Shloka 13
नागक्षयकरश्चलैव काश्यपेयो महाबल: । देवानां च हिते युक्तस्त्वहितो दैत्यरक्षसाम्,कश्यपनन्दन महाबली गरुड नागोंके विनाशक, देवताओंके हितैषी और दैत्यों तथा राक्षसोंके शत्रु हैं
nāgakṣayakaraś caiva kāśyapeyo mahābalaḥ | devānāṃ ca hite yuktaḥ tv ahito daityarakṣasām ||
Śaunaka said: “That mighty son of Kaśyapa—Garuḍa—is indeed the destroyer of serpents. He is devoted to the welfare of the gods, and stands as an adversary to the Dānavas (Daityas) and the Rākṣasas.”
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames moral alignment in cosmic terms: strength gains ethical meaning through whom it serves—Garuḍa’s power is praised because it is directed toward the welfare of the Devas and against forces portrayed as hostile to that order.
Śaunaka characterizes Garuḍa: he is a mighty descendant of Kaśyapa, famed for destroying serpents, committed to the gods’ welfare, and an enemy of Daityas and Rākṣasas—setting Garuḍa’s role and alliances within the larger mythic conflict.