01.194
Core-Pancharatra: Karna advises Dhritarastra to fight Pandavas militarily.
Karna said.
Duryodhana, I believe your judgment is not correct. O delight of the Kurus, the Pāṇḍavas cannot be overcome by your strategies.
Indeed, previously you made efforts with subtle means; O hero, when you were not able to restrain (them), then also it was by you.
O king, those not-yet-fledged children, being right here near you, are truly unable to cause any harm.
O infallible one, my opinion is that those who have grown wings and are now in a foreign land, having fully matured, are today not attainable by any means, O son of Kunti.
And those people, whose actions are determined by fate, cannot be subdued by calamities. Indeed, they are both suspicious and desirous of the ancestral position.
Mutual division cannot be established among them; those who are devoted to one wife are not divided from each other.
Not even Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī) could be separated from them by others; she has chosen those who are greatly distressed—what can be said now of those who are pure?
The most desired quality among women is, for one, to have many husbands. Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī) has attained that, but she does not find it easy to divide herself among them.
The king, who is of noble conduct and the son of the Panchala, is not one who loves wealth. He will surely not abandon the sons of Kunti, not even for the sake of gifts of the kingdom.
Thus, his son is virtuous and devoted to the Pāṇḍavas; therefore, I do not think they can be overcome by any means whatsoever.
O bull among men, today it is proper for us to act thus by you; as long as those sons of Pandu are not rooted out, O lord of men, let your valour be shown in attacking them as long as it pleases you.
Our side is strong as long as the Pāñcāla side remains weak; therefore, strike them accordingly without hesitation or second thought.
There are abundant vehicles and numerous friends; as long as they are not in Gandhara, quickly advance.
As long as the king, the son of Pāñcālī, does not resolve to act with his mighty sons, you may quickly advance.
Until Kṛṣṇa arrives with the Yādava army, act swiftly and valiantly for the sake of the Pāṇḍavas' kingdom.
O king, for the sake of the Pāṇḍavas, Kṛṣṇa would not abandon wealth, various enjoyments, or even the kingdom itself.
Bharata, the great-souled, gained the earth by his valor. Likewise, Indra, the lord of Pāka, conquered the three worlds by his prowess.
O best of kings, valour is praised as the true duty of a kṣatriya. For the brave, their own duty is indeed valour.
O king, let us, with a great fourfold army, overpower Drupada by force and quickly bring the Pāṇḍavas here.
The Pāṇḍavas cannot be subdued by conciliation, gifts, or division; therefore, conquer them only by valor.
O lord of people, conquer all of them by your prowess and enjoy this entire earth. I do not see any other means for achieving your objective here.
Vaiśampāyana said.
But after hearing the words of Rādheya, the glorious Dhṛtarāṣṭra, having duly honored him, then spoke these words.
O greatly wise son of Sūta, who has mastered weapons and is endowed with valor, such words as these are appropriate in you.
But again, let Bhishma, Drona, Vidura, and you two together make a decision which may bring happiness to us.
Then the illustrious King Dhritarashtra, having summoned all his ministers, held a consultation at that time.
