Chapter 41

“Sanjaya said, ‘Hearing, O sire, these words of Radha’s son who delightedin battle, Shalya once more addressed Karna, citing an example, “I amborn in the race of men who performed great sacrifices, who neverretreated from battle, who were kings whose coronal locks underwent thesacred bath. I am also myself devoted to the practice of virtue. Thou, OVrisha, seemest to be like one that is intoxicated with spirits. For allthat, I will, from friendship, seek to cure thy erring and intoxicatedself. Listen, O Karna, to this simile of a crow that I am about tonarrate. Having heard it, thou mayest do what thou choosest, O thou thatart destitute of intelligence and that art a wretch of thy race. I donot, O Karna, remember the slightest fault in me for which, O thou ofmighty arms, thou mayst desire to slay my innocent self. I must tell theewhat is for thy good and what is for thy ill, acquainted as I am withboth, especially as I am the driver of thy car and desirous of the goodof king Duryodhana. What land is level and what not, the strength orweakness of the warrior (on my vehicle), the fatigue and faintness, atall times, of the steeds and the warrior (I am driving), a knowledge ofthe weapons that are available, the cries of animals and birds, whatwould be heavy for the steeds and what exceedingly heavy for them, theextraction of arrows and the curing of wounds which weapons counteractwhich, the several methods of battle, and all kinds of omens andindications, I who am so nearly connected with this car, being none elsethan its driver, should be familiar with. For this, O Karna, I narratethis instance to thee once more. There lived on the other side of theocean a Vaishya who had abundance of wealth and corn. He performedsacrifices, made liberal gifts, was peaceful, devoted to the duties ofhis own order, and pure in habits and mind. He had many sons whom heloved, and was kind unto all creatures. He lived fearlessly in thedominions of a king that was guided by virtue. There was a crow thatlived on the refuse of the dishes set before those well-behaved youngchildren of the Vaishya. Those Vaishya children always gave the crow meatand curds, and milk, and sugared milk with rice, and honey, and butter.Thus fed with the refuse of their dishes by the young children of thatVaishya, the crow became arrogant and came to disregard all birds thatwere equal to him or even superior. It chanced that once certain swans ofcheerful hearts, of great speed and capable of going everywhere at willand equal unto Garuda himself in range and speed of flight, came to thatside of the ocean. The Vaishya boys, beholding those swans, addressed thecrow and said, ‘O ranger of the skies, thou art superior to all wingedcreatures.’ Deceived by those children of little understanding, thatoviparous creature from folly and pride, regarded their words to be true.Proud of the refuse of the children’s dishes upon which he fed, the crowthen, alighting in the midst of those swans capable of traversing greatdistances, desired to enquire as to who amongst them was their leader.The foolish crow at last challenged him amongst those birds of tirelesswings whom he regarded their leader, saying, ‘Let us compete in flight.’Hearing those words of the raving crow, the swans that had assembledthere, those foremost of birds endued with great strength, began tolaugh. The swans then, that were capable of going everywhere at will,addressed the crow, saying. ‘We are swans, having our abode in the Manasalake. We traverse the whole Earth, and amongst winged creatures we arealways applauded for the length of the distances we traverse. Being, asthou art, only a crow, how canst thou, O fool, challenge a swan enduedwith might, capable of going everywhere at will, and doing largedistances in course of his flight? Tell us, O crow, how thou shalt flywith us.’ The boastful crow, in consequence of the foolishness of hisspecies, repeatedly finding fault with the words of that swan, at lastgave this answer. The crow said, ‘I shall without doubt fly displaying ahundred and one different kinds of motion. Doing every hundred Yojanas ina separate and beautiful kind of motion, I shall display all thosemotions. Rising up, and swooping down, and whirling around, and coursingstraight, and proceeding gently, and advancing steadily, and performingthe diverse courses up and receding back, and soaring high, and dartingforward and soaring upwards with fiercer velocity, and once moreproceeding gently and then proceeding with great impetuosity, and onceagain swooping down and whirling around and advancing steadily, andrising up by the jerks, and soaring straight, and once more falling downand wheeling in a circle and rushing proudly, and diverse other kinds ofmotion, these all I shall display in the sight of all you. Ye shall thenwitness my strength. With one of these different kinds of motion I shallpresently rise into the sky. Point out duly, ye swans, by which of thesemotions I shall course through space. Settling the kind of motion amongstyourselves, you will have to course with me. Adopting all those differentmotion, ye shall have to course with me through supportless space.’ Thecrow having said these words, one of the swans addressed him, ‘Listen, Oson of Radha, to the words that the swan said. The swan spoke, ‘Thou, Ocrow, wilt doubtless fly the hundred and one different kinds of flight. Ishall, however, fly in that one kind of motion that all (other) birdsknow, for I do not, O crow, know any other. As regards thee, O thou ofred eyes, fly thou in any kind of course that thou likest.’ At thesewords, those crows that had been assembled there laughed aloud, saying,’How will the swan with only one kind of flight get the better of ahundred different kinds of flight?’

“‘”Then those two, viz., the swan and the crow, rose into the sky,challenging each other. Capable of going everywhere at will, the swanproceeded in one kind of motion, while the crow coursed in a hundreddifferent kinds. And the swan flew and the crow also flew, causing eachother to wonder (at his skill) and each speaking highly of his ownachievements. Beholding the diverse kinds of flight at successiveinstants of time, the crows that were there were filled with great joyand began to caw more loudly. The swans also laughed in mockery, utteringmany remarks disagreeable (to the crows). And they began to soar andalight repeatedly, here and there. And they began to come down and riseup from tree-tops and the surface of the earth. And they uttered diversecries indicative of their victory. The swan, however, with that one kindof slow motion (with which he was familiar) began to traverse the skies.For a moment, therefore, O sire, he seemed to yield to the crow. Thecrows, at this, disregarding the swans, said these words: ‘That swanamongst you which has soared into the sky, is evidently yielding’.Hearing these words, the (soaring) swan flew westwards with greatvelocity to the ocean, that abode of Makaras. Then fear entered the heartof the crow who became almost senseless at not seeing any island or treeswhereon to perch when tired. And the crow thought within his heart as towhere he should alight when tired, upon that vast expanse of water. Theocean, being as it is the abode of countless creatures, is irresistible.Dwelt in by hundreds of monsters, it is grander than space. Nothing canexceed it in depth, O Suta’s son. Men know, O Karna, that the waters ofthe ocean are as limitless as space. For the extent of its waters, OKarna, what is a crow to it? The swan, having traversed a great distancein a moment, looked back at the crow, and (though capable) could notleave him behind. Having transgressed the crow, the swan cast his eyes onhim and waited, thinking, ‘Let the crow come up.’ The crow then,exceedingly tired, came up to the swan. Beholding him succumbing, andabout to sink, and desirous of rescuing him in remembrance of thepractices of good folks, the swan addressed him in these words, ‘Thouhadst repeatedly spoken of many kinds of flight while speaking on thesubject. Thou wouldst not speak of this (thy present motion) because ofits having been a mystery to us? What is the name of this kind of flight,O crow, that thou hast now adopted? Thou touchest the waters with thywings and beak repeatedly. Which amongst those diverse kinds of flight isthis, O crow, that thou art now practising? Come, come, quickly, O crow,for I am waiting for thee.””

“‘Shalya continued, “Exceedingly afflicted, and touching the water withhis wings and beak, O thou of wicked soul, the crow, beheld in that stateby the swan, addressed the latter. Indeed, not seeing the limit of thatwatery expanse and sinking down in fatigue, and exhausted with the effortof his flight the crow said unto the swan, ‘We are crows, we wanderhither and thither, crying-caw, caw. ‘O swan, I seek thy protection,placing my life-breaths at thy hands. Oh, take me to the shores of theocean with the wings and beak.’ The crow, very much fatigued, suddenlyfell down. Beholding him fallen upon the waters of the ocean with amelancholy heart, the swan, addressing the crow who was on the point ofdeath, said these words, ‘Remember, O crow, what thou hadst said inpraise of thyself. The words even were that thou wouldst course throughthe sky in a hundred and one different kinds of flight. Thou, thereforethat wouldst fly a hundred different kinds of flight, thou that artsuperior to me, alas, why then art thou tired and fallen down on theocean?’ Overcome with weakness, the crow then, casting his eyes upwardsat the swan, and seeking to gratify him, replied, saying, ‘Proud of theremains of others’ dishes upon which I fed, I had, O swan, regardedmyself as the equal of Garuda and disregarded all crows and many otherbirds. I now, however, seek thy protection and place my life-breaths atthy hands. Oh, take me to the shores of some island. If, O swan, I can, Olord, return in safety to my own country, I will never again disregardanybody. Oh rescue me now from this calamity.’ Him that said so and wasso melancholy and weeping and deprived of senses, him that was sinking inthe ocean, uttering cries ‘caw, caw,’ him so drenched by the water and sodisgusting to look at and trembling with fear, the swan, without a word,took up with his feet, and slowly caused him to ride on his back. Havingcaused the crow whose senses had deserted him to ride upon his back, theswan quickly returned to that island whence they had both flown,challenging each other. Placing down that ranger of the sky on dry landand comforting him, the swan, fleet as the mind, proceeded to the regionhe desired. Thus was that crow, fed on the remains of others’ dinners,vanquished by the swan. The crow, then, casting off the pride of mightand energy, adopted a life of peace and quiet. Indeed, even, as thatcrow, fed upon the remains of the dinners of the Vaishya children,disregarded his equals and superiors, so dost thou, O Karna, that art fedby the sons of Dhritarashtra upon the remains of their dishes, disregardall thy equals and superiors. Why didst thou not slay Partha at Virata’scity when thou hadst the advantage of being protected by Drona andDrona’s son and Kripa and Bhishma and the other Kauravas? There where,like a pack of jackals defeated by a lion, ye all were defeated withgreat slaughter by the diadem-decked Arjuna, what became of your prowess?Beholding also thy brother slain by Savyasaci, in the very sight of theKuru heroes, it was thou that didst fly away first. By the skirts also ofthe dvaitya lake, O Karna, when thou wert assailed by the Gandharvas, itwas thou that, deserting all the Kurus, didst first run away. Havingvanquished in battle the Gandharvas headed by Citrasena, with greatslaughter, it was Partha, O Karna, that liberated Duryodhana with hiswife. Rama himself, O Karna, before the kings in the (Kuru) assemblyspake of the great prowess of both Partha and Keshava. Thou didstfrequently hear the words of Drona and Bhishma, speaking in the presenceof all the kings, that the two Krishnas are unslayable. I have told theea little only regarding those matters in which Dhananjaya is superior tothee like the brahmana who is superior to all created beings. Soon wiltthou see, stationed on that foremost of cars, the son of Vasudeva and theson of Kunti and Pandu. As the crow (in the story), acting withintelligence, had sought the protection of the swan, so do thou seek theprotection of him of Vrishni’s race, and of Pandu’s son Dhananjaya. Whenthou shalt in battle behold Vasudeva and Dhananjaya, those two enduedwith great prowess, stationed together on the same car, thou shalt notthen, O Karna, utter such speeches. When Partha will, with hundreds ofarrows, quell thy pride, then wilt thou behold the difference betweenthyself and Dhananjaya. Those two best of persons are celebrated amongthe gods, the Asuras and human beings. Thou that art a firefly, do not,from folly, think disrespectfully of those two resplendent luminaries.Like the Sun and moon, Keshava and Arjuna are celebrated for theirresplendence. Thou, however, art like a fire-fly among men. O learnedone, O son of a Suta, do not think disrespectfully of Acyuta and Arjuna.Those two high-souled persons are lions among men. Forbear indulging insuch boasts.”‘”