Section CCC

"Karna said,

'As you, O lord of splendour, knowest me for your worshipper, so also you knowest that there is nothing which I cannot give away in charity, O you of fiery rays! Neither my wives, nor my sons, nor my own self, nor my friends, are so dear to me as you, on account of the veneration I feel for you, O lord of splendour!

You knowest, O maker of light, that high-souled persons bear a loving regard for their dear worshippers. Karna reveres me and is dear to me. He knows no other deity in heaven,—thinking this you have, O lord, said unto me what is for my benefit.

Yet, O you of bright rays, again do I beseech you with bended head, again do I place myself in your hands. I will repeat the answer I have already given. It behoves you to forgive me! Death itself is not fraught with such terrors for me as untruth! As regards especially the Brahmanas, again, I do not hesitate to yield up my life even for them!

And, O divine one, respecting what you have said unto me of Phalguna, the son of Pandu, let your grief born of your anxiety of heart, O lord of splendour, be dispelled touching him and myself; for I shall surely conquer Arjuna in battle!

You knowest, O deity, that I have great strength of weapons obtained from Jamadagnya and the high-souled Drona. Permit me now, O foremost of celestials, to observe my vow, so that unto him of the thunderbolt coming to beg of me, I may give away even my life!'

"Surya said,

'If O son, you givest away your ear-rings to the wielder of the thunder-bolt, O you of mighty strength, you should also, for the purpose of securing victory, speak unto him, saying,—O you of a hundred sacrifices, I shall give you ear-rings under a condition.—Furnished with the ear-rings, you are certainly incapable of being slain by any being. Therefore, it is, O son, that desirous of beholding you slain in battle by Arjuna, the destroyer of the Danavas desires to deprive you of your ear-rings.

Repeatedly adoring with truthful words that lord of the celestials, viz., Purandara armed with weapons incapable of being frustrated, do you also beseech him, saying,

'Give me an infallible dart capable of slaying all foes, and I will, O thousand-eyed deity, give the ear-rings with the excellent coat of mail!'

On this condition should you give the ear-rings unto Sakra. With that dart, O Karna, you will slay foes in battle: for, O mighty-armed one, that dart of the chief of the celestials does not return to the hand that hurles it, without slaying enemies by hundreds and by thousands!'"

Vaisampayana continued, "Having said this, the thousand-rayed deity suddenly vanished away. The next day, after having told his prayers, Karna related his dream unto the Sun. And Vrisha related unto him the vision he had seen, and all that had passed between them in the night.

Thereupon, having heard everything, that enemy of Svarbhanu, that lord, the resplendent and divine Surya, said unto him with a smile,

'It is even so!'

Then Radha’s son, that slayer of hostile heroes, knowing all about the matter, and desirous of obtaining the dart, remained in expectation of Vasava."