thus employed, O Partha, he inadvertently slew, without witting it, the Homa cow of a certain utterer of Brahma who daily performed his Agnihotra rite.  Knowing that he had perpetrated that act from inadvertence, he informed the Brahmana of it.  Indeed Karna, for the object of gratifying the owner, repeatedly said, ’O holy one, I have killed this thy cow without wilting it.  Forgive me the act!’ Filled with wrath, the Brahmana, rebuking him, said these words, ’O thou of wicked conduct, thou deservest to be killed.  Let the fruit of this act be thine, O thou of wicked soul.  While fighting him, O wretch whom thou always challengest, and for whose sake thou strivest so much every day, the earth shall swallow the wheel of thy car!  And while the wheel of thy car shall thus be swallowed up by the earth, thy foe, putting forth his prowess, will cut off thy head, thyself being stupefied the while!  Leave me, O vile man!  As thou hast heedlessly slain this my cow, even so wilt thy foe cut off thy head while thou shalt be heedless!’ Though cursed, Karna still sought to gratify that foremost of Brahmanas by offering him kine and wealth and gems.  The latter, however, once more answered him, ’All the words will not succeed in falsifying the words spoken by me!  Go hence or remain, do whatever thou likest.’  Thus addressed by the Brahmana, Karna, hanging down his head from cheerlessness, returned timidly to Rama, reflecting on that matter.’

SECTION III

“Narada said, ’That tiger of Bhrigu’s race (viz., Rama), was well-pleased with the might of Karna’s arms, his affection (for him), his self-restraint, and the services he did unto his preceptor.  Observant of ascetic penances, Rama cheerfully communicated, with due forms, unto his penance-observing disciple, everything about the Brahma weapon with the mantras for withdrawing it.  Having acquired a knowledge of that weapon, Karna began to pass his days happily in Bhrigu’s retreat, and endued with wonderful prowess, he devoted himself with great ardour to the science of weapons.  One day Rama of great intelligence, while roving with Karna in the vicinity or his retreat, felt very weak in consequence of the fasts he had undergone.  From affection begotten by confidence, the tired son of Jamadagni placing his head on Karna’s lap, slept soundly, White his preceptor was thus sleeping (with head) on his lap, a frightful worm, whose bite was very painful and which subsisted on phlegm and fat and flesh and blood, approached the presence of Karna.  That blood-sucking worm, approaching Karna’s thigh, began to pierce it.  Through fear of (awaking) his preceptor, Karna became unable to either throw away or kill that worm.  Though his limb was bored through by that worm, O Bharata, the son of Surya, lest his preceptor should awake, suffered it to do its pleasure.  Though the pain was intolerable, Karna bore it with heroic patience, and continued to hold Bhrigu’s son on his lap, without quivering