[987] As he hung there over the chasm's precipice —
greatly terrifying, hair-raising, hard to traverse —
undaunted, the foremost of the Kurus' ministers
spoke thus to the yakkha named Puṇṇaka:
"You have the look of a noble one, yet you are ignoble in nature;
unrestrained, though you resemble one restrained.
You are doing a savage deed, exceedingly harmful,
and in your nature there is no good whatsoever.
"Since you wish to hurl me down the precipice —
what benefit, pray, would my death be to you?
Today your very appearance is that of a non-human:
declare to me — which deity are you?"
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.