Shloka 16
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ४०
Karṇa’s Pressure on the Pāñcālas; Duryodhana Disabled; Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
कुमारकास्तदा हंसान् दृष्टवा काकमथाब्रुवन्
kumārakās tadā haṁsān dṛṣṭvā kākam athābruvan
Sañjaya nói: Khi ấy, bọn trẻ thấy đàn thiên nga liền nói với con quạ—mở ra sự đối chiếu giữa phẩm hạnh cao quý và sự bắt chước hèn kém ngay trong lòng câu chuyện.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse introduces an ethical contrast: the swan commonly represents refined discernment and purity, while the crow suggests coarseness; the youths’ address frames a lesson about recognizing and choosing higher conduct over base tendencies.
Sañjaya narrates that some young boys, after noticing swans, turn and speak to a crow—an opening move that typically signals a brief illustrative exchange or moral comparison within the ongoing war-time narration.