Shloka 12
Garuḍa, the Brāhmaṇa’s Release, and Kaśyapa’s Counsel
Gajakacchapa-ākhyāna Prelude
त्वं ज्योति: सर्वभूतानां त्वमादित्यो विभावसु: । त्वं महद्धूतमाश्चर्य त्वं राजा त्वं सुरोत्तमः,“तुम्हीं समस्त प्राणियोंकी ज्योति हो। सूर्य और अग्नि भी तुम्हीं हो। तुम आश्वर्यमय महान् भूत हो, तुम राजा हो और तुम देवताओंमें सबसे श्रेष्ठ हो
tvaṁ jyotiḥ sarvabhūtānāṁ tvam ādityo vibhāvasuḥ | tvaṁ mahad bhūtam āścarya tvaṁ rājā tvaṁ surottamaḥ ||
The Grandsire said: “You are the light within all beings; you are the Sun, and you are the Fire. You are a wondrous, mighty presence; you are the king, and the highest among the gods.” In this praise, the speaker frames the addressed one as the inner source of illumination and order in the world, grounding authority and sovereignty in a cosmic, dharmic radiance rather than mere power.
पितामह उवाच
Educational Q&A
True supremacy is portrayed as luminous and life-sustaining: the one praised is identified with the Sun and Fire—forces that illuminate, nourish, and uphold order—suggesting that rightful authority aligns with cosmic dharma and inner light rather than mere dominance.
Pitāmaha delivers a formal eulogy, elevating the addressed figure by equating them with universal sources of light (Sun and Fire) and calling them a wondrous great being, a king, and the foremost among gods—an act of recognition meant to affirm their exceptional status and legitimacy.