Shloka 96
Garuḍa’s Assault on the Devas and the Fire-Barrier (अमृत-रक्षा-युद्धम्)
तन्मे कारणतो मात: पृच्छतो वक्तुमहसि । वह देखनेमें अग्नि-जैसा जान पड़ता है? अथवा सौम्य दिखायी देता है? माँ! जिस प्रकार शुभ लक्षणोंद्वारा मैं ब्राह्मणको पहचान सकूँ, वह सब उपाय मुझे बताओ
tan me kāraṇato mātaḥ pṛcchato vaktum arhasi | saḥ kiṁ dṛśyate vahni-sadṛśaḥ? athavā saumyaḥ? mātaḥ yathā śubha-lakṣaṇaiḥ brāhmaṇaṁ vijānīyāṁ, tat sarvam upāyaṁ me vada ||
Garuḍa said: “Mother, you should explain this to me clearly, since I am asking for the reason. How does a brāhmaṇa appear—does he look like fire in his radiance, or does he seem gentle and calm? Mother, tell me every means by which, through auspicious signs, I may recognize a true brāhmaṇa.”
गरुड उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes discernment grounded in dharma: one should learn to recognize true spiritual and ethical authority (a genuine brāhmaṇa) not by superficial assumptions but by understanding the defining marks of virtue, conduct, and auspicious qualities.
Garuḍa questions his mother, seeking practical guidance on identifying a brāhmaṇa. He asks whether such a person appears fierce and radiant like fire or gentle and calm, and requests a full explanation of the signs by which he can recognize one.