Shloka 24
काकोपमोपदेशः
The Crow-and-Swan Exemplum as Counsel to Karṇa
निपपात ततः सा<थ स्वर्णदण्डा महास्वना
nipapāta tataḥ sātha svarṇadaṇḍā mahāsvanā
Sinabi ni Sañjaya: Pagkaraan, siya’y bumagsak—may tangan na tungkod na ginto at may malakas na ugong—isang masamang pangitain sa gitna ng ligalig ng digmaan, kung saan maging ang mapalad na sagisag ay maaaring gumuho sa bigat ng tadhana at adharma.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how, in the Mahābhārata’s war narrative, collapse and loud disturbance function as moral-symbolic signals: when adharma gains ground, even seemingly auspicious or powerful emblems can fall, reminding the listener of impermanence and the pressure of fate upon human pride.
Sañjaya reports that a feminine-referred entity—described as having a golden staff and a great sound—suddenly falls. In context, such descriptions typically mark a striking battlefield incident or an ominous portent observed during the Kurukṣetra war.