single combat didst thou vanquish Dhananjaya, or Nakula,
or Sahadeva, although thou hast robbed them of their
wealth? In what battle didst thou defeat Yudhishthira,
or Bhima that foremost of strong men? In what
battle was Indraprastha conquered by thee? What
thou hast done, however, O thou of wicked deeds, is
to drag that princess to court while she was ill and
had but one raiment on? Thou hast cut the mighty
root, delicate as the sandal, of the Pandava tree.
Actuated by desire of wealth, when thou madest the
Pandavas act as slaves, rememberest thou what Vidura
said! We see that men and others, even insects
and ants, show forgiveness according to their power
of endurance. The son of Pandu, however, is incapable
of forgiving the sufferings of Draupadi. Surely,
Dhananjaya cometh here for the destruction of the
sons of Dhritarashtra. It is true, affecting
great wisdom, thou art for making speeches but will
not Vibhatsu, that slayer of foes, exterminate us
all! If it be gods, or Gandharvas or Asuras,
or Rakshasas, will Dhananjaya the son of Kunti,
desist to fight from panic? Inflamed with wrath
upon whomsoever he will fall, even him he will overthrow
like a tree under the weight of Garuda! Superior
to thee in prowess, in bowmanship equal unto the lord
himself of the celestials, and in battle equal unto
Vasudeva himself, who is there that would not praise
Partha? Counteracting celestial weapons with celestial,
and human weapons with human, what man is a match for
Arjuna? Those acquainted with the scriptures
declare that a disciple is no way inferior to a son,
and it is for this that the son of Pandu is a favourite
of Drona. Employ thou the means now which thou
hadst adopted in the match at dice,—the
same means, viz., by which thou hadst subjugated
Indraprastha, and the same means by which thou hadst
dragged Krishna to the assembly! This thy wise
uncle, fully conversant with the duties of the Kshatriya
order—this deceitful gambler Sakuni, the
prince of Gandhara, let him fight now!
The Gandiva, however, doth not cast dice such
as the Krita or the Dwapara, but it shooteth
upon foes blazing and keen-edged shafts by myriads.
The fierce arrows shot from the Gandiva, endued
with great energy and furnished with vulturine wings,
car, pierce even mountains. The destroyer of all,
named Yama, and Vayu, and the horse-faced Agni, leave
some remnant behind, but Dhananjaya inflamed with
wrath never doth so. As thou hadst, aided by
thy uncle, played at dice in the assembly so do fight
in this battle protected by Suvala’s son.
Let the preceptor, if he chooses fight; I shall not,
however, fight with Dhananjaya. We are to fight
with the king of the Matsyas, if indeed, he cometh
in the track of the kine.’”