Shloka 41
Garuḍa–Śakra Saṃvāda and the Retrieval of Amṛta (गरुड–शक्र संवादः अमृत-अपहरण-प्रसङ्गः)
कश्यपस्य मुने: पुत्रो विनतायाश्व खेचर: । हर्तु सोममभिप्राप्तो बलवान् कामरूपधृक्,बृहस्पतिजीने कहा--देवराज इन्द्र! तुम्हारे ही अपराध और प्रमादसे तथा महात्मा वालखिल्य महर्षियोंके तपके प्रभावसे कश्यप मुनि और विनताके पुत्र पक्षिराज गरुड अमृतका अपहरण करनेके लिये आ रहे हैं। वे बड़े बलवान् और इच्छानुसार रूप धारण करनेमें समर्थ हैं
kaśyapasya muneḥ putro vinatāyāś ca khecaraḥ | hartuṃ somam abhiprāpto balavān kāmarūpadhṛk ||
Kaśyapa said: “The son of the sage Kaśyapa and of Vinatā—Garuḍa, the sky-ranging one—has set out to seize Soma, the divine nectar. He is exceedingly powerful and can assume whatever form he desires.”
कश्यप उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power in the epic is not merely physical; it is also moral and causal. Negligence and fault (pramāda, aparādha) can expose even the mighty to reversal, while the force of tapas (austerity) can empower events that restore balance or exact consequences.
Kaśyapa announces that Garuḍa, born of Vinatā, is approaching to seize Soma/amṛta. The statement functions as a warning to Indra: Garuḍa is extraordinarily strong and can change form at will, making him a serious threat to the gods’ possession of the nectar.