Shloka 43
Garuḍa’s Breach of the Amṛta-Guard and Boons with Viṣṇu; Encounter with Indra (Ādi-parva, Adhyāya 29)
रौहिण उवाच यैषा मम महाशाखा शतयोजनमायता । एतामास्थाय शाखां त्वं खादेमौ गजकच्छपौ,वटवृक्ष बोला--पक्षिराज! यह जो मेरी सौ योजनतक फैली हुई सबसे बड़ी शाखा है, इसीपर बैठकर तुम इस हाथी और कछुएको खा लो
Rauhiṇa uvāca: yaiṣā mama mahāśākhā śatayojanam āyatā | etām āsthāya śākhāṃ tvaṃ khādemau gajakacchapau ||
Rauhiṇa said: “This is my largest bough, stretching a hundred yojanas. Perch upon this branch and eat these two—the elephant and the tortoise.” In the narrative setting, the tree offers support to the bird-king so that the act of feeding can be done safely and without harming the tree’s own stability—an image of providing a proper seat and circumstance for an intended action.
रौहिण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights providing an appropriate support or setting for an action—offering a secure perch and sufficient space—suggesting that even powerful acts should be carried out with due consideration for stability, propriety, and the welfare of the supporting environment.
Rauhiṇa points out an immense main branch and invites the bird-king to sit on it and consume the two creatures (elephant and tortoise), framing the branch as a safe platform for the bird’s feeding.