Chapter 236

Vaisampayana said, “Having heard these words of Karna, king Duryodhanabecame highly pleased. Soon after, however, the prince became melancholyand addressing the speaker said, ‘What thou tellest me, O Karna, isalways before my mind. I shall not, however, obtain permission to repairto the place where the Pandavas are residing. King Dhritarashtra isalways grieving for those heroes. Indeed, the king regarded the sons ofPandu to have become more powerful than before in consequence of theirascetic austerities. Or, if the king understands our motives, he willnever, having regard to the future, grant us permission, for, O thou ofgreat effulgence, we can have no other business in the woods ofDwaitavana than the destruction of the Pandavas in exile! Thou knowestthe words that Kshatri spoke to me to thyself, and to the son of Suvala,at the time of the match at dice! Reflecting upon all those words as alsoupon all those lamentations (that he and others indulged in), I cannotmake up my mind as to whether I should or should not go! I shallcertainly be highly pleased if I cast my eyes on Bhima and Phalgunapassing their days in pain with Krishna in the woods. The joy that I mayfeel in obtaining the sovereignty of the entire earth is nothing to thatwhich will be mine upon beholding the sons of Pandu attired in barks oftrees and deer-skins. What joy can be greater, O Karna, that will be mineupon beholding the daughter of Drupada dressed in red rags in the woods?If king Yudhishthira and Bhima, the sons of Pandu, behold me graced withgreat affluence, then only shall I have attained the great end of mylife! I do not, however, see the means by which I may repair to thosewoods, by which, in fact, I may obtain the king’s permission to gothither! Contrive thou, therefore, some skilful plan, with Suvala’s sonand Dussasana, by which we may go to those woods! I also, making up mymind today as to whether I should go or not, approach the presence of theking tomorrow. And when I shall be sitting with Bhishma–that best of theKurus–thou wilt, with Sakuni propose the pretext which thou mayst havecontrived. Hearing then the words of Bhishma and of the king on thesubject of our journey, I will settle everything beseeching ourgrandfather.

“Saying; ‘So be it,’ they then all went away to their respectivequarters. And as soon as the night had passed away, Karna came to theking. And coming to him, Karna smilingly spoke unto Duryodhana, saying,’A plan hath been contrived by me. Listen to it, O lord of men! Our herdsare now waiting in the woods of Dwaitavana in expectation of thee!Without doubt, we may all go there under the pretext of supervising ourcattle stations, for, O monarch, it is proper that kings shouldfrequently repair to their cattle stations. If this be the motive putforth, thy father, O prince, will certainly grant thee permission!’ Andwhile Duryodhana and Karna were thus conversing laughingly, Sakuniaddressed them and said, ‘This plan, free from difficulties, was what Ialso saw for going thither! The king will certainly grant us permission,or even send us thither of his own accord. Our herds are now all waitingin the woods of Dwaitavana expecting thee. Without doubt, we may all gothere under the pretext of supervising our cattle stations!’

“They then all three laughed together, and gave their hands unto oneanother. And having arrived at that conclusion, they went to see thechief of Kurus.”