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 as well as I myself, the greatness of Krishna, that bull among the
lords of Earth. But knowing my own energy as also that of Pandu's son, I
challenge him to battle, O Shalya, I do not act like an insect in respect
of a blazing fire. I have this shaft, O Shalya, of keen mouth,
blood-drinking, lying alone within one quiver, equipped with wings,
well-steeped in oil and well-adorned. It lieth amid sandal dust,
worshipped by me for long years. Partaking of the nature and form of a
snake, it is poisonous and fierce and capable of killing large numbers of
men and steeds and elephants of terrible form, and exceedingly awful, it
is capable of piercing coats of mail and bones.
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