Shloka 14
Udyoga Parva, Adhyaya 104: Nārada on Suhṛt and Nirbandha; the Viśvāmitra–Gālava Exemplum Begins
तथापि मैं जो रथकी ध्वजामें रहकर यत्नपूर्वक आपके छोटे भाई (विष्णु)-की सेवा करता और उनको वहन करता हूँ, इसीसे आप मेरी अवहेलना करते हैं ।।
tathāpi mayā yo rathakī-dhvajāntar-sthitaḥ yatnapūrvakaṃ tava kṣudra-bhrātṛṃ (viṣṇuṃ) sevamānaḥ taṃ ca vahāmi, tasmād eva tvaṃ mām avajānāsi. ko 'nyo bhāra-saho 'sti? ko 'nyo 'sti balavattaraḥ? mayā yo 'haṃ viśiṣṭaḥ san vahāmi imaṃ sabāndhavam.
“Even so, I—stationed upon the chariot’s banner—serve your younger brother, Viṣṇu, with deliberate care and bear him aloft; and for that very reason you treat me with contempt. Who else exists that could endure such a burden? Who else is stronger than I? Though I am pre-eminent in power, I carry this Lord Viṣṇu together with all who are bound to him.”
गरुड उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse juxtaposes devoted service with the danger of pride: even while performing exalted service to the divine, one may fall into self-assertion and resentment when feeling slighted. True devotion is tested by humility and steadiness under perceived disrespect.
Garuda speaks, emphasizing that he serves and bears Viṣṇu while positioned on the chariot’s banner, and complains that this very role leads another to disregard him. He asserts his unmatched strength, claiming no one else could bear Viṣṇu’s great burden, and highlights his own exceptional power in carrying the Lord along with his associates.