Shloka 226

काकोपमोपदेशः

The Crow-and-Swan Exemplum as Counsel to Karṇa

Devanagari script

सर्वपारशवीं तीक्ष्णां महोल्काप्रतिमां तदा । भारत! इसके बाद राजा दुर्योधनने सम्पूर्णतः लोहेकी बनी हुई एक तीखी शक्ति चलायी, जो उस समय बड़ी भारी उल्काके समान प्रतीत हो रही थी

Transliteration

sarvapāraśavīṁ tīkṣṇāṁ maholkāpratimāṁ tadā | bhārata! tataḥ paraṁ rājā duryodhanaḥ samantato lohamayīṁ tīkṣṇāṁ śaktiṁ mumoca, yā tadā mahā-ulkāsadṛśī babhāsa |

Translation

Sañjaya dit : «Ô Bharata, ensuite le roi Duryodhana lança une śakti, une lance acérée faite tout entière de fer. En cet instant, elle parut semblable à un grand météore—un trait de guerre flamboyant et de mauvais augure.»

Word by Word

• सर्वपारशवीं: entirely made of iron
• सर्वपारशवीं: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वपारशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• तीक्ष्णाम्: sharp
• तीक्ष्णाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीक्ष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• महोत्काप्रतिमाम्: like a great meteor
• महोत्काप्रतिमाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महोत्का-प्रतिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा
• Form: true

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Bharata (Dhritarashtra addressed as Bharata)
• Duryodhana
• śakti (iron spear/javelin)
• maholkā (great meteor)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral tension of war: royal prowess manifests as increasingly lethal force, while the imagery of a meteor suggests ominous, uncontrollable destruction—inviting reflection on restraint, responsibility, and the ethical cost of martial glory.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports that Duryodhana, after the preceding exchange, hurls a sharp iron spear (śakti). Its flight is described as resembling a massive meteor, emphasizing its terrifying power and the intensity of the battle.