of Vasudeva and especially of myself!  And hearing them ye have been filled with anger because ye wish us well!  But through Vasudeva’s might and your endeavours, I do not reckon even all the Kshatriyas of the earth assembled together!  With your permission I will now communicate to Uluka what the reply to those words is, what, indeed, he should say unto Duryodhana!—­When the morrow cometh, stationed at the head of my division, the answer to these words shall I give through Gandiva!  For they that are eunuchs, answer in words!’

’Hearing this, all those best of kings applauded Dhananjaya, wondering at the ingenuity of that reply.  King Yudhishthira the Just, then, having spoken mildly unto all the kings each according to his age and as each deserved said, at last, unto Uluka these words so that he might carry them to Duryodhana.  And Yudhishthira said, ’No good king should patiently bear an insult.  Having so long heard what thou hadst to say, I shall now tell thee what my reply is!’

’Having heard then, O best of Bharata’s race, those words of Duryodhana, Yudhishthira, that bull of the Bharata race, with eyes exceedingly red in anger and himself sighing like a snake of virulent poison, licking the corners of his mouth with his tongue, as if swelling with wrath, and casting his eyes on Janardana and his own brothers, said unto Uluka these words that were fraught with both mildness and vigour.  And tossing his massive arms he said unto the gambler’s son, ’Go, O Uluka, and say unto Duryodhana, that ungrateful, wicked-minded embodiment of hostilities, that infamous wretch of his race, these words, viz.,—­O sinful wretch, thou always behavest with crookedness towards the Pandavas!  O sinful fool, he that displayeth his prowess relying on his own might and summoneth his foes (to battle) and fulfilleth his own words, even he is a man of the Kshatriya order!  Be thou a Kshatriya, O sinful wretch, and summon us to battle!  O infamous one of thy race, do not come to battle, placing at thy head others for whom we profess respect!  O Kaurava, relying on thy own might and on that of thy servants, summon the sons of Pritha to battle!  Be Kshatriya in every way!  He, who summoneth his foes, relying on the might of others, and incapable of receiving them himself is, indeed, a eunuch!  Thou, however, thinkest highly of thyself, relying on the might of others!  Being weak and unable thyself, why then dost thou roar so (in words) at us?’

“Krishna said, ’My words also, O gambler’s son, should be communicated unto Suyodhana.  Let that morrow come to thee on which the battle is to take place.  O thou of wicked soul, be a man!  O fool, thou thinkest Janardana will not fight, since he hath been chosen by the Pandavas to act only as a charioteer, so thou art not alarmed.  That, however, will not be, even for a moment.  If my wrath is excited, I may then consume all the kings (assembled by thee) like a fire consuming a heap of straw.