Shloka 4536
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ४०
Karṇa’s Pressure on the Pāñcālas; Duryodhana Disabled; Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
द्वीपद्गुमानपश्यन्तं निपातार्थे श्रमान्वितम् इधर कौआ थक गया था। उसे कहीं आश्रय लेनेके लिये द्वीप या वृक्ष नहीं दिखायी दे रहे थे; अतः उसके मनमें भय समा गया और वह घबराकर अचेत-सा हो उठा
dvīpadgumān apaśyantaṁ nipātārthe śramānvitam
قالت البجعة: «وقد أنهكه العناء وهو يلتمس موضعًا ليحطّ، فلم يرَ جزيرةً ولا شجرة. ولما لم يبدُ له ملجأٌ، تسلّل الخوف إلى قلبه، وفي هلعه صار كأنه فاقد الوعي.»
हंस उवाच
Educational Q&A
When support and shelter seem absent, fear can overwhelm the mind; the ethical lesson is to recognize panic as a product of exhaustion and uncertainty, and to respond with steadiness and discernment rather than helplessness.
The swan describes a being (contextually a bird) exhausted and looking for a place to land, but seeing no island or tree; the lack of refuge triggers fear, and the creature becomes dazed, setting up a moral illustration about distress and the need for guidance or shelter.