Karna looked at all of them. "It is time for me to return to the palace."
His gaze then moved across the group.
"And soon, a royal edict will be issued regarding the new policies of Anga. Those among you who answered my summons have already been informed of them. But for those of you who did not attend, I suppose you will either have to find out about them yourselves or wait until the announcement reaches your territories."
There was a slight edge to the final words, though Karna did not raise his voice.
Ripudhaman stepped forward. "I have heard about them, Maharaj, and frankly speaking, we would like to discuss them with you. If you would kindly visit our palace for dinner, we could speak about these matters in greater detail."
His tone remained exceedingly polite.
"There are certain concerns regarding the policies, particularly those concerning women. Out of respect for your strength, no one is coming forward to speak openly, but many of the lords and many among the people are unhappy with these changes. If such concerns are not addressed, there may be social unrest."
Karna listened without interrupting.
When Ripudhaman finished, Karna gave him a calm look.
"No."
Ripudhaman's expression changed slightly.
"I was not discussing the policies with you, Ripudhaman ji."
The words were gentle, but there was no uncertainty behind them.
"A king does not follow the rules of his subjects simply because those rules are familiar to them. A king has to lead his people toward a better future, toward the right path, even when that path is different from the one they have known and even when it is unfamiliar to them."
Ripudhaman remained silent.
Karna continued. "And if the people truly believe that their king is committing adharma, oppressing them or causing injustice, then I encourage them to rebel."
The statement caused several of the vassal lords to exchange startled glances.
"It is the duty of every human being to fight against adharma when they see it, even if they must give their life while doing so. A person who dies fighting for what is truly right does not lose everything by dying. Such a person earns virtue, and according to dharma, may even attain heaven through that sacrifice."
For a moment, Karna's expression remained calm.
Then it changed.
His eyes became considerably more serious.
"But there is another question you should ask yourself."
He looked directly at Ripudhaman.
"Will they truly be fighting for dharma?"
Ripudhaman did not answer.
"Or will they be fighting for their own selfishness, their own ego, and their own pride?"
The silence became uncomfortable.
"You should think about that before you decide what kind of rebellion you are encouraging."
Ripudhaman lowered his gaze.
Karna then looked toward Keshivarma.
His eyes briefly rested upon the vessel of Bala-rasa in the man's hands.
Then he looked at the other vassal lords.
"I deliberately did not pass the edict while the yajna was still taking place. I had respect for the sacred ceremony, and I did not wish for my administrative decisions to interfere with it."
His gaze returned to them.
"Now the yajna is complete."
A pause.
"You may prepare yourselves."
Keshivarma's grip around the vessel tightened.
"The policies will come into effect four days from now."
No one spoke.
Karna then remembered Ripudhaman's invitation.
"As for the dinner..."
He gave a small shake of his head.
"I apologize, but I must decline."
Ripudhaman looked up.
"I have to arrange the cremation of the Asuras whom I killed today. After that, it would not be auspicious for me to enter your home."
There was no accusation in his words, nor did he seem to suspect that the invitation itself had some hidden purpose. He simply regarded it as something he could not accept under the circumstances.
Before Ripudhaman could respond, Karna turned away.
"I shall take my leave."
He began walking toward the place where he had left his horse earlier, but before he could reach it, he stopped.
His divine chariot was already approaching.
Karna's telepathic call had reached the celestial horses.
The sound of seven powerful horses filled the air as the magnificent chariot descended from the sky. The divine vehicle landed smoothly upon the ground, its brilliance standing in stark contrast to the ordinary horse upon which Karna had arrived earlier.
The gathered vassal lords watched silently.
Karna stepped onto the chariot.
He placed the divine mace Varuna had given him carefully at the side of the vehicle before taking his position.
For one final moment, he looked toward the gathered men.
Then the seven divine horses moved.
The chariot rose from the earth.
Within moments, Karna was soaring into the sky, leaving the yajna grounds behind.
Ripudhaman continued to stare in the direction in which Karna had gone. His hands slowly curled into fists, his fingers tightening until his knuckles turned pale. Beside him, Keshivarma still stood with the vessel of Bala-rasa in his hands, but the confidence that the blessing had given him earlier had already begun to fade. He looked at the vessel, then toward the empty sky, and finally turned toward Ripudhaman.
"Tell me something," Keshivarma said uneasily. "Do you think we should compromise and forget about the war?"
Ripudhaman immediately turned toward him. "Are you seriously talking about abandoning our plan even after you received the blessing of Lord Varuna?"
Keshivarma looked down at the vessel. "Do you really think that with this Bala-rasa I can defeat him?"
Ripudhaman frowned.
Keshivarma continued before he could answer. "The man who defeated Maharaj Jarasandha in wrestling, the man who defeated Kamsa and his Asura army, the man who defeated Balarama, and the man who defeated almost every major prince and king of Aryavarta before becoming the son-in-law of Hastinapura's royal family?"
He looked back toward the sky. "And even today, you saw what happened. He killed so many Asuras as though they were nothing."
Ripudhaman gave a dismissive shake of his head. "Those are all exaggerated half-truths, Keshivarma."
Keshivarma looked at him as Ripudhaman continued
"He did not defeat Kama or Balarama through strength. He used a divyastra and rendered them unconscious. And as for what happened today, we do not even know whether those Asuras were truly powerful. They may have been weak compared to the warriors we know. How would you know their actual strength? Just because they were flying?"
Keshivarma remained silent for a moment.
"Fine," he finally said. "Let us assume that with this Bala-rasa, I might actually be able to defeat him."
His fingers tightened around the vessel. "What happens afterward?"
Ripudhaman did not immediately answer.
"This strength is temporary. Even Karna knows that. We cannot kill him because of the consequences. If he dies, Hastinapura and Magadha will both come after us. And if I defeat him, capture Anga and become king, what happens when the effect of this Bala-rasa disappears?"
He looked directly at Ripudhaman. "We will be left helpless against him and against Magadha, which surrounds us."
His expression became more troubled. "And there is something even more dangerous."
Ripudhaman raised an eyebrow.
"His divine chariot." Keshivarma looked toward the sky. "That chariot is an even greater problem. Even if I somehow defeat him here, how are we supposed to stop him from simply flying back to Anga?"
Ripudhaman suddenly smiled. "Who told you that we will be fighting him?"
Keshivarma stared at him.
"Hmm?"