Shloka 493
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ४०
Karṇa’s Pressure on the Pāñcālas; Duryodhana Disabled; Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
Devanagari script
अवेक्षमाणस्तं काकं॑ नाशकद् व्यपसर्पितुम् । उधर हंस दो घड़ीतक उड़कर इधर-उधर देखता हुआ कौएकी प्रतीक्षामें आगे न जा सका
Transliteration
avekṣamāṇas taṁ kākaṁ nāśakad vyapasarpitum |
Translation
Watching the crow and waiting for its move, the swan could not withdraw or slip away.
Word by Word
अवेक्षमाणःlooking (around/at)
अवेक्षमाणः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootअवेक्ष् (धातु)
Formशतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन
तम्that (him/it)
तम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम)
Formपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन
काकम्crow
काकम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootकाक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
अशकत्was able
अशकत्:
TypeVerb
Rootशक् (धातु)
Formलङ् (अनद्यतन भूत), प्रथम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
व्यपसर्पितुम्to move away / to withdraw
व्यपसर्पितुम्:
TypeVerb
Rootव्यपसृप् (धातु)
Formतुमुन् (infinitive)
Speaker
हंस उवाच
Characters & Entities
ह
हंस (swan)क
काक (crow)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
Over-fixation on a rival or threat can immobilize judgment; dharmic action requires timely discernment and the ability to disengage when needed.
The swan keeps watching the crow, waiting for it, and therefore cannot move away or proceed—depicting hesitation caused by constant attention to the other’s behavior.