of the Vrishni race, beholding with sorrow that son born of her, reflected intently upon what was then best for her to do. And from fear of her relatives she resolved to conceal that evidence of her frailty. And she cast her offspring endued with great physical strength into the water. Then the well-known husband of Radhā, of the Suta caste, took up the child thus cast into the water, and with his wife brought him up as their own son. And Radhā and her husband bestowed on him the name of Vasu-sena (born with wealth) because he was born with a natural armour and ear-rings. And endued as he was with great strength, as he grew up he became skilled in all weapons. Possessed of great energy, he used to adore the Sun until his back was heated by his rays (i. e. from dawn to mid-day); and during his hours of worship, there was nothing on earth that the heroic and intelligent Vasu-sena would not give unto the Brahmanas. And Indra desirous of benefiting his own son Falguni (Arjuna), assuming the form of a Brahmana, approached Vasu-sena on one occasion and asked of him his natural armour. 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 javelin, saying, 'That one (and one only) among the celestials, the Asuras, men, the Gandharvas, the Nagas, and the Rakshasas, whom thou desirest to conquer, shal by this javelin be certainly slain.'
"'The son of Surya was before this known by the name of Vasu-sena. But since he cut off his natural armour, he came to be called Karna (the cutter or peeler of his own cover.)"
Thus ends the hundred and eleventh Section in the Sambhava of the Adi Parva.
