Shloka 38

Devanagari script

एकपाती च चक्राजड़: काक: पातशतेन च । पेतिवानथ चक्राड़: पेतिवानथ वायस:,तदनन्तर हंस और कौआ दोनों होड़ लगाकर उड़े। चक्रांग हंस एक ही गतिसे उड़नेवाला था और कौओआ सौ उड़ानोंसे। इधरसे चक्रांग उड़ा और उधरसे कौआ

Transliteration

ekapātī ca cakrāṅgaḥ kākaḥ pātaśatena ca | petivān atha cakrāṅgaḥ petivān atha vāyasaḥ ||

Translation

Then the swan and the crow set off in rivalry and took flight. The cakrāṅga swan flew with a single, steady course, while the crow attempted the journey through a hundred separate spurts. Thus the cakrāṅga rose from one side and the crow from the other—showing that steadiness and disciplined effort surpass restless, fragmented exertion driven by competition.

Word by Word

एकपातीone-flying / flying in a single flight

चand

चक्राङ्गःthe cakrāṅga (swan/goose)

काकःcrow

पातशतेनwith a hundred flights

चand

पेतिवान्flew / having flown

अथthen

चक्राङ्गःthe cakrāṅga (swan/goose)

पेतिवान्flew / having flown

अथthen

वायसःcrow

Speaker

हंस उवाच

Characters & Entities

ह

हंस (Haṃsa, swan)

क

काक (Kāka, crow)

च

चक्राङ्ग (Cakrāṅga bird)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Steady, disciplined effort (a single continuous course) is superior to scattered, pride-driven exertion (many broken attempts). The verse contrasts composure and consistency with restless competitiveness.

What is happening in the narrative?

A swan (cakrāṅga) and a crow compete and take off. The swan flies in one continuous, even flight, while the crow tries to match it through a hundred separate spurts—setting up a moral contrast between steadiness and frantic striving.