Shloka 33
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ४०
Karṇa’s Pressure on the Pāñcālas; Duryodhana Disabled; Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
हंस उवाच शतमेकं च पातानां त्वं काक पतिता ध्रुवम्
haṃsa uvāca śatam ekaṃ ca pātānāṃ tvaṃ kāka patitā dhruvam, pata tvam api tāmrākṣa yena pātena manyase |
Angsa berkata: “Wahai gagak, engkau sungguh mampu seratus satu macam terbang. Namun aku hanya terbang dengan satu cara yang diketahui semua burung; selain itu aku tak mengenal apa pun. Wahai gagak bermata tembaga, terbanglah engkau dengan cara yang kau anggap patut.”
हंस उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights self-knowledge and restraint: one should not boast of many techniques or powers, but act within what one truly knows and can do; likewise, others may choose their own course, but wisdom lies in modest competence rather than display.
A swan addresses a crow, acknowledging the crow’s ability to perform many kinds of flight, while stating that the swan knows only the single common way of flying. The swan then tells the crow to fly by whatever method the crow considers appropriate—an instructive, slightly ironic counsel.