Shloka 30
काकोपमोपदेशः
The Crow-and-Swan Exemplum as Counsel to Karṇa
तमुद्यतगं दृष्टवा दण्डहस्तमिवान्तकम्,दण्डधारी यमराजके समान उसे गदा उठाये देख धर्मराजने आपके उस पुत्रपर अत्यन्त वेगशालिनी महाशक्तिका प्रहार किया, जो प्रज्वलित हुई बड़ी भारी उल्काके समान देदीप्यमान हो रही थी
tam udyataṃ dṛṣṭvā daṇḍahastam ivāntakam | daṇḍadhārī yamarājaka-samaḥ sa gadām udyamya dṛṣṭaḥ | dharmarājena ca tava putre ’tyanta-vegaśālinī mahāśaktir nipātitā | sā prajvalitā guru-ulkā-samā dīpyamānā babhūva ||
Sañjaya berkata: Melihat dia berdiri dengan senjata terangkat—seperti Maut sendiri bertongkat, menyerupai Yama, raja keadilan—Dharma-rāja menghentam puteramu dengan senjata śakti yang dahsyat, sepantas kilat. Peluru bernyala itu bersinar gemilang, laksana meteor besar yang menyala, ketika meluru ke sasarannya.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames battlefield violence within the moral imagery of daṇḍa (punishment) and Yama (justice): even in war, action is portrayed as accountable and ethically charged—power is legitimate when aligned with dharma and the restoration of order.
Sañjaya describes a combat moment: a warrior appears terrifying like Death/Yama with raised weaponry, and Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira) responds by hurling a blazing, fast mahāśakti at Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son, shining like a great meteor.