The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 3: Books 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12
General
The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 3: Books 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12
Epic literature, Sanskrit
lived on the refuse of the dishes set before those well-behaved young
children of the Vaishya. Those Vaishya children always gave the crow meat
and 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 that
Vaishya, the crow became arrogant and came to disregard all birds that
were equal to him or even superior. It chanced that once certain swans of
cheerful hearts, of great speed and capable of going everywhere at will
and equal unto Garuda himself in range and speed of flight, came to that
side of the ocean. The Vaishya boys, beholding those swans, addressed the
crow and said, 'O ranger of the skies, thou art superior to all winged
creatures.' Deceived by those children of little understanding, that
oviparous 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 crow
then, alighting in the midst of those swans capable of traversing great
distances, desired to enquire as to who amongst them was their leader.
The foolish crow at last challenged him amongst those birds of tireless
wings whom he regarded their leader, saying, 'Let us compete in flight.'
Hearing those words of the raving crow, the swans that had assembled
there, those foremost of birds endued with great strength, began to
laugh. The swans then, that were capable of going everywhere at will,
addressed the crow, saying. 'We are swans, having our abode in the Manasa
lake. We traverse the whole Earth, and amongst winged creatures we are
always applauded for the length of the distances we traverse. Being, as
thou art, only a crow, how canst thou, O fool, challenge a swan endued
with might, capable of going everywhere at will, and doing large
distances in course of his flight? Tell us, O crow, how thou shalt fly
with us.' The boastful crow, in consequence of the foolishness of his
species, repeatedly finding fault with the words of that swan, at last
gave this answer. The crow said, 'I shall without doubt fly displaying a
hundred and one different kinds of motion. Doing every hundred Yojanas in
a separate and beautiful kind of motion, I shall display all those
motions. Rising up, and swooping down, and whirling around, and coursing
straight, and proceeding gently, and advancing steadily, and performing
the diverse courses up and receding back, and soaring high, and darting
forward and soaring upwards with fiercer velocity, and once more
proceeding gently and then proceeding with great impetuosity, and once
again swooping down and whirling around and advancing steadily, and
rising up by the jerks, and soaring straight, and once more falling down
and wheeling in a circle and rushing proudly, and diverse other kinds of
motion, these all I shall display in the sight of all you. Ye shall then
witness my strength. With one of these different kinds of motion I shall
presently rise into the sky. Point out duly, ye swans, by which of these
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account