Shloka 3

Garuḍa’s Inquiry on Permissible Prey and Vinatā’s Counsel (ब्राह्मणावध्यता–उपदेशः)

Devanagari script

सौतिरुवाच तत: कामगम: पक्षी कामवीर्यों विहंगम: । अरुणं चात्मन: पृष्ठमारोप्य स पितुर्गहात्‌

Transliteration

sautir uvāca tataḥ kāmagamaḥ pakṣī kāmavīryo vihaṅgamaḥ | aruṇaṃ cātmanaḥ pṛṣṭham āropya sa pitur gṛhāt ||

Translation

Sauti sprach: Da hob jener Vogel, schnell wie das Verlangen selbst und mit wunscherfüllender Kraft begabt, Aruṇa auf seinen Rücken und brach aus dem Haus seines Vaters auf. Die Begebenheit betont zielgerichtetes Handeln und kindliche Pflicht: Macht und Schnelligkeit dienen nicht der Zurschaustellung, sondern der Erfüllung einer Schuld gegenüber den eigenen Angehörigen.

Word by Word

सूतिःSūti (a female name)

उवाचsaid

ततःthen; thereafter

कामगमःKāmaga(ma), the one who goes as he wishes (a bird's name)

पक्षीbird

कामवीर्यःKāmavīrya, the one whose strength is as desired (a bird's name)

विहंगमःbird; one that moves in the sky

अरुणम्Aruṇa

चand

आत्मनःof himself

पृष्ठम्back

आरोप्यhaving mounted/placed (upon)

सःhe

पितुःof (his) father

गृहात्from the house

Speaker

युपर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sauti (Ugraśravas)

Aruṇa

the bird (vihaṅgamaḥ/pakṣī)

father’s house (pituḥ gṛha)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Extraordinary power (kāmavīrya) is portrayed as meaningful when harnessed for duty and care—here, the act of carrying Aruṇa from the father’s house highlights purposeful service and responsibility toward one’s own.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator (Sauti) describes a wondrous bird, able to move at will, placing Aruṇa on its back and departing from the father’s home—marking the start of a decisive movement/journey in the episode.