कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ४०
Karṇa’s Pressure on the Pāñcālas; Duryodhana Disabled; Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
गरुडस्य गतौ तुल्याश्षक्राड़ा हृष्टचेतस: । एक दिनकी बात है, उस समुद्रके तटपर गरुड़के समान लंबी उड़ानें भरनेवाले मानसरोवरनिवासी राजहंस आये। उनके अंगोंमें चक्रके चिह्न थे और वे मन-ही-मन बहुत प्रसन्न थे
sañjaya uvāca | garuḍasya gatau tulyāḥ śakrāḍā hṛṣṭacetasaḥ | ekadinakī bāta hai, us samudrake taṭapara garuḍake samāna lambī uḍāneṃ bharanevāle mānasarovaranivāsī rājahamsa āye | unke aṅgoṃ meṃ cakrake cihna the aura ve man-hī-man bahuta prasanna the |
Sañjaya berkata: Seperti Garuḍa pada kelajuan dan hamparan terbangnya, angsa-angsa diraja—bertanda lambang seperti roda pada anggota tubuhnya dan dipenuhi sukacita di dalam hati—datang dari kediaman mereka di Mānasarovara ke pesisir laut, melayang dalam lengkung-lengkung panjang yang gagah. Adegan ini menandakan kehadiran yang bertuah dan luhur, berlawanan dengan suasana pertikaian di sekeliling.
संजय उवाच
The verse uses auspicious natural symbolism—royal swans likened to Garuḍa and bearing cakra-marks—to suggest the arrival of a pure, elevated influence. In the Mahābhārata’s war setting, such imagery often functions ethically as a reminder that signs of dharmic order and higher purpose can appear even amid violence, inviting discernment rather than mere despair.
Sañjaya narrates that, on a certain day, royal swans from Mānasarovara arrive at the seashore, flying with Garuḍa-like speed and making long flights. They bear wheel-like emblems on their limbs and are inwardly joyful, indicating an auspicious or significant occurrence being introduced into the episode.