Shloka 27
विडीनं परिडीनं च पराडीनं सुडीनकम् | अभिडीनं महाडीन॑ निर्डीनमतिडीनकम्
viḍīnaṃ pariḍīnaṃ ca parāḍīnaṃ suḍīnakam | abhiḍīnaṃ mahāḍīnaṃ nirḍīnam atiḍīnakam
The crow said: “I have become utterly wretched—worn down in every way: fallen into misery, sunk into deeper misery, plunged into misery beyond measure; miserable, more miserable still, greatly miserable; stripped of all strength and reduced to extreme destitution.”
काक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse dramatizes how misery can compound when one is overwhelmed—each prefix intensifies ‘ḍīna’ to show escalating helplessness. Ethically, it cautions that in violent, unstable contexts (like war), fear and dependence can rapidly erode dignity and agency unless steadied by discernment and support.
A crow speaks in a highly stylized lament, repeating ‘ḍīna’ with multiple prefixes to convey extreme distress. The line functions as an emotive outcry within the Karṇa Parva’s broader war narrative, highlighting the atmosphere of suffering and desperation.