Shloka 57

Devanagari script

अपश्यन्नम्भस: पार निपतंश्ष श्रमान्वित: । पातवेगप्रमथितो हंसं काको<ब्रवीदिदम्‌,शल्य कहते हैं--दुष्टात्मा कर्ण! वह कौआ अत्यन्त पीड़ित हो जब अपनी दोनों पाँखों और चोंचसे जलका स्पर्श करने लगा, उस अवस्थामें हंसने उसे देखा। वह उड़ानके वेगसे थककर शिथिलांग हो गया था और जलका कहीं आर-पार न देखकर नीचे गिरता जा रहा था। उस समय उसने हंससे इस प्रकार कहा--

Transliteration

apaśyann ambhasaḥ pāraṃ nipataṃś ca śramānvitaḥ | pātavega-pramathito haṃsaṃ kāko 'bravīd idam ||

Translation

Шалья сказал: «Не видя дальнего берега вод, ворон — изнурённый и сломленный силой своего полёта — падал вниз. В этом бедственном состоянии он обратился к лебедю так».

Word by Word

अपश्यन्did not see

अम्भसःof the water

पारम्the far shore

निपतन्falling down

श्रम-अन्वितःendowed with fatigue; exhausted

पात-वेग-प्रमथितःshaken/harassed by the speed of flight

हंसम्the swan

काकःthe crow

अब्रवीत्said; spoke

इदम्this (speech/words)

Speaker

शल्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śalya

crow (kāka)

swan (haṃsa)

water (ambhas)

far shore (pāra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse sets up a moral contrast: reckless pride and overreaching (the crow) leads to exhaustion and downfall, while true capability and discernment (the swan) become the standard against which folly is exposed. In Śalya’s larger admonitory context, it warns against boasting beyond one’s strength and ignoring limits.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śalya begins a fable-like episode: a crow, unable to find the far shore and weakened by the speed of its flight, starts to fall into the water. Seeing the swan, it speaks to it—introducing the crow’s forthcoming words and the ethical lesson that Śalya intends for Karṇa.