little deer of activity challenging a huge lion excited
with wrath. Do not, O Suta’s son, challenge
that prince of mighty energy like a fox gratified
with meat in the forest challenging the maned monarch
of the forest. Do not be destroyed, encountering
Arjuna. Thou, O Karna, challengest Dhananjaya,
the son of Pritha, even like a hare challenging a
mighty elephant with tusks large as plough-shafts,
and with the juice issuing out of its mouth and rent
cheeks. From folly thou art piercing, with a piece
of wood, the black cobra of virulent poison excited
to fury within its hole, in desiring to fight with
Partha. Endued with little understanding, thou,
O Karna, disregarding that lion among men, viz.,
the son of Pandu, yellest at him, like a jackal that,
disregarding a maned lion excited with wrath, yells
at him. As a snake, for its own destruction, challenges
that foremost of birds, viz., Vinata’s
son, possessed of beautiful plumage and great activity,
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:


