Shloka 4
Garuḍa–Śakra Saṃvāda and the Retrieval of Amṛta (गरुड–शक्र संवादः अमृत-अपहरण-प्रसङ्गः)
हन्यादेतान् सम्पतन्ती शाखेत्यथ विचिन्त्य सः । नखैर्दढतरं वीर: संगृह्द गजकच्छपौ
hanyād etān sampatantī śākhety atha vicintya saḥ | nakhair dṛḍhataraṃ vīraḥ saṅgṛhya gajakacchapau ||
Melihat para brahmarṣi yang tekun bertapa bergelantungan pada dahan beringin yang sedang runtuh, Garuḍa merenung: “Dahan ini akan jatuh; bila jatuh, para ṛṣi ini pasti binasa—jangan sampai kematian mereka terjadi karena diriku.” Setelah memutuskan demikian, sang pahlawan mencengkeram gajah dan kura-kura itu lebih kuat dengan cakarnya, lalu—takut para mahāṛṣi musnah—menyambar dahan itu dengan paruhnya. Demi melindungi para pertapa itulah Garuḍa memperlihatkan keberanian yang menakjubkan.
रौहिण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even immense power must be governed by dharma: one should act with vigilance so that one’s actions do not cause unintended harm, especially to the innocent and to those devoted to tapas. Garuḍa’s restraint and protective choice exemplify ethical responsibility.
Garuḍa, while carrying an elephant and a tortoise, notices that a banyan branch with sages clinging to it is about to break and fall. Fearing that the falling branch would kill the sages and that he might become the cause, he firmly holds the animals and lifts the branch with his beak to save the seers.