Shloka 35

कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ४०

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

Devanagari script

अथ काका: प्रजहसुर्ये तत्रासन्‌ समागता:

Transliteration

atha kākāḥ prajahasuḥ ye tatrāsan samāgatāḥ | haṃsasya patitaṃ kāko balavān āśu-vikramaḥ ||

Translation

于是，聚集在那里的乌鸦们放声大笑，彼此说道：“看这天鹅竟被压得如此低微！天鹅只凭一种飞法，怎能胜过百般飞法？这乌鸦强健而迅捷，因此在那百种飞法中，只消取其一，便足以击败天鹅的飞法。”

Word by Word

• अथ: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• काकाः: crows
• काकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: काक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रजहसुः: laughed loudly
• Type: Verb
• Root: हस्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• ये: who/which (those)
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• आसन्: were
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• समागताः: assembled/come together
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-गम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, kta (past passive participle)

• हंसस्य: of the swan
• Type: Noun
• Root: हंस
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• पतितम्: fallen (down)
• पतितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular, kta (past passive participle)

• काकः: a crow
• काकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: काक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बलवान्: strong
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• आशु-विक्रमः: of swift prowess/quick in action
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आशु + विक्रम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

हंस उवाच

Characters & Entities

• हंस (Haṃsa, swan)
• काक (Kāka, crow/crows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse cautions against judging worth solely by outward power or speed and against collective ridicule. The crows equate strength and quickness with superiority, illustrating how arrogance and group-think can misread true excellence and refinement.

What is happening in the narrative?

A group of crows, having gathered at the spot, laugh at a swan they see as ‘fallen’ or humbled. They boast that a strong, swift crow can defeat the swan’s flight, dismissing the swan’s capacity to surpass many kinds of flights.