Chapter 38

“Sanjaya said ‘After Karna, gladdening thy army, had set out for battle,he spoke unto every Pandava soldier that he met with, even these words:”Unto him that will today point out the high-souled Dhananjaya of whitesteeds to me, I will give whatever wealth he desires. If having got it hedoes not become satisfied, I shall in addition, give him,–him that is,that will discover Arjuna to me, a cart-load of jewels and gems. If thatdoes not satisfy the person who discovers Arjuna to me, I will give him acentury of kine with as many vessels of brass for milking those animals.I will give a hundred foremost of villages unto the person that discoversArjuna to me. I will also give him that shows Arjuna to me a number oflong-tressed damsels of black eyes and a car unto which shall be yokedwhite mules. If that does not satisfy the person that discovers Arjuna tome, I shall give him another foremost of cars, made of gold, and havingsix bulls yoked unto it that shall be as large as elephants. I shall alsogive unto him a hundred damsels decked with ornaments, with collars ofgold, fair-complexioned and accomplished in singing and dancing. If thatdoes not satisfy the person that discovers Arjuna to me, I shall give hima 100 elephants, a 100 villages and a 100 cars, and 10,000 steeds of theforemost of breed, fat, docile, endued with many excellent qualities,capable of dragging cars and well-trained. I shall also give to theperson that discovers Arjuna to me four hundred kine, each with goldenhorns and her calf. If that does not satisfy the person that discoversArjuna to me, I shall make him a more valuable gift, viz., five hundredsteeds, adorned with trappings of gold and decked with jewelledornaments. I shall also give eighteen other steeds of great docility. Ishall also give the person that discovers Arjuna to me a bright car madeof gold and adorned with diverse ornaments and having foremost of Kambojasteeds yoked unto it. If that does not satisfy the person that discoversArjuna to me, I shall make him a more valuable gift, viz., six hundredelephants, with chains of gold around their necks, and covered withhousings of gold, born in the western shores of the ocean, and trained byelephant trainers. If that does not satisfy the person that discoversArjuna to me, I shall make him a more valuable gift, viz., fourteenVaishya villages, teeming with people, full of wealth, situated in theproximity of forests and rivers, free from all sorts of danger, wellfurnished (with other necessaries), and worthy of being enjoyed by kings.To him that will discover Dhananjaya to me, I shall also give a hundredfemale slaves, with golden collars, belonging to the country of theMagadhas, and of very youthful age. If that does not satisfy the personthat discovers Arjuna to me, I will make him a more valuable gift, that,indeed, which he himself will solicit. Sons, wives and articles ofpleasure and enjoyment that I have, these all I shall give him if hedesires them. Indeed, unto him who discovers Keshava and Arjuna to me, Ishall, after slaying those two, give all the wealth that may be left bythem.” Having uttered those diverse speeches in that battle, Karna blewhis excellent conch, sea-born and producing a sweet blare. Hearing thesewords of Suta’s son that were suitable to his disposition, Duryodhana, Oking, with all his followers became filled with joy. At that juncture thebeat of cymbals and drums and leonine shouts, and grunts of elephantswith the sounds of diverse musical instruments, arose there, O king,among the (Kaurava) troops, O bull among men. The shouts also of warriorsfilled with joy arose there. When the (Kaurava) troops were thus filledwith joy, the ruler of the Madras, laughing in scorn, said these wordsunto that grinder of foes, viz., the son of Radha, that mightycar-warrior who was about to plunge into that ocean of battle and who wasindulging in such vain bragging.'”