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Mahābhārata The History of the Great India
<< 92 Karna's Opinion >>
 |  | Karna said, "Duryodhana, I feel that your thinking on this matter is not accurate. O Kuru prince, the Pandavas cannot be subdued by the means you propose. In the past you have attempted to subdue them through subtle plots, my hero, but you could not overcome them. They were living right here with you, O king, like children or little birds without wings, and it was impossible to stop them. Now they have grown their wings, are based in a foreign country, have risen up to strength and prosperity, and in all ways have matured. You cannot deal with the sons of Kunti by such means as you propose. This is my view, O unfailing one. They seem to embody the will of Providence, and it is impossible to entangle them in vice; moreover, they are on their guard now and are yearning to get back their ancestral kingdom.
| | | "To create division among them is impossible; they all love a single wife and will not be separated from her. Nor can Draupadi be separated from them by the work of outsiders. Why, she chose them when they were in a miserable condition, and what to speak of now, when they have ended their troubles! Women desire to be maintained and protected by many men. Draupadi has attained such a status, and she will not be easily separated from her husbands.
| | | "King Drupada is a religious man of noble character; he is not mad after wealth. I am certain he would not renounce the Pandavas even in return for gifts of kingdoms. His son is just as noble and is very attached to the Pandavas. Therefore I conclude that in no way can we handle the Pandavas through such means.
| | | "O best of men, this is what we can actually do now: as long as the Pandavas have not yet spread their roots, O king, we must directly attack them. May you approve and be pleased with a plan that depends on valor [and not trickery]. As long as our side is strong and the side of King Drupada much smaller, we should seize the moment to attack them. There is nothing more for you to analyze. Now, while they still lack many friends or an abundance of vehicles and mounts, O godly son of Gandhari, march on them at once! It is now, while the king of Pancala and his powerful sons cannot even imagine such an enterprise, that you must make war!
| | | "And especially now that Sri Krsna has not yet come leading the war machine of the Yadu dynasty to rescue the kingdom of the Pandavas, you must at once go to war! For the Pandavas' sake, O king, Krsna is prepared to sacrifice vast amounts of wealth, varieties of enjoyment, and His entire kingdom.
| | | "By force the great soul Bharata gained the earth, and by force Indra conquered the three worlds. People praise a warrior's prowess, my king, for to use power courageously is the duty of heroes.
| | | "We ourselves, with our fourfold armies, O king, shall harass Drupada and then quickly capture the Pandavas and bring them here. No sweet words, no gifts, and no ploys to divide and conquer will ever be successful in controlling the Pandavas. Therefore we must conquer them by courage and strength. When you have conquered them with your courage, you will enjoy every land on the face of the earth. I do not see any other means to carry out this task, O lord of the people."
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