Thus asked Karna took
off his natural armour, and joining his hands in reverence gave it unto
Indra in the guise of a Brahmana. And the chief of the celestials accepted
the gift and was exceedingly gratified with Karna's liberality. He
therefore, gave unto him a fine dart, saying, 'That one (and one only)
among the celestials, the Asuras, men, the Gandharvas, the Nagas, and the
Rakshasas, whom thou desirest to conquer, shall be certainly slain with
this dart.'
"The son of Surya was before this known by the name of Vasusena. But since
he cut off his natural armour, he came to be called Karna (the cutter or
peeler of his own cover).'"
SECTION CXII
(Sambhava Parva continued)
"Vaisampayana said. 'The large-eyed daughter of Kuntibhoja, Pritha by name,
was endued with beauty and every accomplishment. Of rigid vows, she was
devoted to virtue and possessed of every good quality. But though endued
with beauty and youth and every womanly attribute, yet it so happened that
no king asked for her hand. Her father Kuntibhoja seeing this, invited, O
best of monarchs, the princes and kings of other countries and desired his
daughter to select her husband from among her guests. The intelligent
Kunti, entering the amphitheatre, beheld Pandu--the foremost of the
Bharatas--that tiger among kings--in that concourse of crowned heads.
Proud as the lion, broad-chested, bull-eyed, endued with great strength,
and outshining all other monarchs in splendour, he looked like another
Indra in that royal assemblage.
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