Shloka 10
Udyoga Parva, Adhyaya 104: Nārada on Suhṛt and Nirbandha; the Viśvāmitra–Gālava Exemplum Begins
देवेश्वर! त्रिलोकीनाथ! आपके रहते भगवान् विष्णु भी मेरी जीविका रोकनेमें कारण नहीं हो सकते; क्योंकि वासव! तीनों लोकोंके राज्यका भार सदा आपके ही ऊपर ह%)॥ ममापि दक्षस्य सुता जननी कश्यप: पिता । अहमप्युत्सहे लोकान् समन्ताद् वोढुमज्जसा
Deveśvara! Trilokīnātha! tvayi tiṣṭhati bhagavān Viṣṇur api mama jīvikā-nirodhe kāraṇaṁ na bhavitum arhati; yataḥ Vāsava! trilokya-rājya-bhāraḥ sadā tavaiva upari vartate. Mama api Dakṣasya sutā jananī, Kaśyapaḥ pitā; aham api utsahe lokān samantād voḍhum ajjasā.
Garuḍa said: “O Lord of the gods, O sovereign of the three worlds! While you stand in your power, even Lord Viṣṇu cannot become the cause of cutting off my livelihood; for, O Vāsava, the burden of kingship over the three worlds ever rests upon you. My mother too is a daughter of Prajāpati Dakṣa, and my father is the sage Kaśyapa. I myself am capable—without strain—of bearing the weight of the worlds on every side.”
गरुड उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how claims to power are framed through cosmic order and lineage: Garuḍa asserts his own strength and noble origin, yet acknowledges Indra’s established responsibility for the governance of the three worlds—implying that authority is not only about might but also about ordained role and burden.
Garuḍa addresses Indra with exalted titles and argues that, given Indra’s sovereignty over the three worlds, even Viṣṇu should not be seen as obstructing Garuḍa’s sustenance. He then bolsters his stance by citing his parentage (Dakṣa’s daughter and Kaśyapa) and declaring his capacity to bear the worlds’ weight with ease.