Shloka 34
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ४०
Karṇa’s Pressure on the Pāñcālas; Duryodhana Disabled; Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
एकमेव तु यं पातं विदु: सर्वे विहंगमा: । तमहं पतिता काक नान्यं जानामि कठ्चन
ekam eva tu yaṁ pātaṁ viduḥ sarve vihaṅgamāḥ | tam ahaṁ patitā kāka nānyaṁ jānāmi kaścana ||
«Todas las aves conocen un solo refugio verdadero. A ése, oh cuervo, he acudido yo; no conozco ningún otro.»
हंस उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches single-pointed reliance on a rightful refuge: when protection is sought, one should commit fully to that shelter rather than wavering among alternatives—an ethical stance of trust and steadfastness.
The swan addresses the crow, declaring that all birds recognize only one true place of refuge, and that she has already taken shelter in that alone, knowing no other—framing a moral claim about where protection and duty properly lie.