Shloka 343
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ४०
Karṇa’s Pressure on the Pāñcālas; Duryodhana Disabled; Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
पत त्वमपि ताम्राक्ष येन पातेन मन्यसे । हंस बोला--काग! तू अवश्य एक सौ एक उड़ानोंद्वारा उड़ सकता है। परंतु मैं तो जिस एक उड़ानको सारे पक्षी जानते हैं उसीसे उड़ सकता हूँ, दूसरी किसी उड़ानका मुझे पता नहीं है। लाल नेत्रवाले कौए? तू भी जिस उड़ानसे उचित समझे, उसीसे उड़
pata tvam api tāmrākṣa yena pātena manyase |
The Swan said: “Fly, you too, O red-eyed one, by whatever manner of flight you deem proper.”
हंस उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not compete in vanity or novelty for its own sake; choose the right and sufficient means, grounded in what is truly known and beneficial, rather than chasing showy ‘extra’ abilities that feed pride.
A swan addresses a red-eyed bird (understood as a crow in the surrounding prose) and dismisses competitive boasting about special ways of flying, telling it to fly however it likes while the swan remains content with the single, commonly known way.