na who was still
within those waters, saying, "Do not utter such ravings of sorrow, O
sire, from within the waters! I do not, like Shakuni, feel any compassion
for thee, O king, for such words as these! Thou mayest now, O Suyodhana,
be willing to make a gift of the earth to me. I, however, do not wish to
rule the earth thus given by thee! I cannot sinfully accept this earth
from thee! Acceptance of a gift, O king, is not the duty laid down for a
Kshatriya! I do not, therefore, wish to have the wide earth thus given
away by thee! I shall, on the other hand, enjoy the earth after
vanquishing thee in battle! Thou art now the lord of the earth! Why then
dost thou desire to make a gift of that over which thou hast no dominion?
Why, O king, didst thou not then give us the earth when we, observant of
the rules of righteousness and desirous of the welfare of our race, had
begged thee for our portion? Having first refused the request of the
mighty Krishna, why dost thou now desire to give away the earth? What is
this folly of thine? What king is there, who, assailed by foes, would
wish to give away his kingdom? O son of Kuru's race, today thou art not
competent to give away the earth! Why then dost thou wish to make a gift
of that over which thou hast no power? Vanquishing me in battle, rule
thou this earth! Thou didst not formerly agree to give me even that much
of the earth which would be covered by the point of a needle! How then, O
monarch, dost thou make me a gift of the whole earth? How is it that
thou, who couldst not formerly abandon even that much of land which the
point of a needle would cover, now wishest to abandon the whole earth?
What fool is there that would, after having obtained such prosperity and
ruled the entire earth, think of making a gift of that earth to his
enemies? Stupefied by folly, thou seest not the impropriety of this!
Although thou desirest to give away the earth, thou shalt not yet escape
me with life! Either rule the earth after having vanquished us, or go to
regions of blessedness after being slain by us! If both of us, that is,
thyself and myself, be alive, then all creatures will remain in doubt
about to whom the victory belongs. Thy life, O thou of limited foresight,
now depends upon me! If I like, I can suffer thee to live, but thou art
not capable of protecting thy own life! Thou hadst at one time especially
endeavoured to burn us to death and to take our lives by means of snakes
and other k