Shloka 35
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ४०
Karṇa’s Pressure on the Pāñcālas; Duryodhana Disabled; Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
अथ काका: प्रजहसुर्ये तत्रासन् समागता:
atha kākāḥ prajahasuḥ ye tatrāsan samāgatāḥ | haṃsasya patitaṃ kāko balavān āśu-vikramaḥ ||
Lalu gagak-gagak yang berkumpul di sana meledak dalam tawa keras dan berkata satu sama lain: “Lihat, angsa itu sudah direndahkan! Bagaimana mungkin dengan satu cara terbang ia melampaui seratus macam terbang? Gagak ini kuat dan gesit; maka dengan salah satu dari seratus terbang itu saja ia akan mengalahkan terbangnya angsa.”
हंस उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse cautions against judging worth solely by outward power or speed and against collective ridicule. The crows equate strength and quickness with superiority, illustrating how arrogance and group-think can misread true excellence and refinement.
A group of crows, having gathered at the spot, laugh at a swan they see as ‘fallen’ or humbled. They boast that a strong, swift crow can defeat the swan’s flight, dismissing the swan’s capacity to surpass many kinds of flights.