Shloka 41
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ४०
Karṇa’s Pressure on the Pāñcālas; Duryodhana Disabled; Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
उत्पत्योत्पत्य च मुहुर्मुहृ्तमिति चेति च । वृक्षाग्रेभ्य: स्थलेभ्यश्व निपतन्त्युतन्ति च
utpatyotpatya ca muhur muhur iti ceti ca | vṛkṣāgrebhyaḥ sthalebhyaś ca nipatanty utthanti ca ||
Angsa berkata: “Berkali-kali mereka melompat terbang, dan berkali-kali pula mereka menjerit ‘aduh, aduh!’—jatuh dari puncak-puncak pokok dan dari tanah, lalu bangkit semula.” Dari segi dharma, baris ini menggambarkan kitaran resah ketakutan dan kegelisahan yang lahir daripada kebodohan dan pertimbangan yang salah: tanpa keteguhan dan daya pertimbangan, seseorang terumbang-ambing antara lonjakan mendadak dan kejatuhan mendadak, meratap setiap kali namun mengulangi corak yang sama.
हंस उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the instability of those driven by confusion and poor judgment: they repeatedly rush forward, fall, lament, and yet repeat the same behavior. The implied counsel is steadiness (dhairya) and discernment (viveka) to avoid cyclical self-made suffering.
In the Swan’s speech within the Haṃsa–Kākiya (swan-and-crow) episode, the speaker describes beings repeatedly leaping up and falling—crying out in distress—illustrating a pattern of agitation and repeated mishap used as a moral example in the broader Karṇa–Śalya dialogue.