Shloka 31
Udyoga Parva, Adhyaya 104: Nārada on Suhṛt and Nirbandha; the Viśvāmitra–Gālava Exemplum Begins
पादाडगुछ्ठेन चिक्षेप सुमुखं गरुडोरसि । ततःप्रभृति राजेन्द्र सह सर्पेण वर्तते
pādāṅguṣṭhena cikṣepa sumukhaṃ garuḍorasi | tataḥprabhṛti rājendra saha sarpeṇa vartate ||
Kaṇva said: With the great toe of his foot he struck and hurled Sumukha onto Garuḍa’s chest. From that moment onward, O king, Garuḍa has lived in association with that serpent.
कण्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
A decisive act can transform a relationship defined by hostility into one of restraint and coexistence; dharma may require redirecting power away from destruction and toward protection or reconciliation.
Kaṇva narrates that Sumukha is forcefully cast onto Garuḍa’s chest with a toe-strike/throw, and as a consequence Garuḍa thereafter remains together with the serpent—implying a shift from predation or conflict to continued association.