Shloka 27

Garuḍa Learns the Cause of Vinatā’s Bondage and the Nāgas Demand Amṛta (Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 23)

Devanagari script

एवं स्तुतः सुपर्णस्तु देवै: सर्षिगणैस्तदा । तेजस: प्रतिसंहारमात्मन: स चकार ह,ऋषियोंसहित देवताओंके इस प्रकार स्तुति करनेपर उत्तम पंखोंवाले गरुडने उस समय अपने तेजको समेट लिया

Transliteration

evaṁ stutaḥ suparṇas tu devaiḥ sarṣigaṇais tadā | tejasaḥ pratisaṁhāram ātmanaḥ sa cakāra ha ||

Translation

So wurde er damals von den Göttern zusammen mit den Scharen der Seher gepriesen; da zog Suparṇa (Garuḍa) sein eigenes loderndes Strahlen zurück und zügelte es—und zeigte Selbstbeherrschung angesichts ehrfürchtiger Huldigung und der Gegenwart der Gerechten.

Word by Word

एवम्thus

स्तुतःpraised

सुपर्णःSuparṇa (Garuda)

तुbut/indeed

देवैःby the gods

सर्षिगणैःby the groups of sages

तदाthen/at that time

तेजसःof (his) radiance

प्रतिसंहारम्withdrawal/retraction

आत्मनःof himself/of his own

सःhe

चand

चकारdid/made

हindeed (emphatic particle)

Speaker

शौनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

श

शौनक (Śaunaka)

स

सुपर्ण / गरुड (Suparṇa / Garuḍa)

द

देव (Devas)

ऋ

ऋषिगण (groups of Ṛṣis)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power (tejas) is not merely to be displayed; it is to be governed. Garuḍa’s withdrawal of his radiance after being praised by devas and ṛṣis highlights dharmic restraint—responding to reverence with self-mastery rather than intimidation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śaunaka reports that when Garuḍa (Suparṇa) was eulogized by the gods along with the seers, he then drew in his own blazing energy, calming the situation and moderating his formidable presence.