Shloka 1

दक्षिणा-दिक्, पितृपक्ष-प्रतिष्ठा, तथा कर्मगतिः — Suparṇa’s Cosmographic Instruction

Devanagari script

अड-#-#रू--ज अष्टाधिकशततमो< ध्याय: गरुड़का गालवसे पूर्व दिशाका वर्णन करना युपर्ण उवाच अनुशिष्टोडस्मि देवेन गालवाज्ञातयोनिना । ब्रूहि काम तु कां यामि द्रष्टं प्रथणमतो दिशम्‌

Transliteration

Yuparṇa uvāca: anuśiṣṭo 'smi devena gālavājñātayoninā | brūhi kāmaṃ tu kāṃ yāmi draṣṭuṃ prathamatо diśam ||

Translation

Yūparṇa sprach: „Ich bin vom Göttlichen unterwiesen worden—durch Gālava, dessen Ursprung unbekannt ist. Sage nach deinem Wunsch: In welche Richtung soll ich zuerst gehen, um sie zu schauen?“

Word by Word

• अनुशिष्टः: instructed/commanded
• अनुशिष्टः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुशास् (धातु) → अनुशिष्ट (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: Present, 1st, Singular

• देवेन: by the god
• देवेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• गालव: O Galava
• गालव: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गालव
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• अज्ञातयोनिना: by (him) of unknown origin
• अज्ञातयोनिना: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अज्ञात-योनि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• ब्रूहि: tell (me)
• ब्रूहि: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: Imperative, 2nd, Singular

• कामम्: as you wish/at your pleasure
• कामम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कामम् (अव्यय, ‘as you wish’)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• काम्: which (direction)
• काम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• यामि: I go / shall I go
• यामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: Present, 1st, Singular

• द्रष्टुम्: to see
• द्रष्टुम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → द्रष्टु (तुमुन्)
• Form: Infinitive

• प्रथमम्: first
• प्रथमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अतः: therefore/then
• अतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः

• दिशम्: direction
• दिशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

युपर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yuparṇa (Garuda)
• Gālava
• diś (direction/quarter)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined service: a powerful agent (Yuparṇa/Garuḍa) acts under divine instruction and then aligns action with the seeker’s stated intention, showing that strength is ethically guided by obedience and clarity of purpose.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yuparṇa addresses Gālava and says he has been appointed to assist him; he asks which direction they should proceed to first, setting up a directional journey (beginning with the description of the eastern quarter).