vity, even so dost thou, O Karna, challenge Dhananjaya the son of
Pandu. Thou desirest to cross without a raft the terrible ocean, the
receptacle of all the waters, with its mountain waves and teeming with
aquatic animals, when at its height at the rise of the Moon. O Karna,
thou challengest Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha, to battle even like a
calf challenging a smiting bull of keen horns and neck thick as a drum.
Like a frog croaking at a terrible and mighty cloud yielding copious
showers of rain, thou croakest at Arjuna who is even like Parjanya among
men. As a dog from within the precincts of the house of his master barks
at a forest-roaming tiger, even so, O Karna, thou barkest at Dhananjaya,
that tiger among men. A jackal, O Karna, residing in the forest in the
midst of hares regardeth himself a lion till he actually sees a lion.
Even so, O son of Radha, thou regardest thyself a lion, for thou dost not
behold that repressor of foes, that tiger among men, viz., Dhananjaya.
Thou regardest thyself a lion till thou beholdest the two Krishnas
stationed on the same car like Surya and Candramas. As long as thou dost
not hear the twang of Gandiva in great battle, so long art thou able to
do what thou pleasest. Beholding Partha, causing the ten points of the
compass to resound with the roar of his car and the twang of his bow, and
beholding him roaring like a tiger, thou wilt become a jackal. Thou art
always a jackal, and Dhananjaya always a lion. O fool, in consequence of
thy envy and hatred for heroes, thou always, seemest to be like a jackal.
As a mouse and a car are to each other in strength, or a dog and a tiger,
a fox and a lion, or a hare and an elephant, as falsehood and truth, as
poison and nectar, even so art thou and Partha known to all by your
respective deeds."'"

40

"Sanjaya said, 'Thus rebuked by Shalya of immeasurable energy, the son of
Radha, feeling the propriety of his rebuker's name in consequence of his
wordy darts, and becoming filled with rage, answered him thus:

"'Karna said, "The merits of meritorious men, O Shalya, are known to them
that are themselves meritorious but not to them that are destitute of
merit. Thou, however, art destitute of every merit. How then canst thou
judge of merit and demerit? The mighty weapons of Arjuna, his wrath, his
energy, his bow, his shafts and the prowess also of that high-souled hero
are, O Shalya, well known to me. So also, O Shalya, thou dost not know,
so