Shloka 29

कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ४०

Karṇa’s Pressure on the Pāñcālas; Duryodhana Disabled; Arjuna’s Counter-Advance

Devanagari script

सम्पातं समुदीषं च ततो<न्यद्‌ व्यतिरिक्तकम्‌ | गतागतप्रतिगतं बह्दीक्ष निकुलीनका:

Transliteration

sampātaṃ samudīṣaṃ ca tato 'nyad vyatiriktakam | gatāgatapratigataṃ bahudīkṣa nikulīnakāḥ ||

Translation

কাক ক’লে—“ইয়াৰ বাহিৰেও আন অশুভ লক্ষণ আছে—হঠাৎ ঝাঁপ, ব্যাকুল গতি, বাৰে বাৰে অহা-যোৱা, আৰু প্ৰতিগতি। এনেধৰণৰ বহু চিহ্নে অশান্তি সূচায় আৰু অনিষ্ট ফল আগবঢ়ায়।”

Word by Word

सम्पातम्a swoop/fall; sudden descent

समुदीषम्a kind of (violent) agitation/impulse (uncertain reading)

चand

ततःthen; from there

अन्यत्another; something else

व्यतिरिक्तम्separate; distinct; excluded

गतातगतप्रतिगतम्gone, come-back, and counter-returning (moving to and fro)

बहुदीक्षO much-initiated/very consecrated one (uncertain reading)

निकुलीनकाःmen of good family/noble-born (uncertain reading)

Speaker

काक उवाच

Characters & Entities

क

काक (Kāka, the crow)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how repeated, erratic, and opposing movements—especially in the natural world—are traditionally read as warnings. Ethically, it urges attentiveness and restraint when signs suggest disorder and impending harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

The crow (Kāka) speaks about various ominous signs—swoops, agitation, repeated comings and goings, and counter-movements—interpreting them as indicators of disturbance and unfavorable consequences in the unfolding war context.