Shloka 5
Udyoga Parva, Adhyaya 104: Nārada on Suhṛt and Nirbandha; the Viśvāmitra–Gālava Exemplum Begins
वृतश्नैष महानाग: स्थापित: समयश्न मे । अनेन च मया देव भर्तव्य: प्रसवो महान्
vṛtaśnaiṣa mahānāgaḥ sthāpitaḥ samayaś ca me | anena ca mayā deva bhartavyaḥ prasavo mahān ||
ガルダは言った。「神よ、私はこの大いなるナーガを我が食として選び、しかもその時刻を定めていた。彼によってこそ、神よ、私は多くの子らを養うはずであった。」
गरुड उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic tension: even a powerful being like Garuḍa frames his action in terms of responsibility—he has set an agreed time and depends on that means to sustain his offspring, emphasizing duty, order, and accountability in pursuing one’s livelihood.
Garuḍa explains to the addressed ‘deva’ that he had already selected a particular great nāga as his intended food and had fixed the time for it; he justifies this choice as necessary for maintaining his large progeny.