Shloka 146
Garuḍa’s Breach of the Amṛta-Guard and Boons with Viṣṇu; Encounter with Indra (Ādi-parva, Adhyāya 29)
तन्मे तत्त्वं निबोधत्स्व यत्प्रमाणौ च तावुभौ । उसमें एक हाथी नीचेको मुँह किये सदा सूँड़से पकड़कर एक कछुएको खींचता रहता है। वह कछुआ पूर्वजन्ममें उसका बड़ा भाई था। दोनोंमें पूर्वजन्मका वैर चला आ रहा है। उनमें यह वैर क्यों और कैसे हुआ तथा उन दोनोंके शरीरकी लम्बाई-चौड़ाई और ऊँचाई कितनी है, ये सारी बातें मैं ठीक-ठीक बता रहा हूँ। तुम ध्यान देकर सुनो
tan me tattvaṃ nibodhatsva yatpramāṇau ca tāv ubhau |
Kashyapa said: “Understand from me the true account—also the exact measures of those two.” He then proceeds to explain the continuing enmity between an elephant and a tortoise: the elephant, with its face turned downward, constantly drags the tortoise by its trunk. The tortoise had been the elephant’s elder brother in a former birth, and their hostility has carried over. Kashyapa promises to relate precisely why and how that enmity arose, along with the length, breadth, and height of their bodies, urging the listener to attend carefully.
कश्यप उवाच
Educational Q&A
Actions and relationships can generate enduring consequences: hostility (vaira) may persist across births through karmic continuity, and true understanding requires knowing causes, not merely observing effects.
Kashyapa introduces an explanation about two beings—an elephant and a tortoise—whose conflict stems from a previous-life relationship. He promises to detail the origin of their enmity and even their physical dimensions, asking the listener to pay close attention.