--Furnished with the ear-rings, thou art certainly incapable
of being slain by any being. Therefore, it is, O son, that desirous of
beholding thee slain in battle by Arjuna, the destroyer of the Danavas
desireth to deprive thee of thy ear-rings. Repeatedly adoring with
truthful words that lord of the celestials, viz., Purandara armed with
weapons incapable of being frustrated, do thou 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 shouldst thou give the ear-rings unto Sakra.
With that dart, O Karna, thou wilt slay foes in battle: for, O
mighty-armed one, that dart of the chief of the celestials doth not
return to the hand that hurleth 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 Swarbhanu, 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."
SECTION CCCI
Janamejaya said, "What was that secret which was not revealed to Karna
by the deity of warm rays? Of what kind also were those ear-rings and of
what sort was that coat of mail? Whence, too, was that mail and those
ear-rings? All this, O best of men.
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