Shloka 316

कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ४०

Karṇa’s Pressure on the Pāñcālas; Duryodhana Disabled; Arjuna’s Counter-Advance

Devanagari script

पातैरेभि: खलु खगा: पतितुं खे निराश्रये । अतः पक्षियो! तुम सब लोग दृढ़ निश्चय करके आश्रयरहित आकाशमें इन विभिन्न उड़ानोंद्वारा उड़नेके लिये मेरे साथ चलो न

Transliteration

pātair ebhiḥ khalu khagāḥ patituṃ khe nirāśraye | ataḥ pakṣiṇaḥ! yūyaṃ sarve dṛḍha-niścayena āśraya-rahite ākāśe ebhiḥ vividhaiḥ pātaiḥ patituṃ mama sārdhaṃ gacchata na ||

Translation

انہی اترائیوں کے ذریعے پرندے بےسہارے آسمان میں بھی یقیناً اتر سکتے ہیں۔ پس اے بال دارو! تم سب پختہ ارادہ کر کے میرے ساتھ چلو—اس کھلے، بےآسرا فلک میں طرح طرح کی پروازیں اور اترائیاں آزما کر اترنے کی کوشش کرو۔

Word by Word

पातैःby flights/fallings (descents)

एभिःby these

खलुindeed/surely

खगाःbirds

पतितुम्to fall / to alight

खेin the sky

निराश्रयेsupportless / without refuge

अतःtherefore

पक्षिणःO birds!

दृढनिश्चयम्firm resolve

कृत्वाhaving made / having done

आश्रयरहितेin the refuge-less (sky)

आकाशेin the sky

एताभिःby these

विविधाभिःvarious

उड्डयनाभिःby flights / by modes of flying

उड्डातुम्to fly up

मयाwith me / by me

सहtogether with

चलतgo / come along

नnot (interrogative/pleading: 'won't you?')

Speaker

काक उवाच

Characters & Entities

क

काक (Kāka, the crow)

ख

खगा/पक्षिणः (birds)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes firm resolve and confident practice: even in a seemingly supportless situation, disciplined effort and determination enable success, and a leader urges the group to act together rather than hesitate.

What is happening in the narrative?

The crow addresses other birds, asserting that with these methods of flight/landing they can manage even in the open, unsupported sky, and calls them to join him with determination to attempt the various maneuvers.