Shloka 18

कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ४०

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

Devanagari script

तान्‌ सो$भिपत्य जिज्ञासु: क एषां श्रेष्ठभागिति

Transliteration

tān so’bhipatya jijñāsuḥ ka eṣāṃ śreṣṭhabhāg iti | tam ādadāya durbuddhiḥ patāv iti pakṣiṇam ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：出于好奇——“这些之中谁得上分，谁为最胜？”——那愚鸦振翅飞近。于众多善于远翔的天鹅之中，它挑出自以为最卓越的一只，厉声挑衅道：“来吧——你我二鸟比翼竞飞！”

Word by Word

• तान्: those (them)
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभिपत्य: having flown up/approached by flying
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√पत्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• जिज्ञासुः: desirous to know
• जिज्ञासुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जिज्ञासु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कः: who
• कः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एषाम्: of these
• एषाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• श्रेष्ठभाग्: having the best share; the foremost
• श्रेष्ठभाग्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठभाग्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

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

• आदाय: having taken/selected
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√दा
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• दुर्बुद्धिः: the foolish one
• दुर्बुद्धिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्बुद्धि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पतगम्: the bird
• पतगम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• पक्षिणम्: the winged one; bird
• पक्षिणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षिन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• crow (kāka)
• swans (haṃsa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse critiques arrogance and shallow judgment: the crow, puffed up and lacking discernment, presumes it can challenge the best among the swans. It warns that pride without true merit leads to reckless rivalry and humiliation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates an illustrative episode: a crow approaches a flock of swans to find the ‘best’ among them and then provocatively challenges that chosen swan to a flying contest.