Shloka 1
Garuḍa, the Brāhmaṇa’s Release, and Kaśyapa’s Counsel
Gajakacchapa-ākhyāna Prelude
है ० बछ। ] अ्णऑकाडह पञ्चविशो< ध्याय: सूर्यके तापसे मूर्च्छित हुए सर्पोकी रक्षाके लिये कद्रद्वारा इन्द्रदेवकी स्तुति सौतिरुवाच तत: कामगम: पक्षी महावीर्यों महाबल: । मातुरन्तिकमागच्छत् परं पारं महोदथधे:,उग्रश्रवाजी कहते हैं--शौनकादि महर्षियो! तदनन्तर इच्छानुसार गमन करनेवाले महान् पराक्रमी तथा महाबली गरुड समुद्रके दूसरे पार अपनी माताके समीप आये
tataḥ kāmagamaḥ pakṣī mahāvīryo mahābalaḥ | mātur antikam āgacchat paraṁ pāraṁ mahodadheḥ ||
Then Garuḍa—the bird who could travel at will, mighty in valor and immense in strength—came to his mother, reaching the far shore of the great ocean. The narrative continues to frame Garuḍa’s extraordinary power as being directed toward a filial and ethical purpose: approaching his mother in the course of securing her freedom and fulfilling his duty to her.
पितामह उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power and extraordinary ability are portrayed as meaningful when aligned with dharma—here, Garuḍa’s strength and freedom of movement serve a moral purpose: devotion to his mother and the resolve to remove her bondage.
After prior events, Garuḍa crosses the great ocean and arrives at the far shore to approach his mother, advancing the storyline in which he acts to secure her welfare and eventual liberation.