Shloka 32
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ४०
Karṇa’s Pressure on the Pāñcālas; Duryodhana Disabled; Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
एवमुक्ते तु काकेन प्रहस्यैको विहंगम:
evam ukte tu kākena prahasyāiko vihaṅgamaḥ
Ketika gagak berkata demikian, seekor burung tertawa terbahak—mengejek kata-kata gagak, seakan hendak menyingkap kebodohannya dan menguji bobot dharma dari ucapan yang baru saja terlontar.
काक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a common ethical dynamic in didactic tales: speech is tested by response. Laughter here signals skepticism and invites scrutiny—urging the listener to distinguish between mere assertion and sound judgment.
After the crow finishes speaking, another bird reacts by laughing. This sets up a rebuttal or counterpoint, indicating that the crow’s statement will be challenged or evaluated.