32 The snake
‘It took me an entire day to get accustomed to Vijaya,’ said Parashu, shaking his head. ‘The sun has barely left the horizon and you already seem to understand this bow...’
‘I think so, rama. But my arms will have to strengthen if I am to use all its power. You can hear how loose I’m setting the bowstring.’
A gently rising slope stretched out before them. A fire earlier in the year had left on it only the blackened corpses of once splendid pines. The rishi had been collecting their used arrows from among these scorched trees. Karna stood leaning on the huge bow to take some of the weight off his injured leg. On the way up from the cave he had borrowed Parashu’s axe for the purpose.
‘You will need the power of Vijaya to shoot the snake. The snake must spin as well as travel
