Shloka 143
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ४०
Karṇa’s Pressure on the Pāñcālas; Duryodhana Disabled; Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
सदृशान् पक्षिणो दृप्त: श्रेयसश्नाधिचिक्षिपे | वैश्यके बालकोंद्वारा जूऊन खिला-खिलाकर पाला हुआ वह कौआ बड़े घमंडमें भरकर अपने समान तथा अपनेसे श्रेष्ठ पक्षियोंका भी अपमान करने लगा
sadṛśān pakṣiṇo dṛptaḥ śreyasaś cādhicikṣipe | vaiśyake bālakair dvārā jūūnaṃ khilā-khilā-kṛtya pālito 'sau kākaḥ mahā-garveṇa pūritaḥ sva-sadṛśān svaśreṣṭhān api pakṣiṇaḥ paribhavitum ārabdhavān |
Sanjaya nói: “Con quạ ấy, được bọn trẻ trong nhà một thương nhân nuôi nấng bằng những lần cho ăn đùa vui, liền phình to kiêu mạn. Trong cơn ngạo nghễ, nó bắt đầu sỉ nhục những loài chim ngang hàng—và cả những loài vượt trội hơn nó.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Pride born of indulgence and unearned attention leads to disrespect of equals and superiors; true worth requires humility and discernment about one’s place and limits.
Sañjaya describes a crow raised by children in a merchant’s home; becoming overconfident, it begins to mock and insult other birds, including those better than itself—serving as a moral illustration within the larger war narrative.