Shloka 19
Udyoga Parva, Adhyaya 104: Nārada on Suhṛt and Nirbandha; the Viśvāmitra–Gālava Exemplum Begins
गरुत्मन् मन्यसे55त्मानं बलवन्तं सुदुर्बलम् । अलमस्मत्समक्षं ते स्तोतुमात्मानमण्डज
garutmān manyase ’tmānaṁ balavantaṁ sudurbalam | alam asmat-samakṣaṁ te stotum ātmānam aṇḍaja ||
Dijo Kaṇva: «Garutmān, aunque en verdad eres muy débil, te imaginas extraordinariamente fuerte. Oh nacido del huevo, basta ya: no te alabes más en mi presencia.»
कण्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse censures self-praise and deluded self-assessment. It teaches that pride (overestimating one’s strength or worth) is ethically dangerous, while humility and restraint in speech—especially before elders or the wise—protect one from harmful outcomes.
Kaṇva addresses Garuḍa sharply, telling him that despite being truly weak he imagines himself strong, and ordering him to stop praising himself in Kaṇva’s presence. The scene functions as a moral check on arrogance within a tense exchange.