ards and
panegyrists around), thy son then once more addressed Karna, saying,
"Slay all the Parthas in battle, like the great Indra slaying the
Danavas." Shalya having accepted the office of holding the reins of his
steeds, Karna, with a cheerful heart, once more addressed Duryodhana,
saying, "The ruler of the Madras does not say very cheerfully what he
says. O king, solicit him once more in sweet words." Thus addressed, the
mighty king Duryodhana, possessed of great wisdom and accomplished in
everything, once more spoke unto that lord of Earth, viz., Shalya, the
ruler of Madras, in a voice deep as that of the clouds and filling the
whole region there with the sound of that voice: "O Shalya, Karna thinks
that he should fight with Arjuna today. O tiger among men hold the reins
of Karna's steeds in battle. Having slain all the other warriors Karna
desires to slay Phalguna. I solicit thee, O king, repeatedly, in the
matter of holding the reins of his steeds. As Krishna, that foremost of
all drivers, is the counsellor of Partha, even so do thou protect the son
of Radha today from every danger."'"

"Sanjaya continued, 'Embracing thy son then, Shalya the ruler of the
Madras, joyfully answered that slayer of foes, viz., Duryodhana, saying,
"If this is what is thou thinkest, O royal son of Gandhari, O thou of
handsome features, I shall, for that, accomplish everything that may be
agreeable to thee. O chief of the Bharatas, for whatever acts I may be
fit, employing myself therein with my whole heart, I will bear the
burthen of those acts of thine. Let Karna, however, and thyself pardon me
all those words, agreeable or disagreeable, that I may speak unto Karna
from desire of his good."'"

"'Karna said, "O ruler of the Madras, be thou ever engaged in our good as
Brahman in that of Ishana, as Keshava in that of Partha."

"'Shalya said, "These four kinds of conduct--self-rebuke and self-praise,
speaking ill of others, and adulation of others, are never practised by
those that are respectable. That, however, O learned one, which I shall
say, for inspiring thy confidence is fraught with self-adulation. For all
that, listen to it duly. O puissant one, like Matali himself, I am fit to
act as the driver of even Indra in watchfulness, in managing the steeds,
in knowledge of coming danger and of the means of avoiding it, and in
competence to avoid it in practice. When thou wilt be engaged in battle
with Partha, I will hold the reins of t