Shloka 4
काकोपमोपदेशः
The Crow-and-Swan Exemplum as Counsel to Karṇa
अपराह्ने कथं युद्धमभवल्लोमहर्षणम् । तन्ममाचक्ष्व तत्त्वेन कुशलो हासि संजय,संजय! अपराह्नकालमें किस प्रकार वह रोमांचकारी युद्ध हुआ था? यह मुझे ठीक- ठीक बताओ; क्योंकि तुम उसका वर्णन करनेमें कुशल हो
aparāhne kathaṃ yuddham abhaval lomaharṣaṇam | tan mamācakṣva tattvena kuśalo hāsi saṃjaya saṃjaya ||
سأل الملك: «كيف جرت في آخر النهار تلك المعركة التي تُقشَعِرّ لها الأبدان؟ أخبرني بحقيقتها على وجه الدقة، يا سَمْجَيَا، فأنت حاذق في رواية ما وقع.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical value of truthful testimony (tattvena): in the chaos of war, accurate narration matters for judgment, responsibility, and understanding dharma beyond propaganda or emotion.
The listener (the king, addressing Saṃjaya) asks for a precise account of how the intense afternoon fighting unfolded, emphasizing Saṃjaya’s skill as a reliable narrator of battlefield events.