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Saturday, December 7, 2013

Karna vs Arjuna - Who Supported Whom

Then in the sky, differences and disputes, accompanied with revilings, arose among the creatures there, O bull of Bharata's race, on the subject of Karna and Arjuna. All the inhabitants of the world, O sire, were heard to differ amongst themselves. The gods, the Danavas, the Gandharvas, the Pishacas, the Snakes, the Rakshasas, adopted opposite sides in that encounter between Karna and Arjuna.

  1. The welkin, O monarch, with all the stars, became anxious on Karna's account, while the wide earth became so on Partha's account, like the mother for her son. 
  2. The rivers, the seas, the mountains, O best of men, the trees, the deciduous plants and herbs, took the side of the diadem-decked Arjuna. The Asuras, Yatudhanas, the Guhyakas, O scorcher of foes, and ravens and other rangers of the sky, sided with Karna. 
  3. All the gems and precious jewels, the four Vedas with the histories as the fifth, the Upavedas, the Upanishads, with all their mysteries, and the compilations, and Vasuki, and Citrasena, and Takshaka, and Upatakshaka, and all the mountains, and all the offspring of Kadru with their children, all the great snakes endued with poison, and the Nagas, took the side of Arjuna. Airavata and his children, the offspring of Surabhi, the offspring of Vaisali, and the Bhogins sided with Arjuna. The smaller snakes all sided with Karna. 
  4. Wolves and wild stags and all kinds of auspicious animals and birds were, O king, for victory to Partha. The Vasus, the Maruts, the Sadhyas, the Rudras, the Vishvedevas and the Ashvinis, and Agni and Indra and Soma and Pavana, and the ten points of the compass, became the partisans of Dhananjaya, while all the Adityas sided with Karna. 
  5. The vaishyas, the shudras, the Sutas, and those castes that were of a mixed origin, all, O king, adopted the side of Radha's son. The celestials, however, with the pitris,and with all that were numbered with them as also with their followers, and Yama and Vaishravana and Varuna were on the side of Arjuna. 
  6. The brahmanas, the kshatriyas, the sacrifices, and those gifts called dakshinas, were for Arjuna. The pretas, and pishacas, many carnivorous animals and birds, the rakshasas with all the monsters of the sea, the dogs, and the jackals were for Karna. 
  7. The diverse tribes of celestial and regenerate and royal rishis were for the son of Pandu. The gandharvas headed by Tumvuru, O king, were on the side of Arjuna. shakra himself said, "Let Arjuna vanquish Karna." Surya, however, said, "Let Karna vanquish Arjuna. Indeed, let my son Karna, slaying Arjuna, gain the victory in this battle. Let my son, slaying Karna, win victory." Even thus did Surya and Vasava, those two foremost of personages, who were there and had adopted opposite sides, dispute with each other. 
  8. Beholding those two high-souled ones, Karna and Dhananjaya, about to engage themselves in battle, the gods and the asuras adopted opposite sides.
The three worlds with the celestial rishis and all the gods and all other creatures, trembled at the sight. The gods were on the side of Partha, while the asuras were on that of Karna. Thus all creatures were interested in that encounter, siding with this or that leader of car-warriors, the Kuru or the Pandava hero.

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