ing for
him, even as one doth for a swan on a vast expanse of water. O Vandin,
thou regardest thyself as the foremost of controversialists. When though
wilt engage with me in staking, thou wilt not be able to flow like the
current of a river. I am like a full-flaming fire. Be silent before me, O
Vandin! Do not awaken a sleeping tiger. Know that thou shalt not escape
unstung, after trampling on the head of a venomous snake, licking the
corners of its mouth with its tongue, and who hath been hurt by thy foot.
That weak man who, in pride of strength, attempts to strike a blow at a
mountain, only gets his hands and nails hurt, but no wound is left on the
mountain itself. As the other mountains are inferior to the Mainaka, and
as calves are inferior to the ox, so are all other kings of the earth
inferior to the lord of Mithila. And as Indra is the foremost of
celestials, and as the Ganga is the best of rivers, so thou alone art, O
king, the greatest of monarchs. O king, cause Vandin to be brought to my
presence.'

"Lomasa said, 'Saying this, O Yudhishthira, wroth with Vandin, Ashtavakra
thus thundered in the assembly, and addressed him in these words, 'Do
thou answer my questions, and I shall answer thine.' Thereat Vandin said,
'One only fire blazeth forth in various shapes; one only sun illumineth
this whole world; one only hero, Indra, the lord of celestials,
destroyeth enemies; and one only Yama is the sole lord of the Pitris.[26]
Ashtavakra said, 'The two friends, Indra and Agni, ever move together;
the two celestial sages are Narada and Parvata; twins are the
Aswinikumaras; two is the number of the wheels of a car; and it is as a
couple that husband and wife live together, as ordained by the
deity.'[27] Vandin said, 'Three kinds of born beings are produced by
acts; the three Vedas together perform the sacrifice, Vajapeya; at three
different times, the Adhwaryus commence sacrificial rites; three is the
number of words: and three also are the divine lights.'[28] Ashtavakra
said, 'Four are the Asramas of the Brahmanas; the four orders perform
sacrifices; four are the cardinal points; four is the number of letters;
and four also, as is ever known, are the legs of a cow.'[29] Vandin said,
'Five is the number of fires; five are the feet of the metre called
Punki; five are the sacrifices; five locks, it is said in the Vedas, are
on the heads of the Apsaras; and five sacred rivers are known in the
world.'[30] Ashtavakra said. '