Shloka 20

Devanagari script

न खाद्यौ तौ त्वयानीचौ चतुर्भुजौ च पक्षिप? / परस्परकृताच्छापदोषाच्च परिमोचितौ

Transliteration

na khādyau tau tvayānīcau caturbhujau ca pakṣipa? / parasparakṛtācchāpadoṣācca parimocitau

Translation

ഹേ പക്ഷിരാജ ഗരുഡാ! ആ രണ്ടു താഴ്ന്നവരെ തിന്നരുത്; അവർ ചതുര്ഭുജന്മാർ, പരസ്പരകൃത ശാപദോഷത്തിൽ നിന്ന് മോചിതരായവരാണ്।

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• खाद्यौ: to be eaten
• खाद्यौ: Karma (Predicate for object-status)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: खाद्य (कृदन्त; √खाद् (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory passive participle): 'to be eaten'

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग (सर्वनाम), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; instrumental 'by you'

• अनिचौ: low/mean
• अनिचौ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनिच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; 'low/mean' (पाठे 'अनीचौ' = अनिचौ)

• चतुर्भुजौ: four-armed
• चतुर्भुजौ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + भुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; बहुव्रीह्यर्थे प्रायः, किन्तु रूपेण तत्पुरुष-समासः (चत्वारः भुजाः यस्य)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पक्षिप: throw/cast
• पक्षिप: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपदेश/आज्ञा; पाठे 'पक्षिप?' = 'पक्षिप' (throw/cast)

• परस्परकृतात्: from (a curse) done to each other
• परस्परकृतात्: Apadana (Source/Reason)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परस्पर + कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (परस्परेण कृतः)

• शापदोषात्: from the fault of the curse
• शापदोषात्: Apadana (Cause/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप + दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शापस्य दोषः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• परिमोचितौ: freed
• परिमोचितौ: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परिमोचित (कृदन्त; परि+√मुच् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; कर्मणि: 'released/freed'

Speaker

Lord Vishnu

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Do not harm beings whose inner status is divine; discernment (viveka) must guide power.

Vedantic Theme: Antaryāmin principle—divinity within forms; appearance (nīca-śarīra) can veil higher reality; śāpa-doṣa can be exhausted leading to liberation from a binding condition.

Application: Pause before acting on impulse; verify context; practice compassionate restraint, especially when one holds power over the vulnerable.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: śāpa-vimocana and transformation narratives (general); Garuda Purana: Garuḍa’s restraint/obedience to dharma (general)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Two cursed beings (unnamed)

FAQs

What is the importance of shāpa-doṣa (curse-taint) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights that a curse can bind beings to suffering, but once the curse-taint is removed (parimocita), they are no longer to be treated as punishable or prey—dharma requires recognizing their restored status.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul or liberation?

By stating that the two have been freed from curse-fault, the verse reflects a key Garuda Purana theme: bondage arises from karmic/ritual or curse-based defects, and release occurs when that binding condition is exhausted or annulled—changing one’s rightful treatment in the cosmic order.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Do not keep punishing someone who has genuinely corrected their fault or completed restitution; dharma includes restraint, discernment, and honoring rehabilitation once the cause of blame is removed.