slain in battle? How could he be slain by foes unless one of these had
happened to him viz., the destruction of his car, the snapping of his
bow, and the exhaustion of his weapons? Who could vanquish that tiger
among men, like a real tiger, endued with great impetuosity, Karna, while
shaking his formidable bow and shooting therefrom his terrible shafts and
celestial weapons in battle? Surely, his bow broke, or his car sank in
the earth, or his weapons became exhausted, since thou tellest me that he
is slain! I do not, indeed, see any other cause for (explaining) his
slaughter! That high-souled one who had made the terrible vow "I will not
wash my feet till I slay Phalguni," that warrior through whose fear that
bull among men, king Yudhishthira the just, had not, in the wilderness,
for thirteen years continuously, obtained a wink of sleep,--that
high-souled hero of great prowess relying upon whose valour my son had
forcibly dragged the wife of the Pandavas to the assembly, and there in
the midst of that conclave, in the very sight of the Pandavas and in the
presence of the Kurus, had addressed the princess of Pancala as the wife
of slaves, that hero of the Suta caste, who in the midst of the assembly
had addressed Krishna, saying, "All thy husbands, O Krishna, that are
even like sesamum seeds without kernel, are no more, therefore, seek some
other husband, O thou of the fairest complexion!" and in wrath had caused
her to listen to other expressions equally harsh and rude, how was that
hero slain by the foe? He who had said unto Duryodhana even these words,
viz., "If Bhishma who boasteth of his prowess in battle or Drona who is
invincible in fight, doth not, from partiality, slay the sons of Kunti, O
Duryodhana, even I will slay them all, let the fever of thy heart be
dispelled!" who also said, "What will (Arjuna's) Gandiva and the two
inexhaustible quivers do to that shaft of mine, smeared with cool
sandal-paste, when it will course through the welkin?" alas, how could
that warrior possessed of shoulders broad as those of the bull be slain
by Arjuna? He who, disregarding the fierce touch of the arrows shot from
Gandiva had addressed Krishna, saying, "Thou hast no husbands now" and
glared at the Pandavas, he who, O Sanjaya, relying on the might of his
own arms, had entertained no fear, for even a moment, of the Parthas with
their sons and Janardana,--he, I think, could not possibly meet with
death at the hands of the very go