"Seeing him, Karna left his bow and impelled by filial regard bowed down
his head still wet with the water of inauguration. And them the charioteer,
hurriedly covering his feet with the end of his sheet, addressed Karna
crowned with success as his son. And the charioteer embraced Karna and
from excess of affection bedewed his head with tears, that head still wet
with the water sprinkled over it on account of the coronation as king of
Anga. Seeing the charioteer, the Pandava Bhimasena took Karna for a
charioteer's son, and said by way of ridicule, 'O son of a charioteer,
thou dost not deserve death in fight at the hands of Partha. As befits thy
race take thou anon the whip. And, O worst of mortals, surely thou art not
worthy to sway the kingdom of Anga, even as a dog doth not deserve the
butter placed before the sacrificial fire.' Karna, thus addressed, with
slightly quivering lips fetched a deep sigh, looked at the God of the day
in the skies. And even as a mad elephant riseth from an assemblage of
lotuses, the mighty Duryodhana rose in wrath from among his brothers, and
addressed that performer of dreadful deeds, Bhimasena, present there, 'O
Vrikodara, it behoveth thee not to speak such words. Might is the cardinal
virtue of a Kshatriya, and even a Kshatriya of inferior birth deserveth to
be fought with. The lineage of heroes, like the sources of a lordly river,
is ever unknown. The fire that covereth the whole world riseth from the
waters.
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