The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 3: Books 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12
General
The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 3: Books 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12
Epic literature, Sanskrit
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 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. Inspired with wrath, I
may pierce even the mighty mountains of Meru with it. That shaft I will
never shoot at any other person save Phalguna or Krishna, the son of
Devaki. In this I tell thee the truth. Listen to it. With that shaft, O
Shalya, I will, inspired with rage, fight with Vasudeva and Dhananjaya.
That would be a feat worthy of me. Of all the heroes in the Vrishni race,
it is Krishna in whom Prosperity is always established. Among all the
sons of Pandu, it is Partha in whom Victory is always established. Those
two tigers among men, stationed together on the same car, will advance
against my single self for battle. Thou shalt, O Shalya, behold today the
nobility of my lineage. Those two cousins, one of whom is the son of the
aunt and the other the son of the maternal uncle, those two invincible
warriors, thou shalt see, will be slain by me (with one shaft) and will
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