kaurava host like Duryodhana, regarding it as thy own.