Shloka 30

काकोपमोपदेशः

The Crow-and-Swan Exemplum as Counsel to Karṇa

Devanagari script

तमुद्यतगं दृष्टवा दण्डहस्तमिवान्तकम्‌

Transliteration

tam udyataṃ dṛṣṭvā daṇḍahastam ivāntakam | daṇḍadhārī yamarājaka-samaḥ sa gadām udyamya dṛṣṭaḥ | dharmarājena ca tava putre ’tyanta-vegaśālinī mahāśaktir nipātitā | sā prajvalitā guru-ulkā-samā dīpyamānā babhūva ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Thấy hắn đứng với vũ khí giơ cao—như Thần Chết cầm gậy, tựa Yama, vị vua của công lý—Dharma-rāja liền đánh con trai ngài bằng một vũ khí śakti hùng mạnh, nhanh như sấm sét. Quả đạn rực lửa ấy chói sáng như một thiên thạch lớn đang bùng cháy khi lao thẳng tới đích.

Word by Word

• तम्: him/that one
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उद्यतगम्: moving/advancing with raised (weapon)
• उद्यतगम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्यतग (उद्यत + ग)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund)

• दण्डहस्तम्: one whose hand holds a staff
• दण्डहस्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दण्डहस्त (दण्ड + हस्त)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इव: like/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अन्तकम्: Death (Yama)
• अन्तकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दण्डधारी: staff-bearing
• दण्डधारी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दण्डधारिन् (दण्ड + धारिन्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यमराजके: in/like Yamaraja (as Yama)
• यमराजके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमराजक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• समान: equal/similar
• समान: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समान
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उसे: that (him)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (हिन्दी रूप)
• Form: Non-Sanskrit (Hindi) form present in given text

• गदा: mace
• गदा: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• उठाये: having lifted/raising
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-स्था/उत्-हृ (हिन्दी/मिश्रित)
• Form: Non-Sanskrit (Hindi) form present in given text

• देख: seeing
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (हिन्दी/मिश्रित)
• Form: Non-Sanskrit (Hindi) form present in given text

• धर्मराजने: by Dharmaraja (Yudhishthira)
• धर्मराजने: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मराज (हिन्दी विभक्ति सहित)
• Form: Non-Sanskrit (Hindi) instrumental/ergative marker '-ने' present

• आपके: your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद् (हिन्दी/मिश्रित)
• Form: Non-Sanskrit (Hindi) genitive form present

• उस: that
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (हिन्दी/मिश्रित)
• Form: Non-Sanskrit (Hindi) form present

• पुत्रपर: upon the son
• पुत्रपर: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (हिन्दी postposition सहित)
• Form: Non-Sanskrit (Hindi) postposition '-पर' present

• अत्यन्त: exceedingly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्यन्त

• वेगशालिनी: very swift/impetuous
• वेगशालिनी: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेगशालिन्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• महाशक्तिकाः: of the great spear/energy-weapon
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाशक्ति (महा + शक्ति)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• प्रहारम्: a blow/strike
• प्रहारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रहार
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• किया: did/made
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (हिन्दी/मिश्रित)
• Form: Non-Sanskrit (Hindi) past form present

• यः: which/who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रज्वलितः: blazing
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√ज्वल्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बड़ी: great/large
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बृहत् (हिन्दी/मिश्रित)
• Form: Non-Sanskrit (Hindi) form present

• भारी: heavy/massive
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुरु/भारिन् (हिन्दी/मिश्रित)
• Form: Non-Sanskrit (Hindi) form present

• उल्कायाः: of a meteor/firebrand
• Type: Noun
• Root: उल्का
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• समानम्: similar to
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समान
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• देदिप्यमानः: shining brilliantly
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीप्
• Form: शानच् (present participle, parasmaipada sense), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभवत्: was/became
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'your son')
• tava putra (a Kaurava prince; unspecified here)
• Yamarāja (Yama)
• Antaka (Death)
• gadā (mace)
• daṇḍa (staff/rod of punishment)
• mahāśakti (great śakti weapon)
• ulkā (meteor)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames battlefield violence within the moral imagery of daṇḍa (punishment) and Yama (justice): even in war, action is portrayed as accountable and ethically charged—power is legitimate when aligned with dharma and the restoration of order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a combat moment: a warrior appears terrifying like Death/Yama with raised weaponry, and Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira) responds by hurling a blazing, fast mahāśakti at Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son, shining like a great meteor.