Shloka 20

Udyoga Parva Adhyāya 103: Garuḍa’s Protest, Viṣṇu’s Demonstration, and Counsel Toward Śama

Devanagari script

शेषेणैवास्य कार्येण प्रज्ञास्याम्पहमायुष: । सुपर्णस्य विघाते च प्रयतिष्यामि सत्तम

Transliteration

śeṣeṇaivāsya kāryeṇa prajñāsyāmy aham āyuṣaḥ | suparṇasya vighāte ca prayatiṣyāmi sattama ||

Translation

Kaṇva sprach: „Indem ich vollende, was in dieser Sache noch zu tun bleibt, werde ich das Maß seiner Lebensspanne erkennen; und ich werde mich auch bemühen, Suparṇa (Garuḍa) daran zu hindern, ihn niederzustrecken, o Bester der Guten.“

Word by Word

• शेषेण: by the remainder; with what is left
• शेषेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेष
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• एव: indeed; only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• अस्य: of this (one); his
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• कार्येण: by/with the task; by the act to be done
• कार्येण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• प्रज्ञास्यामि: I shall know; I shall ascertain
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अपहम्: removal; taking away (sense uncertain here)
• अपहम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आयुषः: of lifespan; of life
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• सुपर्णस्य: of Suparṇa (Garuḍa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुपर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• विघाते: in the obstruction; in the prevention (of harm)
• विघाते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघात
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• प्रयतिष्यामि: I shall strive; I shall make effort
• Type: Verb
• Root: यत्
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सत्तम: O best of the good; O excellent one
• Type: Noun (vocative used as address)
• Root: सत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

कण्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kaṇva
• Suparṇa (Garuḍa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A responsible elder/ṛṣi does not remain passive before danger: he seeks clear knowledge (about lifespan and circumstances) and then actively strives to protect life, aligning effort with dharma even amid forces that seem fated.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kaṇva declares that he will complete the remaining necessary steps to determine the person’s life-span and will also attempt to avert the threat posed by Suparṇa (Garuḍa), addressing someone respectfully as “best of the good.”