Shloka 33
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ४०
Karṇa’s Pressure on the Pāñcālas; Duryodhana Disabled; Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
हंस उवाच शतमेकं च पातानां त्वं काक पतिता ध्रुवम्
haṃsa uvāca śatam ekaṃ ca pātānāṃ tvaṃ kāka patitā dhruvam, pata tvam api tāmrākṣa yena pātena manyase |
天鹅说道：“乌鸦啊，你固然能施展一百零一种飞法。但我只会那一种——群鸟皆知的飞法；除此之外，我一概不知。铜眼的乌鸦啊，你也尽可依你所认为合宜的飞法去飞。”
हंस उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights self-knowledge and restraint: one should not boast of many techniques or powers, but act within what one truly knows and can do; likewise, others may choose their own course, but wisdom lies in modest competence rather than display.
A swan addresses a crow, acknowledging the crow’s ability to perform many kinds of flight, while stating that the swan knows only the single common way of flying. The swan then tells the crow to fly by whatever method the crow considers appropriate—an instructive, slightly ironic counsel.