Shloka 20
काकोपमोपदेशः
The Crow-and-Swan Exemplum as Counsel to Karṇa
अन्योन्यं तौ महाराज पीडयाज्चक्रतुर्भशम् । ततो युधिष्छिरो राजा पुत्र तव शरैस्त्रिभि:
anyonyam tau mahārāja pīḍayāṃ cakratur bhṛśam | tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā putra tava śarais tribhiḥ ||
സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഓ മഹാരാജാവേ! അവർ രണ്ടുപേരും തമ്മിൽ തമ്മിൽ അത്യന്തം പീഡിപ്പിച്ചു. അപ്പോൾ നിന്റെ പുത്രൻ വിട്ട മൂന്ന് അമ്പുകൾ രാജാവായ യുധിഷ്ഠിരനെ തട്ടി।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reciprocity of war: when rulers choose violence as policy, even righteous kings are drawn into mutual injury. It implicitly underscores the ethical cost of conflict—suffering multiplies through retaliation, and kingship bears responsibility for the consequences.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that two warriors are fiercely pressing each other in combat; in that exchange, King Yudhiṣṭhira is hit by three arrows shot by Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son (as addressed in the narration).