l 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 of 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. While 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 in the least and without manifesting any sign of pain. When at
last Karna's blood touched the body of Rama of great energy, the latter
awoke and said these words in fear, 'Alas, I have been made impure! What
is this th