Shloka 71

कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ४०

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

Devanagari script

उच्छिष्टभोजन: काको यथा वैश्यकुले पुरा

Transliteration

ucchiṣṭa-bhojanaḥ kāko yathā vaiśya-kule purā | pūrva-kāle meṁ vaha kauā jaise vaiśya-kula meṁ sabkī jūṭhan khākar palā thā, usī prakāra dhṛtarāṣṭra-ke putroṁ ne tumheṁ jūṭha-dān khilā-khilākar pālā hai, ismeṁ saṁśaya nahīṁ hai | karṇa! isīse tuma apne samāna tathā apne-se śreṣṭha puruṣoṁ kā bhī apamāna karate ho ||

Translation

乌鸦说道：“正如往昔有一只乌鸦寄居商贾之家，靠吃众人残食而长大；同样，持国之子们也以屡屡施与你的残余之物将你养大——毫无疑问。迦尔那，正因如此，你才轻侮与你相等之人，甚至侮辱胜过你的人。”

Word by Word

• उच्छिष्टभोजनः: one who eats leftovers
• उच्छिष्टभोजनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उच्छिष्टभोजन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• वैश्यकुले: in a merchant-family/household
• वैश्यकुले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्यकुल
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• पुरा: formerly, in olden times
• पुरा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

Speaker

काक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Karna
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra (Kauravas)
• the crow (Kāka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse condemns arrogance and abusive speech: dependence on questionable patronage and the humiliation implied by it can foster resentment and pride, but dharma requires restraint, respect for worthy persons, and ethical conduct regardless of one’s benefactors.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker identified as “the crow” rebukes Karṇa, mocking his reliance on the Kauravas by comparing him to a crow living on leftovers in a merchant’s house, and then explains that this dependence has led Karṇa to insult even equals and superiors.