Shloka 117

Devanagari script

स गरुत्मानिवाकाशे प्रार्थयन्‌ भुजगोत्तमम्‌

Transliteration

sa garutmān ivākāśe prārthayan bhujagottamam

Translation

Sañjaya said: Like Garuḍa soaring through the sky, he sought out and pursued the foremost of serpents—pressing the chase with single-minded resolve amid the violence of war.

Word by Word

सःhe

गरुत्मान्Garuḍa

इवlike, as

आकाशेin the sky

प्रार्थयन्requesting, seeking

भुजगोत्तमम्the best of serpents

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Garuḍa

bhujagottama (the foremost serpent; metaphorical epithet for a formidable warrior)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights focused resolve and relentless pursuit in a crisis: the mind fixed on its objective moves with the speed and dominance symbolized by Garuḍa. Ethically, it illustrates how determination can become overpowering in war, where prowess and intent drive action more than deliberation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior’s swift movement and intent using a vivid simile: he is like Garuḍa in the sky, seeking the ‘best of serpents.’ The ‘serpent’ functions as a metaphor for a dangerous, eminent opponent being hunted down in the battle scene.